A nice logo, an attractive vitrine and believe me, you've seen nothing until the door opens. The experience starts before that, the minute you walk past the boutique where a cocktail of aromas invite you to go inside. Pay attention, cameras are not welcome in here, but I had permission and I'm happy that I could share with you the hidden wonders inside. There is a lot of hype around this shop, and if Madame Barthélemy doesn’t like your nose, you’d better not provoke her anger. Yet if you are part of her inner circle, she will keep her best cheese for you, hidden from the others.
You’ll often hear the name Barthélemy bandied about, a small fromagerie supplying the Elysée Palace.
Barthelemy has a history, being one of the most famous cheese shops in the capital. I first learned about cheese when Maitre Fromager Claude Lauxerrois visited Lebanon. He came here twice and I had the pleasure and honor to meet him while he took me around the world of cheeses.
Barthelemy, like Lauzerrois, are Maitres Affineurs. They do not only sell cheese but prepare them, salt them, age them... They make them perfect, like you were dry aging meat.
Inside this small shop a dozen shelves, like a giant fridge, displays the cheese, a complete collection from the four corners of France. Order or let yourself be guided, you are guaranteed a unique experience which starts at the shop and ends at home when you taste those unique creations.
What caught my attention was the Brie stuffed with black truffles or the cheeses infused with truffles. I tried the aged cheddar cheese when I got back home and it's like nothing I've tasted before.
Welcoming and certified professionals, the staff will make you feel at home, buying more and spending more time around the shop. I only passed by for a quarter of an hour and during those 15 minutes more than two dozen customers entered Barthelemy.
Want to know more about cheese and have the chance to taste unique blends? This is the place to visit.
- Address: 51 Rue de Grenelle, 75007 Paris, France
- Phone:+33 1 42 22 82 24
