"We were in Edinburgh for a wedding this week and used our visit to eat some very good food. There was much walking – if you’ve seen Princes Street recently you’ll understand why we didn’t get the bus or a cab. But with all that walking I insisted on a coffee stop. And where else would you stop for a coffee but a small piece of Italy – Valvona and Crolla’s Vincaffe." - Read full review - March 2012

"... you will be inspired by top chefs including Geoffrey Smeddle of the Peat Inn, winner of the Scottish Restaurant Awards' 'Chef of the Year' and 'Restaurant of the Year' 2010; Edinburgh's beloved Mary Contini of Valvona & Crolla, ... " - free-pressrelease.org - July 2010

" An absolutely outstanding deli, I would go as far to say probably the best I have been to in Edinburgh (and even Glasgow)....." - yelp.com - July 2010

"Still the most celebrated delicatessen in Scotland, Valvona & Crolla also encompasses this simple and tasteful space at the rear of the shop,a converted stables. The food includes breakfast, toasted panini and more substantial dishes, drawing on the top-quality raw materials shipped direct from Italian markets. The deli also has an award-winning Italian wine section - pick any bottle to drink in the Caffè Bar with your meal and you'll pay £6 corkage. " - timeout.com - March 2010

"Valvona & Crolla Caffe Bar

Who goes there
Kirsty Wark, Mariella Frostrup, Clive James, and the wine critic Matthew Jukes.
Why they like it
Good for before, during or after shopping. Ever-changing menu and great Italian wine." - The Independent's "The idiot's guide to Britain's media villages" - Feb 2010

"Mary Contini - When it comes to women in business in Scotland, there's no-one quite like the female powerhouse of energy and organisation who is now the key player in the legendary Valvona & Crolla Italian food empire. Mary Contini writes atmospheric books about food, has chronicled her family's struggle to settle in Scotland two generations ago, and most recently went into partnership with Jenners to give a whole new lease of life to the most famous Food Hall in Princes Street. She opened up the windows – at last! – enabling us all to admire the view while sipping our espresso." - The Scotsman SW Review of the Year

“The city’s most famous foodie destination, which features vintages specially bottled for the shop, and a caffè bar that offers delicious meals, as well as the best coffee and pastries in Edinburgh.” - Financial Times - Dec 2008

"It was the wonderful smell of coffee beans, cheese and freshly-baked bread in Valvona & Crolla. I remember being in awe as I stared up at the high shelves stacked with pasta and salamis hanging from the ceiling." - Sue Hitchen, director of Foodies at the Festival describes her earliest memory of Edinburgh

“When in Edinburgh I’m always astonished at the number of great places to eat. I’m a big fan of Valvona & Crolla"
- Jacob Gaffney Interwined.com July 08

"A VISIT to Valvona and Crolla's long-established Elm Row emporium is like stepping into Santa's grotto. En route through the delicatessen to the caffe at the back, you pass shelf after shelf of the most fascinating and tempting wine and foodstuffs Italy has to offer, while overhead hang hams, peppers and all manner of colourful produce."
The Scotsman July 08

"Does V&C need any further rave notices? It has been an Edinburgh institution for so long, but, well, why not. I was reminded just how fabulous this shop would be anywhere in the world when I went for a book signing the other day. Impeccable produce, sourced with a very keen palate, displayed with unnerving generosity, genial service, fabulous wine section, zippy cafe - this place is the dog's family jewels when it comes to food shopping."
- Matthew Fort The Guardian June 2008

"PLENTY of people, some perhaps with a penchant for pasta and parma ham, insist that the entire Festival thing, the Fringe thing, in Edinburgh doesn't really get under way, isn't taken seriously, until the curtain goes up in Elm Row on the Valvona & Crolla shindig."
The Scotsman July 08 “Great Britain vs Italy” by Mary Contini, translated into Italian by Davide Panzieri- Slowfood Magazine Dec 07

“Edinburgh’s undisputed food heaven” - Travelbite.co.uk Dec 07

"This Edinburgh food store is one of the finest in the country"
- Tom Parker Bowles, Sept 2007

No.2 in the Independent Newspapers Ten Best Food Websites
"This Edinburgh Deli is over 70 years old and is championed by the likes of Rick Stein and Antonio Carluccio. Online you'll find an impressive selection of the shop's products, including Italian wines, Scottish whisky, Amalfi lemonsand home-baked focaccia."
- Sophie Morris - The Independent, Sept 2007

"a refined deli/café full of focaccia and Parmigiano Reggiano"
- The Spectator, September 2007

"Off the Beaten Track"
- The Scotsman.com, Aug 2007

"A boisterous burst of Louis Prima"
- John Gibson, The Scotsman.com, Aug 2007

"Its all going to plan for Maran"
- The Scotsman.com, Aug 2007

"An embarrassment of musical riches".
- Jim Gilchrist, The Scotsman.com, Aug 2007

"Between August 3 and 27, we're staging 11 different shows." in "the renowned Venue 67."
- John Gibson, The Scotsman.com, July 2007

"The best place to buy coffee beans is Valvona & Crolla. I have bought their Continental Roast beans for what must now amount to three decades. No other blend or roast touches it for my ideal coffee."
- Claire MacDonald, The Scotsman.com, July 2007

"Edinburgh's quintessential deli/shop/restaurant is a down-to-earth foodie heaven and it has been one of my favourite places to eat Italian cooking for many years."
- Antonio Carluccio, Independent Magazine, June 2007

“Valvona & Crolla is foodie heaven in the North.”
- Delicious. magazine, May 2007

“Website of the month: Scotland's oldest deli is now online, with a fantastic selection of local treats”
- BBC Good Food Magazine, May 2007

“It was my friend Lucy who introduced me to Valvona & Crolla. When we were students, we used to go and buy the weirdest picnics: tiny baby octopuses in oil, soft purple figs, fragrant Italian sweets. We’d take them on the bus to Portobello, tear open the wrappings and arrive at the beach with sticky fingers and empty bags.
I never got over the excitement of stepping inside. As you pass through the understated shopfront, there is often an aria playing, a perfect accompaniment to the high-vaulted operatic interior and its myriad delights. It’s a temple of food with glass cases full of gleaming cheeses, strange cured meats hanging from the ceiling, shelves stacked with sweets, pasta, jams, olive oils.
I sometimes wander in, not to buy, just to breathe in the smells, to gaze at the vivid tomatoes and peppers. It can cure depression and fills you with a sense of the possibilities of life. Occasionally I drink a strong coffee and sometimes buy bread, cheese and wine, but often I’m not shopping but acting in my own secret movie. Maybe others wander in, look around, breathe the smells and walk out. Maybe staff have a name for us – but all the time I have been coming to this magical emporium, they have never failed to greet me with a warm smile. Every time is like the first time.”
- Claire Smith, The Scotsman Recommends, April 2007

“...an Aladdin's cave of goodies.”
- Taste Italia magazine, April 2007

“Valvona & Crolla has been described as the ‘Sistine Chapel of continental delis’, which gives you an indication of how special it is... We think it’s worth making a special trip.”
- 4 Homes Magazine, December 2006

“It’s like the Tardis – unremarkable exterior, but inside a universe of the best food and wine. It makes shopping like exploring – you never know what you’ll find but it will always be excellent.”
- The Grocer, November 2006

“No trip to Edinburgh is complete without a visit to Valvona & Crolla, opened by the Contini family in 1934. I was there last week, breathing in the pork-scented air and revelling in the joyous range of food, Italian and local. The staff are passionate and knowledgeable and the place is a visual feast, too”
Tom Parker Bowles, Daily Mail, November 2006

“Not only the best place in town for Italian deli food, V&C also carries a choice range of gourmet chocolates in it’s treasure trove shop” The Scotsman, October 2006

“Walking through the aromatic avenue of smelly cheeses and cured meats has the tastebuds whimpering long before you comandeer a menu in the minimalist café at the rear of Edinburgh's favourite deli. First and foremost at V&C is the joy of fresh, seasonal produce...”
- The List Eating & Drinking Guide, 2006-07

"Everything tastes robust and authentic"
- The Sunday Times, September 2006

“Great Delicatessens? For me, Valvona & Crolla in Edinburgh has been a second home ever since I came to live in Scotland 13 years ago.”
Clarissa Dickson-Wright, Summer 2006

“In 1934 it was a humble deli serving the immigrant Italian community in Edinburgh; today it’s a foodie heaven”
The Independent Magazine, June 2006

“Deli-bakery-wine shop with a mind boggling cheese counter and a great café”
The Telegraph Magazine, June 2006

“I love Valvona & Crolla, the Italian Deli in Edinburgh”, Dave Myers of the Hairy Bikers, April 2006

“Valvona & Crolla is still the Sistine Chapel of continental delis, packed from floor to (very high) ceiling with culinary riches of Italy… The menu varies daily - but always features rich meat and fish dishes, pasta and pizza, cooked with authentic Italian aplomb.”
- Herald, April 2006

“Branded an Edinburgh institution – and rightly so.”
- The List, February 2006

“Edinburgh’s legendary temple of gastronomy…No serious fan of food and wine will want to miss this island of Italy in the land of haggis and whisky.”
- Aer Lingus Magazine, January 2006

“Valvona & Crolla is the most famous delicatessen in Edinburgh, if not Scotland. It's a treat to come here and salivate over the vast counter of sweet and savoury offerings.”
- Daily Telegraph, October 2005

“It would, of course, be akin to sacrilege to discuss the merits of food shopping in Edinburgh without mentioning the legendary Valvona & Crolla”
- Edinburgh Evening News, September 2005

• Scotsman article, 24 May 2005 • Scotsman article, 7 Aug 2005 • Focus on Food Campaign

Valvona & Crolla working for a Cooking Bus for Scotland Mary Contini is heading the drive to secure a Focus on Food Cooking Bus that is dedicated to meeting Scottish educational and health requirements. An article in The Scotsman on 24 May 2005 covered the story of the bus and its visit to Edinburgh on 4 June 2005. Another feature in the Scotsman about the bus was printed on 7 August 2005. Further information about the Food Standards Agency’s Cooking Bus and the Focus on Food Campaign can be found at www.food.gov.uk/healthiereating/nutritionschools/bus/. Please contact Mary Contini if you would like to support the Cooking Bus for Scotland project;

“A foodie's dream. Walking into this deli-cum-café is like stepping into the well-stocked storeroom of a large Italian family, with a tantalising array of fresh breads, Italian cheeses, salamis and wines.”
- Sunday Express, May 2005

The Contini Family Winner of the Judges' Special Award The List Eating & Drinking Guide Awards, April 2005 "Over three (and more) generations, the Contini family have championed and inspired an appreciation of fine food and wine in Edinburgh and across Scotland....This award acknowledges - and indeed celebrates - the consistent devotion shown across the different branches of the family to quality produce, customer service, and overall high standards."

“Classic simple Italian dishes meet a serious wine list in a setting of casual urbanity…”
- The Independent, January 2005

‘A piece of Italy took root in the city and is still growing ‘
- Edinburgh Evening News, 3 September 2004

‘Valvona & Crolla‘
- Observer Food Monthly, 27 June 2004

"Esteemed by many as the best Italian food store in the UK... there is no sign that the original shop has lost any of its passion or verve. Tempting new products arrive all the time...Best of all, staff are always happy to explain the difference between one bottle and another."
- Observer Food Monthly, June 2004

"Valvona & Crolla in Edinburgh is everything I want a food shop to be. Sometimes I wish the Continis would let me move in."
- Nigel Slater, The Observer, March 2004

‘The dynasty and the deli’
- Scotsman feature, 20 March 2004

“The trattoria at the back of Valvona & Crolla comes closest to the real McCoy”
- Matthew Fort, The Guardian, February 2004

"This seminal Italian deli has an incredible selection of Italian and global wines to match the delicious food on offer."
- The Telegraph, December 2003