Cheese tasting in Paris

[demonachizer]

I was going to make a reservation with parisonyourplate.com but it turns out that they are done. Do you guys have any suggestions for a similar venue/experience? I am not looking to drop huge coin on it but it would be nice if there is a talk about the cheeses and wines etc. I am hoping to spend around 50-60 euros a head as an upper limit.

[mangeur]

Perhaps: http://www.e-quartier.com/paris---mon...

[Delucacheesemonger]

Chez Virginie is a great stop. In Montmartre off Lamarck-Caulaincourt metro, small shop but very passionate employees. Can almost always find Cabriolet, a goat Vacherin, there in perfect condition. Did not know she did tastings.

[Nancy S.]

According to it's website, the fromagerie, Marie Ann Cantin, has a cheese tasting.

[demonachizer]

Yeah. I saw that but I got the impression that you have to have a large party or something. It is arranged per request so I don't think it is on a set schedule. I emailed them anyway just to see.

[Traveling Boudreaux]

I just returned from Paris and my wife and I spend 2.5 delightful and delicious hours with Madame Cantin for a tasting of 20 different French fromages including details about where each cheese was made, how it was made and the history of each cheese - starting with the mildest and working towards the most tasty / stinkiest cheese. The cheeses were presented with red and white wine and water and bread. It was amazing and Madame Cantin was a joy.

If you really love cheese and would like to taste and learn - I highly recommend. It's admittedly not cheap - but if you consider the variety of cheese, her time, the restaurant room with a view reserved for the event plus the wine - I thought was a worthy addition to our vacation.

Hope that helps.

[mangeur]

Excellent. Do you want to tell us what the cost per person is at this time?

[Traveling Boudreaux]

Our charge (for the 2 of us) was 560E - but I don't think that is indicative of the price per person. I think I understood that the price was a flat fee for 2-8 persons - so I think the price would have been the same if we had several other couples with us (reducing the price per person significantly).

[mangeur]

Thanks. So it's well worth gathering a compatible group. Again, thanks for your good report.

[PhilD]

Is that really 560 euros? Seems a lot for a cheese tasting even for eight people i.e. 70 euros a head - that is a decent meal. I have bought cheese at Cantin in the past and they are very good at allowing you to taste as you purchase - never felt the need to pay for the privilege.

[Rio Yeti]

Yeah this sounds way expensive, I agree !

I mean it's nice to have someone with knowledge explaining what you're eating and having conceptualized in what order you should it eat. But I'm sure in any good cheese shop if you buy a few cheeses you could ask in what order to eat them, then go grab one or two nice bottles of wine.

[Traveling Boudreaux]

For only 20 wonderful cheeses and a couple of bottles of wine, the price was indeed outrageously expensive. I have no doubt, one can easily go to the supermarche or even Madame's fromagerie itself and purchase all of the cheeses and wine we consumed for a fraction of what we spent. And if one perceives that we were mostly buying 20 cheeses and a couple of bottles of wine, they should never spend so much money on what we enjoyed.

But for us, it is a memory and experience we will treasure for a lifetime.