The Best Cheese Shops in Paris
Laurent Dubois
Named after the owner, this Meilleur Ouvrier de France (the highest honor that the French government bestows on craftspeople) now operates three locations in Paris. Jennifer Greco, a France-based American expat who blogs about cheese, declares this her favorite fromagerie, noting the owner’s special relationship with various Comté producers. This shop in the fifth arrondissement is so special that, on weekends, customers are actually willing to wait in long lines just to get a taste of his original creations. Hold out for the Roquefort, cut lengthwise and layered with quince jam.
Androuët
Androuët lays claim to being one of the oldest fromageries in France, dating back to 1909, when founder Henri Androuët decided to make cheeses from all regions of France available to Parisians in a single shop. It remained under the ownership of the Androuët family until Stéphane Blohorn recently bought it. Now it’s one of the most well-known cheese shops in Paris, with more than 10 locations in the city and several more in London and Stockholm.
Barthélemy
Owner Nicole Barthélemy takes cheese very seriously at her genteel shop in the Saint-Germain neighborhood in the seventh arrondissement. The tiny space is crammed with hundreds of cheeses, including globes of mousse-like Fontainebleau cheese, made fresh in the shop each day. While browsing, be careful of the floor’s hidden trapdoor leading to the underground cheese cellar. Staff members regularly pop out carrying trays heaving with Crottin de Chavignol, Valençay, and other miniscule goat cheeses of various shapes and sizes.
Alléosse
In France, it’s polite to greet shopkeepers right away, so say “bonjour!” upon entering this sleek fromagerie just a short walk from the Arc de Triomphe in the 17th arrondissement. Here, owner Philippe Alléosse, who comes from a family of cheesemongers, sells a variety of cheeses aged to his specifications. Don’t be intimidated by his selection of funny-looking chèvres that can impress with their range of flavors and textures. You might choose from wrinkly Chabichou, pyramid-shaped Pouligny-Saint-Pierre, or discs of Selles-sur Cher.
Fromagerie Beaufils
This youthful cheese shop is breaking down entrenched barriers in France by offering some of the best British, Swiss, Italian, Dutch, and Spanish products in addition to its domestic selection. In fact, owner Christophe Lesoin even sells an American cheese—Rogue River Blue from Oregon. Although the staff speaks English at both locations in the ninth and 20th arrondissements, it’s polite to try to speak some French even if you haven’t used it since high school. They’ll appreciate the effort.
La Fermette
This shop is one of many specialty food vendors on the cobbled Rue Montorgueil in the second arrondissement. Older cheeses, like its Comté aged 30 months, can sit out without refrigeration for quite awhile. While traveling, though, don’t be afraid to ask for a smaller amount when buying from a large wheel. Plan to buy only enough to taste for a day or two, and then go back and try something else just like the French do.
Chez Virginie
Virginie Boularouah, a third generation fromagere-affineur, has operated her elegant shop in the shadow of Montmartre in the 18th arrondissement since 1995. It’s packed with hundreds of cheeses made exclusively from raw milk (favored for their superior flavor and texture), some by artisans and farmers with whom her family has worked for generations. Request a younger, softer cheese because you likely won’t be able to find them at home: Raw milk cheeses aged fewer than 60 days are banned in the United States.
Marie-Anne Cantin
Another defender of raw milk cheeses, owner Marie-Anne Cantin has been in the business since 1950. Her jewel box of a shop near the picturesque Rue Cler in the seventh arrondissement is the ideal place to buy picnic supplies before heading to the Eiffel Tower. The cheeses are displayed on a shelf, but don’t pick them up. A staff member will help you select a perfectly oozing Vacherin Mont d’Or or ripe Camembert, but you can’t collect it until paying at the register.
Fromagerie Goncourt
This new shop in the hip 11th arrondissement is the result of owner Clément Brossault’s two-month cycling trip to discover the regional cheeses of France. Broussault knows many of the producers personally, and there’s a particularly nice selection from the Savoie like Persillé de Tignes, Tome des Bauges, and Dent du Chat. Feel free to ask the friendly and hospitable staff about the best time to eat the cheese you’re buying—they can help select the perfect ripeness.
La Ferme Saint-Aubin
In the middle of the Seine on the Île Saint-Louis in the fourth arrondissement, this cheese shop carries a selection of classic French cheeses as well as original products like sheep’s milk cheese with piment d'espelette(a spicy pepper) or brie with truffles. The shop is tiny, so take note of the customers walking in before and after you. The French aren’t rigid like Americans about lines, so you’ll have to speak up to be served in order.