Raineri’s Continental Deli, Five Dock
An Inner West institution for Italian deli sandwiches.
Before Kosta’s and Self Raised, there was Raineri’s Continental Deli. The family-owned deli opened in 1982, long before the sandwich boom began, and it’s had queues out the door ever since.
The venue is owned and run by Rosaria and Peter Raineri with their son Sam, who still work the counter, taking orders, slicing bread, and toasting and wrapping sangas in paper, like the good ol’ days.
There’s no menu — no sandwich board with punny names or numbers. Instead, customers can fill their focaccia with whatever they want from the deli cabinets. There’s cured meats like mortadella and prosciutto, oil-soaked antipasto and torn Italian cheese, like buffalo mozzarella and stracciatella. Some will spoon homemade chilli oil on top, others prefer a drizzle of balsamic glaze. Whatever combo you come up with, the price is always $15.
The sandwiches are sensational, but it’s the generous Italian hospitality that makes it.
The low-down
Vibe: Old-school, family-run deli
Go-to dish: The three-meat mortadella, salami and prosciutto sandwich
Drinks: Soft drinks and espresso coffee, but no one’s here for the drinks
Cost: Sandwiches are all $15, no matter what’s on it
Erina Starkey – Erina is the Good Food App Editor for The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age. Previously, Erina held a number of editing roles at delicious.com.au and writing roles at Broadsheet and Concrete Playground.
