Cheese and Chocoloate Shops in Paris

From Ganache to Camembert, dark chocolate to hard cheese, Paris’s cheese and chocolate are some of the most popular foods in Paris. Sampling these delicious delicacies in different shops throughout the city is a fantastic way to complement both the sites and the culture of Paris. 

Like romance, bakeries, fashion, and wine, Paris has taken the European staples of cheese and chocolate and made them its own. Below is some of the culture and basic information about cheese and chocolate to help guide you and your taste buds.

Chocolate

With over 300 chocolate shops within the city limits, Parisian chocolate is sure to entice any chocoholic. Opening its first chocolate shop in the seventeenth century, Paris has infused its chocolate with its own chic sense of style. As Xavier Brebion suggests, the French view life like chocolate, saying you can’t enjoy the sweet without the bitter. The quote seems to pack more of a punch when you consider that French dark chocolate has 62 to 86 percent cacao or higher.

Chocolate Shops

Debauve and Gallais

The official chocolatier of the French Court starting in 1818, Debauve and Gallais once had many boutiques throughout the city. Now with two locations in Paris (and several boutiques around the world), this chocolate shop still offers chocolates to many visitors year round.

Michel Chaudun

Founded in 1977 by lifelong chocolatier and namesake Michel Chaudun, this chocolate shop is famous for it ganache and incredible sculptures made out of chocolate by Michel Chaudun himself.

Richart

The bright colors and motifs that cover this boutique-style chocolate shop seem to resemble much of Paris’s fashion scene. Michel Richart still creates many of the masterpieces that fill the store, which was started in 1925 by his father.

Cheese

French cheese varies from region to region and has many different tastes and textures. French cheese can also vary from the animal milk that produces it and the way it is created. While cheese isn’t eaten with every meal as some stereotypes suggest, fine French meals will usually have a cheese board with an array of these delectable dairy products to sample after dinner and before dessert. It is commonly considered that unpasteurized cheese has a better taste, and when in doubt, you should eat the rind.

Types of Cheese

• Goat Cheese: While goat cheese starts out mild and creamy, it becomes harder and salty as it ages.
• Blue Cheese: A stronger variety, blue cheese has blue veins that resemble parsley and is usually made from cow’s milk.
• Soft Cheese: This washed rind cheese is one of France’s most famous. Camembert is a good example of a soft cheese..
• Semi-hard Cheese: Resembling American cheddar cheese, semi-hard cheese is uncooked and pressed.
• Hard Cheese: This cheese is the one that people usually picture hidden away in chateaus high on mountain tops. Pressed and cooked, this cheese is usually aged so that it has a ripe, firm texture.

Many of the regional products can be found in Paris cheese shops, or Fromageries, which are often packed from floor to ceiling with cheese of every shape, size, and texture. Most owners will even let you sample to make sure you find the perfect cheese.  

Cheese Shops

Androuet

Address: 37, rue de Verneuil, 75007 Paris

While this shop now has restaurants in other parts of Europe, Androuet has been around since 1909. They are known for their extensive selection and knowledgeable staff.

Barthelemy

Address: 51, rue de Grenelle, 75007 Paris

Despite its tiny size, Barthelemy is packed full of different cheeses from all over France. This quaint shop is a both a landmark in Paris and a regular stop for both locals and celebrities alike and is known for its Camembert and Brie.

Marie-Anne Cantin

Address: 12, rue du Champ-de-Mars, 75007 Paris

Usually carrying between 130 and 150 cheeses, Marie-Anne Cantin sells many of its cheeses to the French restaurants and also provides cheese to the presidential palace. This cheese shop also has a large aging room and sells many different types of cheeses.

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