Liz O’Reilly headed to Salumeria Papà for a midweek lunch that was all about a very special kind of bread.

I never thought I’d get so excited about the launch of a new deli/sandwich bar but, when said eatery comes from the guys who brought us Osteria Papà, you can bet it’s going to be something special. Spoiler alert… it truly is. Described as the ‘small but mighty sister’ of the much-loved Italian eatery, Salumeria Papà occupies a prime spot in Juffair Square. Salumeria in Italian translates as a shop specialising in cooked and cured meat, cheeses and other prepared foods. But, where chefs and co-founders Steeven Gilles and Paul Gardin have added a touch of genius, is by constructing a menu that, aside from some seriously good salads and the expected excellent antipasti, is built around a pizzwich concept using breads made from their renowned pizza dough. Fermented for 72 hours, it’s crispy, light, flaky and oh so moreish. It’s also the perfect accompaniment to the imaginative range of fillings they’ve dreamt up.

The place itself doesn’t try too hard. There’s a certain rustic charm with a beamed ceiling and thick wooden shelves bearing olive oils and vinegars, but it’s not overdone and manages to feel welcoming without being twee. The menu’s split into two parts – breakfast and all-day dining, though breakfast is actually served all day (these guys actually listen when their guests speak).

We started with the Middle Eastern Breakfast – classic hummus, labneh and falafel – familiar flavours but somehow elevated. The labneh so creamy you could eat it alone, if it weren’t for that amazing pizza bread, the hummus earthy and rich, the falafel deeply crunchy, giving way to a light, fluffy centre.

Next up, also from the breakfast menu, came Croque Madame but, of course, with a Salumeria twist. The ‘Queen of sandwiches’ is already indulgent with its layers of Gruyère cheese and veal ham topped by a fried egg, but when Chef Steeven approached with a cream dispenser (used for piping creamy sauces to resemble whipped ice cream), we knew we were in for a treat. The ‘Queen’ was crowned with a liberal stream of special sauce that’s literally Parmesan and cream, whipped together to form a luxuriant, silken dream of a sauce – rich and deeply satisfying, it unified all the flavours for an extravagant mouthful that we kept going back to.

For a break before we tucked into the speciality Pizzwiches from the all-day menu, we sampled a goat cheese salad – bright and refreshing, mixed leaves and roasted vegetables forming a perfect counterpoint to the salty crumbled cheese and tangy, sweet balsamic dressing – and a beautifully presented antipasti platter. Rich, deep red Bresaola sat alongside nutty Grana Padano cheese, salami mingled with grilled artichoke and olives, all rounded out with a deeply flavourful tomato jam and, again, that amazing bread. Flavours and textures met in harmony, perfectly complementing each other and I honestly could have eaten just this and gone home happy but…

Then came the dish I’d secretly been eyeing since our arrival. The menu has a section called Papà’s Sicilian Pizza and, if you eat only one thing at Salumeria, this has to be it! These are rounds of dough, the toppings sealed inside and baked until the outside’s crispy. They’re almost like a toasted sandwich that spent its summer holidays in Palermo and came back with a whole new attitude. We had the Crispy Beef Salami Picante with Gruyère, mustard, cream, honey and fresh thyme. And, my gosh, it was a hit. Crunchy and meaty with the sharp tang of the mustard and cheese cutting through the rich gooeyness of the cream and honey, it would have been unseemly to fight over the last piece, but we honestly came close.

We tried two options from the Papà’s Pizzwich section, each making it abundantly clear why this invention has become an instant bestseller.

The Vitello Al Pistacchio was stuffed with veal ham, stracciatella and a flavourful basil pesto alongside rocca leaves and toasted pistachios. The fluffy, creamy cheese mix and earthy pesto oozed from the bread inviting us to bite in for a messy, deeply satisfying marriage of texture and taste, the crunchy nuts bringing an interesting extra depth.

And last but definitely not least for the savouries, the Club Pizzwich combined a whole range of flavours in one space – chicken doner, fried egg, crispy bacon topped with melted Parmesan, lettuce, tomato and Caesar dressing. It took some serious coordination to get everything in one bite but, when we did, it was a different kind of ‘wow’ – crunchy lettuce offering the perfect counterpoint to the cheesy bacon, juices from the chicken bursting forth, bringing an explosion of well-marinated, savoury deliciousness.

Either of the Pizzwiches could’ve been a meal in itself and, by the time we’d tried them both, I honestly didn’t think there was space for anything more… until the Dolci platter arrived bearing exquisitely constructed mini desserts alongside a couple of glossy, flaky pastries. Raspberry, chocolate, toffee, mango and tiramisu – there was a beautiful little cake to suit every taste, all of them almost too pretty to eat. But, of course, eat them we did with many oohs and ahs of delight as fruity and chocolatey flavours combined with gooey creamy textures. We also sampled some layered desserts, presented in Salumeria jars with a tab opening (perfect for taking home). I particularly loved the raspberry version, creamy, fruity and with a nutty topping, the perfect end to a delicious feast.

Small but mighty indeed, Salumeria Papà has filled a gap in the market we didn’t even know was there: comfy and social, it offers great service and high quality ingredients in bites with a difference that can turn a quick snack into an occasion. I’ll definitely be going back. ✤

GO: CALL 3660 0888 FOR MORE INFORMATION OR TO MAKE A RESERVATION.