Da Pepèn

The sandwiches here are delicious and great value for money. The place was packed and full of locals, which tells you everything you need to know. Would definitely go back again. We both ordered the bresaola. So good!

Delicious! Having found most sandwiches in Italy to be dry, it was a relief to find Da Pepen’s sandwiches are saucy, fresh and super tasty..we had the first and second recommendations on the menu (roast pork and Parma ham) along with the artichoke pie and recommend them all.

Tried raw horse meat sandwich here. The sandwich as a whole was great, the horse meat was surprisingly pleasant, not gamey at all.

Beautiful Parma ham panini. As a Brit we never get to enjoy ham as fresh as this. Just wonderfully delicious and always busy with locals (a sign you know you are going to get something good!)

Hole in the wall small little bakery - one of the best paninis I've had. Tried the horse meat which was OK. The bread is amazing - lightly toasted but still soft. The bar faces the main street, and the bakery is along the side alley. They stop panini orders at 1415. Limited seats but always bustling with locals. Also got an aranchini which was great. Recommended for an easy lunch!

The best sandwiches in all of Parma. They also have special sandwiches on different days. Service is fast. Definitely recommend the arancini with sauce. You might find some queue on the lunch time.

Delicious, hope one day I will be brave enough to try raw horse meat.

Such an institution in Parme. It’s a must go for a little threat ! I have quite enjoyed the quality of the sandwich. Can be order as big like panini and small. It’s make to order. Service is so nice, patient and helpful. I would highly recommend !

Wow! We went based on reviews and it was fantastic! Artichoke carciofa pie & spicy cavallo crudo (horse tartare) sandwich. The prosciutto sandwich was thin though--would skip that next time. They are takeaway only. A few small tables outside at the next-door pepen cafe that sold coffee, wine, & beer. The line was long to order the food but it moves fast, and they call your name when it's ready.

Pepen is the best sandwich place in town. The pesto di cavallo is incredible, and I love their arancini as well. The people working there are kind and funny-- an all-around great experience.

The sandwiches are great but the experience atrocious. I'm too old to jostle clueless study abroad and local students for half an hour to get a sandwich. If you must have it, take a good look at the menu and memorize exactly what you want. Then pay first and wait in the cattle car of this hole in the wall to order from the glib sandwich masters behind the counter. The sandwiches are inventive, but with such a plethora of amazing cold cuts around town, why put yourself through the wringer?

Pepen serves authentic, delicious, fresh, creative sandwiches in a tiny takeout-only shop. The line was long at 1 pm - about 30 mins - but once inside we had our food within about 10. It's great fun watching the sandwich makers through the glass-front counter, and the noise and smells just add to the fun. A few counters hanging off the wall in the alley outside offer a place to set your sandwich down between bites, but there's no seating here so don't expect to linger. Well worth the effort if you're looking for lunch in Parma.

I truly don't know if I can tell horse tartare from beef tartare, but Pepèn is famous for their Pesto di Cavallo sandwich, so horse it was. Worth the wait at this popular place filled with locals who know food well. Pay at the counter on the right, and then get your food at the other counter on the left. The only option they offered, in English, was "spicy?". I said yes, spicy, and boy was this a good sandwich! I ate in in a few quick seconds standing outside the shop with a dozen others doing the same.

Pepèn was our saviour when the whole Parma was having their riposo and there was no food in sight. This place was tucked in a side street and was rather invisible from the outside until you went inside where it was packed with locals having their lunches standing, Italian style, while conversing animately with the sandwich shop workers. It's probably one of the local joints that Parmanites (is that correct?) frequented since there were more locals than tourists as far as we could see. We were probably as obvious as Hansel & Gretel lost in the jungle because we didn't know where to start or whether there was a menu anywhere (there was, on the wall). So we ended up asking recommendation on what to order - and we got the famous Spaccaballe and a ham and cheese (which in Parma means prosciutto & parmigiano sandwich - none of those pinkish industrial ham and yellow cheese, thank you!) and two white wines on a glass. Sandwiches were delicious, prices were so low, we were happy. Everything was right in the world again. So if you happen to be in Parma and don't know where to go for light bites or stuck in riposo time like we did, make sure you go visit Pepèn.

Very nice sandwich with good ingredients. Worth a lunch stop and be sure to get there before it closes at 2:45pm

My Parmigiano friend took me to this historic paninoteca specialized in "Lo Spaccaballe" (Literal meaning is hysterical, lol. Check your dictionary!) which is a sandwich with roast beef, tomatoes, mayonnaise, spicy sauce, chili pepper, & lettuce and "La Carciofa" (savory pie with artichoke and cheese). There is always a long line outside and you can't really sit down to eat (it's more like a take-out deli) but it's worth the wait. I personally prefer the nearby "Da Walter"' for panini but Pepen makes pretty tasty sandwiches. If you are a Juve fan, don't let the chef find out because he'll make your sandwich extra spicy!!!

Needed a late lunch on our drive from Milano to Firenze and found this little sandwich shop in Parma! Such wonderful sandwiches- everything about them (the bread, the meat, the veggies - even the mayonnaise!) is exquisite! I don't even like sandwiches- but these were divine (and just the right size!). The staff were so friendly and helpful and seemed genuinely happy.

You cant find a more typical place in Parma. Excellent food and people !! I recommend to order the same like the locals and not ask about the ingredients (especially about pesto di cavallo)

Definitely great sandwiches, a lot of choice, it's always full of happy local people and it's a pity there isn't one like this near my home in Germany. Highly recommended!

Traveling in Italy from New York...Drove 90 minutes out of my way to get a sandwich here...was WELL worth the trip. Had one of the best sandwiches of my life, but then had to get right back on the road, in order to make a flight in Milan. I wish I had planned a longer stay in Parma, just so I could try out more of the menu at Pepén. (Plus, Parma seemed kind of cool in its own right) Pepén reminded me of what a lot of sandwich shops in NYC try to approximate, but of course cannot. Simple but exquisite, high quality, and at a low cost. Thanks, Pepén!

It was a little hard to find, but I'm glad we did. (It's actually tucked in the alley off of Via Giuseppe Mazzini.) We heard it was the best place in Parma for panini, and it didn't disappoint. It's tiny and fast, made for eating on your feet or at a bar stool (if you're lucky). The panini were outstanding and the staff was very patient as I muddled through the menu.

When you see locals outside eating while they are standing up that tells a story. We stumbled accross this place by accident and boy are we glad we did. It was authentic Parma and very tasty. We had a pork sandwich which was fantastic.... Also had the pizza which was very good, not the normal thin crust you see around Italy. Highly recommend

Fantastic quick food with an Italian flair. Great staff, inexpensive food and great tasting sandwiches.