Call us cheesy, but momondo has gone crazy for coagulated milk. We've given our writers the mission of uncovering 'le meilleur fromage' in Paris, 'il migliore formaggio' in Rome,the stinkiest cheeses in New York and the hands-down best cheeses in London, Madrid and Brussels. So grab yourself some bread and wine and join us on this tour of the best cheese shops in Europe.
Paris
As a cheese-crazy city resident, I am often asked my opinion about “the Best Cheese Shop in Paris.” There are two ways to respond to this Important Question.
The first, a more complicated answer, is to say “whichever one is near your apartment.” In every Paris neighborhood, no matter how homely, there is a market street with independent shops selling fresh produce, meat, seafood, and wine. There is also, inevitably, a fromager. The quality of these neighborhood cheese shops can vary, ranging from simple sellers to artisans who play the dual role of fromager-affineur. This latter group takes a much more hands-on approach, buying their cheeses young and maturing them on-site in special aging rooms.
Photo: Paris Tourist Office/Amélie Dupont
Developing a relationship with your local fromager is a complicated but rewarding affair. I first started cultivating my cheese lady when I moved into the neighborhood four years ago. I began by showing up regularly, asking questions, and of course buying a lot of cheese. I learned the routine and (after a few gaffes) how to respond to her questions. For example, when she rested her knife on a large wedge of Comté and looked up with big eyes, she was asking about the size of my slice. When she said “c’est pour quand?” (it’s for when?) she was trying to select the perfect level of ooziness.
After several months of “practice” she began to counsel me about what was in season and what I should drink with my selections. In time, she learned to interpret me, too – to understand that there were days when I wanted to learn everything under the sun about a particular Beaufort, and others when I just wanted her to quickly choose something for an impromptu picnic at the Bassin.
My local fromager isn’t anything out of the ordinary - there's no reason to cross town for a visit. But this place is my school as I continue to discover the 400+ cheeses of France, and that make it le meilleur to me. The shop down the street from your apartment or hotel could also turn out to be "the best" if you turn on the charm and win the favor of your fromager.
The second and simpler response to the Best-Of question is “Barthélémy.”
Photo: tbonejuju
Cheese geeks will argue between this and Quatrehomme, but any Top Five list will include this shoebox-sized shop in the 7th arrondissement. The number of the choices is slightly overwhelming in this space where every available inch is used to display more than 200 selections from the man who wrote the book, literally, on French cheeses. Raw milk Camembert is the big draw at Barthélémy, but I also love their little buttons of chèvre (goat cheese) rolled in different spices, as well as the Vacherin that appears only in winter.
In nice weather, I like to pick up a few cheeses and head over to the nearby Esplanade des Invalides, a perfect picnic lawn with views of the gold dome and the Eiffel Tower. The quality of product and posh setting mean that the prices at Barthélémy are nearly double what I pay locally, but some summer nights require a little extravagance.
Fromagerie Barthélémy, 51 rue de Grenelle, 75007