In Search of Paris' Best Fromageries (Cheese Shops)
...plus, a full guide to accessibility in the capital, French etiquette 101 (the video version!) & where to frolic & explore this spring
Dear Subscribers,
Last week, we had some friends over for a simple Sunday-evening-partaking of wine and cheeses. I managed to find a couple of decent French varieties from Marks & Spencer (I live in the UK most of the year), including a semi-firm Basque sheep’s milk cheese called Ossau-Iraty with well-balanced sweet, savory and fruity notes, and a brie-like Pavé d’Affinois, from the Auvergne region.
They were tasty enough. But it made me miss the sensation of walking into a typical cheese shop somewhere in Paris, and being almost accosted by the aggregate whiff of hundreds of varieties of cheeses— cheeses so fresh and full of complex flavors, they genuinely seem alive. (I know— some of you would likely find this olfactory experience offensive. I happen to enjoy it.)
So it was with a tinge of envy that I received, and published, Rachel Naismith’s fabulous account of her favorite cheese shops in Paris. As she explains in the piece:
Fromageries hold a very special place in France’s culinary landscape. They’re all about craftsmanship, regional pride, and the kind of personalized service that transforms each cheese purchase into a special occasion, whether it’s for a casual Sunday dinner or the lavish spreads of Christmas Eve. It’s no exaggeration to say that living in France, amidst the trials of bureaucracy and daunting phone calls in another language, I’ve found cheese to be a grounding force: it’s a small reminder of why I chose to make this city my home.
France famously produces over 1,200 varieties of cheese, making it all a bit intimidating to the uninitiated. I initially stuck to what I knew and could pronounce. Yet stepping out of one’s comfort zone, both phonetically and taste-wise, is immensely rewarding. So without further ado, here’s my selection of some of the best cheese shops in Paris. The fromageries I’ve chosen to spotlight welcome English speakers, making it easy to ask for advice and recommendations. While much is made of cheese “etiquette”—the dos and don’ts of selection, consumption, and presentation—I believe the essence of enjoying the act of buying French cheeses lies in simple acts of politeness, curiosity, and not touching anything without paying for it first!
Androuet is a beloved cheesemonger with several locations around Paris. Image: Courtney Traub/All rights reserved
Without further ado, read Rachel’s picks for where to find an intensely aromatic and creamy Brie de Meaux, earthy goat’s cheese round laced with dried fruit, a nutty Comté or indulgent and buttery Soumaintrain, made with raw cow's milk and hailing from Burgundy.
Next up, I’ve had a fair number of people write to me over the years asking just how accessible Paris is. And I generally have a two-part response: the bad news, and the good.
We may as well start off with the bad news: Paris doesn’t exactly have a stellar record where accessibility is concerned. Wheelchair-intolerant cobblestone streets and sidewalk edges; out-of-order or nonexistent elevators in the metro and other public places; restaurant bathrooms located in basements accessible only by narrow spiral staircases– you name it. For visitors with disabilities or limited mobility, the capital can seem like an exhausting obstacle course.
So what’s the good news, then? Over the past two decades, Paris has been making considerable efforts to improve its accessibility track record. Certain measures, from introducing and extending metro stations with accessible access to adding ramps at numerous popular attractions and trying to address neighborhoods that are particularly tricky to get around in, have made it easier for visitors with limited mobility or disabilities to navigate the city.
There’s still a long way to go, though, and many critics say the city hasn’t risen to the level of their stated ambition to make more areas of the city accessible, especially ahead of the 2024 Summer Olympic Games.
Keep reading for our full tips on how to navigate different scenarios in the city, from using metros and buses to accessible museums, restaurants and those tricky Parisian sidewalks.
Moving to to a topic that I’ve gotten asked a lot about lately—notably through appearing on a BBC World Service show (stay tuned for more in late March)— the “art” of French etiquette is a topic that people find at turns fascinating, perplexing, intimidating and even infuriating. And for good reason.
A couple of years ago, I published a piece that I hoped would help travelers navigate the basics of polite behavior and etiquette while in France— and it's attracted such a large readership that I thought it might be worth offering the same advice in a video (and audio) format.
In the video (which can also just be listened to as an audio feature if you don’t care about my rather old-school slideshow), I cover many of the anxiety-inducing etiquette questions travelers might have about navigating some of the complexities of French culture— from polite greetings to dining etiquette, tipping and when to “faire la bise” (give cheek kisses).
Thanks for sharing the video with anyone you think might find it helpful, and I’d welcome your feedback on whether you'd like to see more audio and/or video features going forward!
Next up, springtime in Paris is tied up with with so many clichés and sky-high expectations that it can be hard to know what to really expect. With those (unhelpful) myths in mind, see our fully updated guide to planning (and enjoying) a spring trip to the capital, designed to help you see the city for what it is, and make the most of it.
Next up, I’ve got three recent exclusive posts for paid subscribers this month (and remember, you can take advantage of a 7-day free trial to read these, or any features in our now-ample archive at Substack, that may interest you).
In my review of the recent film “Full Time”, a refreshingly original— and very Gallic— spin on the action genre, I’m full of admiration for leading actor Laure Calamy (of “Call my Agent") fame— and for director Eric Gravel and his cast. This is a film, I somewhat glibly observe, that only the French could make.
The film (A Temps Plein in French) follows Julie through a frenetic and stressful daily landscape that might feel all too ordinary to many working parents: cancelled trains and narrowly missed replacement buses; an irresponsible ex-husband who’s gone AWOL and has failed to pay child support; a childminder who’s threatening to quit because Julie can’t get home in time to pick up her kids before dinner; rushing around to find a birthday present in time for her son’s party; and the whiplash-inducing situation of a boss threatening to fire her while a potential new one considers hiring her.
An unlikely scenario for an action movie, right? And yet…I was on tenterhooks.
My subscribers-exclusive post on what tourists can expect when traveling to Paris during this summer’s Olympic Games holds a few warnings about issues like insanely inflated prices for hotels and other accommodations, tips on avoiding crowd burnout and more.
If you’re even thinking about plotting a semi-last-minute trip to the capital this summer in hopes of soaking in as much of the Olympian spirit as you can, you’ll want to read this post (and remember, you have a 7-day, no-obligations free trial that’ll allow you to access this post and our whole archive of exclusive features).
Finally, whenever I find myself visiting a new place (or returning somewhere I’ve enjoyed in the past), I always try to figure out how locals might string together various activities to yield a memorable morning or afternoon. I know, too, that many of you are looking for ways to experience Paris in ways that are less than done-to-death— so I thought I’d share one of my own prized morning routes: a stroll in and and around the Marché d’Aligre market.
Perhaps owing to its relative lack of big-ticket tourist sites, the 12th arrondissement of Paris is an area that retains a relatively laid-back vibe.
It’s the sort of place where residents mill about on a Saturday morning, procuring heaps of leeks and bundles of flowers from the local market, nibbling on pastries and bread from local bakeries, indulging in a little people-watching while catching up with a friend on a cafe terrace, then heading out for a walk in a nearby park before lunch.
If you're willing and able to, please consider upgrading to a paid subscription. This gives you unlimited access to my archive of exclusive articles on the capital and other destinations in France— including in-depth travel itineraries, stories and reviews like the ones above.
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Thank you for your support!
That’s a wrap for this month’s free newsletter, les ami/es. At the risk of sounding like a broken record, I have to say again how grateful I am for your continued readership and support. I also encourage you to visit the Paris Unlocked website to dig into our archive of in-depth stories, features and France-related travel tips. Scroll down to see a few I recommend this month.