Paris, the capital of gastronomy is also the capital of cheese. Visitors can discover the extraordinary variety of flavors and textures in restaurants, wine bars and cheese shops.

Here is a quick round up of places to get to know.

Cheese restaurants and wine bars

Fil’O fromage

A mix of caterer, wine cellar and restaurant. Upstairs, you can enjoy plates of charcuterie and cheese (from the Alsace, the Aveyron, and the Basque country), aligot, hot casseroles with ewe’s cheese from Corsica or goat’s cheese with fig to the sound of jazz.

12 rue Neuve Tolbiac, Paris 13th Tel +33 (0) 1 53 79 13 35

L’Ambassade d’Auvergne

For more than 40 years a Parisian symbol of the culinary traditions of the region. Recommended for its amazing aligot, served with a Parlan sausage or with breast of duck.

22 rue du Grenier Saint-Lazare, Paris 3rd Tel +33 (0) 1 42 72 31 22 www.ambassade-auvergne.com

L’Écluse

Located in the Latin Quarter, this wine bar has a terrace with a wonderful view of Notre-Dame.

15 quai des Grands Augustins, Paris 6th Tel +33 (0) 1 46 33 58 74 www.lecluse-restaurant-paris.fr

Mmmozza

A place devoted to mozzarella in all its forms (bufflonne or cow, burrata, fior di latte, smoked, etc.). It can be enjoyed along with charcuterie and Italian wines.

57 rue de Bretagne, Paris 3rd Tel +33 (0) 1 42 71 82 98

Nicolas Bercy

Located in the picturesque Bercy Village with its paved streets, visitors can taste a variety of seasonal cheeses either in the lovely stone-walled room or outside on the terrace.

Chai 24, cour Saint-Émilion, Paris 12th Tel +33 (0) 1 43 40 12 11 www.nicolas.com

PAIN, VIN, FROMAGE

Accompanied by some three types of bread (with sesame seeds, poppy seeds or plain), some 50 cheeses are served as fondue, raclette, tartiflette, and toasted open sandwiches.

3 rue Geoffroy l’Angevin, Paris 4th Tel +33 (0) 1 42 74 07 52

Salon du fromage Hisada

With a shop on the ground floor, and a restaurant upstairs, it offers a buffet of excellent cheeses, cheese boards, fondue, raclette and cheese toasties.

47 rue de Richelieu, Paris 1st Tel +33 (0) 1 42 60 78 48 www.hisada.fr

Fondues, raclettes!

Many places in Paris serve traditional alpine dishes such as fondues, raclettes, tartiflettes and other melted cheese specialities.

La Grolle de Montmartre

A rustic alpine inn with stone walls, checked tablecloths and jam preserving pans hanging from the ceiling offer typical regional dishes: fondue, raclette and reblochonnade.

28 rue la Vieuville, Paris 18th Tel +33 (0) 1 46 06 88 48

Bistrot du boursier

A solid wood bar, large tables and copious fondues and raclettes.

88 rue Richelieu, Paris 2nd Tel +33 (0) 1 42 96 83 59

Le Chalet savoyard

Contemporary setting a mix of wood and metal decor with large selection of regional dishes and house specialities: fondues with four cheeses (cumin, goat’s cheese and honey, Roquefort and nuts, etc.), raclettes (unpasteurized milk, morbier, goat’s cheese, etc.), tartiflettes (smoked salmon, cèpes, etc.), croziflette, carpaccio à la tome, beef kebabs with melted cheese, and much more.

58 rue de Charonne, Paris 11th Tel +33 (0) 1 48 05 13 13 www.chalet-savoyard.fr

At the Fondus de la Raclette

A relaxing place to enjoy three-cheese fondues, raclettes (several sizes) or hefty slices of bread with various toppings.

209 boulevard Raspail, Paris 14th Tel +33 (0) 1 43 27 00 13

Les Montagnards

A typical Savoy region atmosphere (red and white decor, old skis and sledges on the walls), where you can enjoy delicious fondues with three or four cheeses, raclettes, or platters of four cheeses and crudités accom- panied by a dish of melted cheese.

58 rue Jean-Jacques Rousseau, Paris 1st Tel +33 (0) 1 73 77 86 44 www.lesmontagnardsparis.fr

The master cheese sellers

Paris is full of master cheese sellers who refine selected regionally produced cheeses with care.

Androuet

Established in Paris in 1909, this renowned cheese house, which today has six shops, offers more than 200 types of cheese, as well as a large selection of European specialities (gruyère, manchego, stilton, etc.).

134 rue Mouffetard, Paris 5th Tel +33 (0) 1 45 87 85 05 androuet.com

Aux Bons Fromages

Run by the same family for generations it offer a rigorous selection of perfectly aged cheeses from different regions, including fine cheeses from the Auvergne (fourmes, salers, cantal, etc.) and the Savoy region (reblochon, abundance, etc.).

64 rue de la Pompe, Paris 16th Tel +33 (0) 1 45 04 88 67

Barthélémy

Nicole Barthélémy, who has a shop in the heart of the 7th arrondissement of Paris, have some of the finest farm cheeses from the best local areas, aged with care. Two to try: the saint-nectaire and the renowned fontainebleau cheeses.

51 rue de Grenelle, Paris 7th Tel +33 (0) 1 42 22 82 24

Chez Virginie

A woman’s business (Virginie Boularouah, daughter and granddaughter of cheese sellers and cheese ripeners) in the small shop in Montmartre, offering over 100 cheeses, often original or rare like the Savoy goat’s cheeses, the blue cheese of Aravis or the blue cheese of Termignon.

54 rue Damrémont, Paris 18th Tel +33 (0) 1 46 06 76 54 www.chezvirginie.com

Fromagerie  Laurent Dubois

Offer the classic palette of French regional cheeses, and harder to find cheeses such as tarentais, stichilton or the old gruyère de chalet. Try some of his own creationss: brie with figs, mont d’or with fresh truffle from Périgord, nougat of old Gouda with pistachios, etc.

47 ter boulevard Saint-Germain, Paris 5th Tel +33 (0) 1 43 54 50 93 www.fromageslaurentdubois.fr

La Fromagerie de Paris

Run by Éric Lefebvre, Meilleur ouvrier de France, and his wife Patricia offer some 200 cheeses, among which a succulent camembert, extraordinary goat’s cheeses and a large choice of English blue cheeses.

229 rue de Charenton, Paris 12th Tel +33 (0) 1 46 28 10 21

Marie-Anne Cantin

Another Parisian institution, opened in 1950 where you can buy cheeses from local producers and attend bespoke tasting sessions.

12 rue du Champ de Mars, Paris 7th Tel +33 (0) 1 45 50 43 94 www.cantin.fr

Quatrehomme

It has been supplying the best restaurants with cheeses since 1953, and  offers more than 200 products with great character, from the most popular (camembert, roquefort, etc.) to the more unusual like the old comté aged for 4 years.

62 rue de Sèvres, Paris 7th Tel +33 (0) 1 47 34 33 45 www.quatrehomme.fr