Best cheese shops in Vancouver

Hard, soft, stinky, or raw: Cheese is a glorious food. Sure, there are plenty of grocery stores for sourcing cheese in bricks, sticks, or even jars. When really great cheese is what’s on the menu, however, it’s time to kick it up a level and hit one of Vancouver’s many cheese shops.

Here is our list of the best cheese shops in Vancouver.

Les Amis du Fromage

Are you friends with cheese? Les Amis du Fromage most definitely is. Their two locations are chock full of cheese and staffed with savvy folks to help you pick out your next new favourite chevre or Camembert. Heck, they’ll even happily help you put together an entire cheese platter for your next party (or personal cheese celebration).

Addresses:  1752 West 2nd Avenue, Kitsilano and 843 East Hastings Street, Strathcona
Phone: 604-732-4218 (Kitsilano) and 604-253-4218 (Strathcona)
Website: buycheese.com

La Grotta Del Formaggio

This Italian deli on Commercial Drive is lauded repeatedly for their killer sandwiches, but La Grotta Del Formaggio (The Cheese Cave) has been a primo source for cheese and Italian goodies since it opened in 1977.

Address: 1791 Commercial Drive, Grandview-Woodland
Phone: 604-255-3911
Website: www.lgdf.ca

Benton Brothers Fine Cheese

The Benton brothers are in the cheese biz for the love of cheese, and they’re hoping their customers fall in love with it too. Open since 2007, Benton Brothers focuses on small-batch artisanal cheeses, and also sells charcuterie and other tasty nibbles for your fine cheese platters.

Address: 2104 West 41st Ave, Kerrisdale and 225-1689 Johnson Street, Granville Island
Phone: 604-261-5813 (Kerrisdale) and 604-609-0001 (Granville Island)
Website: www.bentonscheese.com

Oyama Sausage Co

Don’t let the meaty name fool you: Oyama Sausage is an incredible place for getting some cheese. They’re the ones with the unmistakable cheese display inside the market on Granville Island, with the many–and often funny–tags.

Address: 17-1689 Johnston Street, Granville Island
Phone: 604-327-7407
Website: oyamasausage.ca

Farmers’ Markets

In addition to being a great place for grabbing fresh veggies and a food cart snack, Metro Vancouver’s many farmers’ markets often include at least one cheese vendor. The Vancouver Farmers’ Market lists their current crop of artisan cheese vendors online, or you can keep tabs of your favourite B.C. cheese maker/seller individually.

Website: eatlocal.org (Vancouver Farmers’ Market)

Pane e Formaggio

Pane e Formaggio is an Italian specialty shop in Point Grey that boasts a deli, cafe and cheese counter. Their respectable cheese selection includes local and import options, as stocked by their resident “Cheese Whiz.”

Address: 4532 10th Avenue W, Point Grey
Phone: 604-224-1623
Website: pane-e-formaggio.com/cafe-shop

Keso

Great cheese knows no city limits, so it’s out to Surrey for a visit to Keso. Here the staff will happily help you choose from their over 200 varieties in stock.

Address: 100-2982 152 Street, Surrey
Phone: 778-294-0775
Website: www.kesocheese.ca

Featured image: Cheese board/Shutterstock