The Reuben is an American institution. Hordes flock to the jewish delis of New York to dive into the king of sandwiches. Tender pastrami, sharp mustard, soft bread. It’s a magical thing. Katz’s Deli is legendary, and with good reason – it’s one heck of a meal. But where can you get your fix in London?

Monty’s Deli shot to fame after featuring on Tom Kerridge’s TV show. Situated in Maltby Street market, a short walk from London Bridge they’ve become a South London landmark. The queue has to be seen to be believed. They open at 9:30am and regularly sell out – this is not for the faint of heart – we must have waited for the best part of an hour…

So is it worth the hype? Absolutely. This is one of the finest examples of British street food you’ll find. It’s got a beautifully simple menu, there’s no messing around choosing condiments and customising everything. You order it plain; as a reuben; or with extra salt beef. It’s a great sandwich, made with top ingredients made by people who care. The meat is acheingly tender and packed full of flavour, the pickles are beautifully sharp and the bread is top notch. The sauerkraut really adds something special – it’s a great experience. Struggling to fit your jaw around it while containing the copious filling is half the fun. On a drizzly winters morning it touches places other sandwiches can only dream of.

They’re about to move just over the road to a new premise on Druid Street, with more room and hopefully shorter queues. If you love comfort food, you owe it to  yourself to give this a shot. There’s also the added bonus of being able to pop into St Johns and pick up a doughnut for the walk home – what more could you want?!