Gaia Delicatessan

The List's Eating & Drinking Guide 2008 is now in the shops. This review is taken from the 2007 edition.

A recent addition to Leith Walk's growing selection of pizzerias, cafés and delicatessans, Gaia Delicatessan is doing its best to bring fresh, delicious flavours to the local residents and office workers it serves. A spacious takeaway with room for a low-sitting sofa in the window and three tall, round tables throughout, Gaia's welcoming effect is instantly apparent. Two glass cases display a broad range of Italian produce, meats and cheeses sourced mostly from Sicily, that can be combined any which way to create a sandwich or salad of your liking. A printed menu offers a variety of pre-considered combinations; many of which are pre-prepared for swift service. Soup, pasta and salad choices, all home-made by proprietors Salvatore Dragotta and Salvatore Cardella, change daily and are light and healthy, while being suitably comforting and filling. Panini, such as Parma ham, mozzarella and tomato are grilled to crisp and oozing perfection. Italian meats, cheeses and fresh produce are all available to buy at reasonable prices, as is a limited, but carefully chosen, selection of Italian groceries. Sweets are limited to a small selection of artisan biscuits, but an amaretti biscuit with one of Gaia's strong, delicious coffees never fails to hit the spot.

• High point: Fresh, delicious food served with authentic simplicity
• Low point: High stools not as comfortable as low sofa