16 of the best cheese shops in SoCal for saying ‘I love you’
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Cheese is a love language. What says romance more than slicing into a bloomy rind to reveal ultra-creamy Brillat-Savarin, melted raclette oozing over grilled sourdough or gooey goat cheese smeared across a herb-speckled cracker?
Finding the best, most complementary cheeses, meats, crackers, jams and other accoutrements for an artful cheese board is a lot like choosing the perfect date . And the cheesemonger at a cheese shop is your matchmaker.
Bonus: Cheese shops typically have a wine section where you can find a bottle (or two) to pair with your selections.
While neighborhood favorites such as the Cheese Store of Beverly Hills and Silver Lake’s Say Cheese have been around since the 1960s and ’70s, and L.A.’s first vegan cheese store has been open for more than a decade, a slew of carefully curated cheese-centric markets have opened in recent years. Many are helmed by women, honoring a centuries-old history of women cheesemongers and cheese makers.
At Oh La Vache cheese shop on Long Beach’s Retro Row, owners Jessica Sarwine and Erika Ponzo endeavor to make the process of choosing the perfect cheese fun and approachable.
“The preconceived notion of a gourmet food shop is that it’s kind of hoity toity, or we only carry very fancy, expensive things,” Sarwine said. But she and Ponzo take a personal approach, offering cheese tastings, classes and a wide range of prices, with cheese running as low as $15 per pound. The pair are willing to cut just about any size of cheese, from tiny slivers to larger slices. “We want it to be down to earth.”
DTLA Cheese Superette co-owner Lydia Clarke told deputy Food editor Betty Hallock that cheese “feels celebratory.” It might age for 30 months in a subalpine cave or be made from the sought-after milk of Basco-Béarnaise sheep in the Pyrenees mountains — Clarke’s goal is to present the cheeses in a way that pays respect to the hard work of each cheese maker.
If you’re looking to spread some love on Valentine’s Day or any other time of year, these local cheese shops are ready to assist.
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(Jenn Harris / Los Angeles Times)
Neighbors & Friends
Pasadena Cheese Shop $
Neighbors & Friends is a coffee shop, cafe, cheese shop and superette all in one. It’s also the only place I know of where you can build your own cheese and charcuterie box at a cheese bar. It’s set up like a a salad bar, but instead of lettuce, there are slices of cheese, charcuterie, fruit, fresh herbs, olives, pickles and mustard. There’s a decent selection of plant-based cheeses too. Most of the cheese will have names you’ll recognize, but the presentation is always beautiful, and you can customize all your selections, toppings and even crackers.
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(Jessica Miller/For The Times)
Agnes Restaurant & Cheesery
Pasadena Cheese Shop $$
I’ve found some of my favorite cheeses at Agnes, just by trusting the cheesemonger. On a recent visit, I was presented with a Blue de Combremont, a cow’s milk cheese from western Switzerland with a creamy texture and an almost peppery finish. If you have something you like in mind, chances are it’s in the cheese case. The variety is extensive, as is the monger’s knowledge. If you provide a few characteristics, they’ll find the cheese for you. The shop portion is stocked with plenty of wine, bottles, jars and bags of whatever you prefer on your cheese board and hostess gifts if you’re headed to a party.
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(Jessica Miller/For The Times)
Say Cheese
Silver Lake Cheese Shop $$
This Silver Lake cheese shop has been around since 1972, long before you could find good French butter at your local supermarket and before there were superettes in every neighborhood. Glenn Harrell has been at the helm since 1999, after starting as a cheesemonger three years prior. During the holidays, the custom gift baskets are a longtime favorite (and they work with any budget starting at $50). The case always looks like a treasure trove of triangles, wedges, blocks and rounds of flecked, studded, creamy and smooth cheese. Harrell also has a full cafe menu of sandwiches and salads. The tuna melt is served on toasted rosemary bread with a full skirt of cheddar cheese.
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(Gabriella Angotti-Jones / Los Angeles Times)
Lady & Larder
Santa Monica Cheese Shop $$
Twin sisters Sarah and Boo Simms have locations in both Santa Monica and Carmel Valley (where the two grew up) of Lady & Larder. The Simms sister aesthetic is instantly recognizable, with boards brimming with crumbles, slices and wedges of domestic cheeses (all sourced domestically), ribbons of cured meats, whatever produce and florals are in season and pink boxes of their signature crackers. Their cheese cakes are towers of blooming rind cheese decorated with whatever is available at the farmers market. Visiting the Santa Monica shop always feels like such a treat, with bottles of wine, candles and one of the best tinned fish selections in town.
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(Jennelle Fong / For The Times)
DTLA Cheese Superette
Downtown L.A. Sandwich Shop $$
This downtown shop is a destination for any cheese lover. Lydia Clarke and her partner, chef Reed Herrick, lovingly tend to each of several dozen rotating cheeses in their case. “When you think about it, how many people worked so hard, how many hands did it take for these cheeses to get here?” says Clarke, who opened the shop at Grand Central Market in 2013 and a year and a half ago moved into a storefront on the corner of Broadway and 4th Street, next to their wine bar Kippered.
They’ll help you select a perfectly ripe cheese — such as American cheese Shabby Shoo (named for the French chabichoux) with a bloomy rind and gooey creamline or a tangy Alpine-style from Parish Hill in Vermont, made with raw grass-fed milk from cows raised next door at a progressive school with a working dairy farm. The right cheese is out there for you, and if anyone is going to help you find it, it’s Clarke.
They’ll help you select a perfectly ripe cheese — such as American cheese Shabby Shoo (named for the French chabichoux) with a bloomy rind and gooey creamline or a tangy Alpine-style from Parish Hill in Vermont, made with raw grass-fed milk from cows raised next door at a progressive school with a working dairy farm. The right cheese is out there for you, and if anyone is going to help you find it, it’s Clarke.
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(Betty Hallock / Los Angeles Times)
Vromage
Hollywood Hills West Vegan Foods $$
You’ll find Vromage owner Youssef Fakhouri dashing back and forth between his Sunset Boulevard cheese shop and his newly opened next-door cafe. Fakhouri opened L.A.’s first dedicated vegan cheese shop in 2014 and ever since has been creating, fermenting and perfecting nondairy versions of pepper Jack, Camembert, chevre, feta and more, largely made from nut milks and other simple ingredients.
At his new restaurant, Vromage Cuisine, Fakhouri uses the vegan cheeses on a menu of pizzas, sandwiches and salads in a homey strip-mall cafe lined with cream-and-green booths. The creamy puddles of vegan mozzarella on his Margherita pizza are ringers for the buffalo-milk versions.
At his new restaurant, Vromage Cuisine, Fakhouri uses the vegan cheeses on a menu of pizzas, sandwiches and salads in a homey strip-mall cafe lined with cream-and-green booths. The creamy puddles of vegan mozzarella on his Margherita pizza are ringers for the buffalo-milk versions.
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(Gina Ferazzi/Los Angeles Times)
Eataly L.A.
Century City Italian $$
This Italian marketplace at Westfield Century City feels like the sort of place a protagonist might be gleefully trapped overnight in a Hallmark holiday movie. You could drop in to one of three on-site restaurants spanning wood-fired meats on an open-air terrace, a casual pizzeria and a Capri-inspired spot overflowing with seafood plates and limoncello spritzes. But if you prefer to stock up for an at-home spread, you’ll find shelves stocked with imported olive oils, vinaigrettes, wine, household items and sweets; counters with fresh seafood, butchered and aged meats, pastries, espresso and gelato; plus peak-season produce and pastas you can watch get stretched and molded into intricate shapes.
The formaggi section stands apart with a lab where customers can watch experts make mozzarella, burrata and stracchiatella. Lovers of funky Italian cheeses can choose from multiple ages of Parmigiano Reggiano DOP and other specialties from Europe’s boot, as well as a variety of domestic and imported cheeses. Cheesemongers are on hand to answer any questions.
The formaggi section stands apart with a lab where customers can watch experts make mozzarella, burrata and stracchiatella. Lovers of funky Italian cheeses can choose from multiple ages of Parmigiano Reggiano DOP and other specialties from Europe’s boot, as well as a variety of domestic and imported cheeses. Cheesemongers are on hand to answer any questions.
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(Danielle Dorsey / Los Angeles Times)
Joan’s on Third
Studio City American
Joan McNamara’s hybrid restaurant-cafe-grocery is ready to sate just about any craving, from soft serve to fresh-baked pastries, hot and chilled grab-and-go items and a breakfast and lunch menu with comforting favorites you can enjoy on-site. You can build a custom charcuterie board to eat at home with plenty of cheeses, cured meats, crackers, chips, jams and pickled veggies to choose from, but Joan’s is also happy to make the hard decisions for you with curated cheese and salumi boards. Be sure to grab a bottle of wine or a case of craft beer on your way out.
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(Danielle Dorsey / Los Angeles Times)
Monsieur Marcel
Fairfax French Grocer $$
This gourmet grocer tucked in the Original Farmers Market is a destination for French and European goods. Browse the shelves for house-made truffle Dijon mustard, olive oil infused with herbs de Provence or French-style green lentils, and don’t miss the carefully curated wine shop with both affordable and hard-to-find bottles. There’s a home goods section that spans cutlery, knives, stylish stemware and seasonal gifts, and a counter where patrons can order sandwiches on fresh-baked baguettes or choose from an array of prosciutto and dry-cured meats, as well as blocks of brie, Comte, Roquefort and Camembert cheese. The adjoining seafood market carries caviar and escargots, and just next door are two sit-down sibling concepts, Monsieur Marcel’s Bistro and Roxy & Jo’s oyster bar.
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(Danielle Dorsey / Los Angeles Times)
Kustaa Cheese & Wine
Culver City Cheese Shop Wine Shop $$
Head to this cozy shop in Culver City for a handpicked assortment of cheeses, meats, jams, sauces, oils, vinaigrettes, pickled veggies, sweets and wine. The cheesemongers are always happy to offer a recommendation, and the menu offers curated charcuterie boards if you prefer to skip the choosing. A selection of sandwiches, salads, snacks and a sushi pop-up from Hayama are available to enjoy on the shop’s back patio, with desserts from Baked Bar L.A.
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(Danielle Dorsey / Los Angeles Times)
Larchmont Village Wine, Spirits & Cheese
Windsor Square Cheese Shop Wine Shop $$
This narrow provisions shop on Larchmont Boulevard enjoys a steady stream of customers who line up daily for gourmet sandwiches featuring imported meats and cheeses on fresh-baked ciabatta or baguette bread. But peer into the refrigerated case and you’ll discover an artisanal selection of cheeses and cured meats, ideal for pairing with the market’s oils, condiments, sweets, chips and crackers. Half of the store is dedicated to spirits and wine, with knowledgeable staff on hand to answer any questions or make a suggestion. The shop also creates custom gift baskets that can be delivered on request.
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(Jessica Miller/For The Times)
The Cheese Store of Beverly Hills
Beverly Hills Italian $
Envision a wonderland of cheese where nearly every shelf, cranny and refrigerated case is crammed with wedges and wheels of every imaginable variety of cheese. Then, as if that weren’t heavenly enough, every further nook is filled with every possible jam, curd, spread, tinned fish or dipping oil with which to enjoy it. At the legendary Cheese Store of Beverly Hills, new owner Dominick DiBartolomeo — a decades-long employee of the operation — not only moved the original shop to a new, larger nearby location but merged it with his Italian imports business, adding even more flavor to the mix.
Now there are fresh pastas, pestos, spreads and other house-made items in addition to the roughly 600 varieties of cheese, plus bottles of wines across a range of price points and a rainbow of sweets, cured meats and pantry staples. The staff are knowledgeable and encourage sampling the cheese; it’s not uncommon to make friends with others in line, comparing favorite varieties as you shop. What’s more, the Cheese Store of Beverly Hills also offers some of the city’s best sandwiches, made to order on freshly baked bread. To learn a bit more about cheese follow the shop on TikTok, where staff post informational videos nearly every day.
Now there are fresh pastas, pestos, spreads and other house-made items in addition to the roughly 600 varieties of cheese, plus bottles of wines across a range of price points and a rainbow of sweets, cured meats and pantry staples. The staff are knowledgeable and encourage sampling the cheese; it’s not uncommon to make friends with others in line, comparing favorite varieties as you shop. What’s more, the Cheese Store of Beverly Hills also offers some of the city’s best sandwiches, made to order on freshly baked bread. To learn a bit more about cheese follow the shop on TikTok, where staff post informational videos nearly every day.
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(Stephanie Breijo / Los Angeles Times)
Milkfarm
Eagle Rock Gift Store $$
The cheese house that Leah Park built is a thing of beauty and community. Milkfarm’s owner, a cheesemonger in her own right, assembled a friendly and helpful team of like-minded cheese lovers who’ll direct you through their cases of hundreds of ever-rotating cheeses as well as everything else one might need for a good time: house-blend olive oil, artisanal charcuterie, seasoned salts, dried pastas and jarred sauces, mustards, pickles, jams, honeys, chocolates and wines, beers and ciders galore. For real cheeseheads, there’s even a monthly cheese club membership.
Keep your eyes peeled for fundraising items that benefit a local cause, and events such as “meet the maker” where the faces behind your favorite cheeses and other in-store products drop by. Arrive early enough and you might snag one of Milkfarm’s daily sandwiches or famous chocolate chip cookies, which both normally sell out by early afternoon. There are plenty of gift ideas spread around the shop too, and for Valentine’s Day, you’ll find themed gift baskets and picnic boxes available for preorder. Looking for more food-focused goods and gifts? Visit Parchment Paper, Milkfarm’s well-curated shop around the corner.
Keep your eyes peeled for fundraising items that benefit a local cause, and events such as “meet the maker” where the faces behind your favorite cheeses and other in-store products drop by. Arrive early enough and you might snag one of Milkfarm’s daily sandwiches or famous chocolate chip cookies, which both normally sell out by early afternoon. There are plenty of gift ideas spread around the shop too, and for Valentine’s Day, you’ll find themed gift baskets and picnic boxes available for preorder. Looking for more food-focused goods and gifts? Visit Parchment Paper, Milkfarm’s well-curated shop around the corner.
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(Stephanie Breijo / Los Angeles Times)
Oh La Vache
Long Beach Cheese Shop $$
This Retro Row cheese shop is small but mighty. Oh La Vache features roughly 100 cheeses on hand at any moment — and a bevy of pantry goods such as jams, olive oils, sweets, dried fruits, wines and whole loaves of freshly baked bread — but owners Erika Ponzo and Jessica Sarwine wanted to build an approachable cheese shop. So Oh La Vache, their neighborhood staple since 2021, not only features knowledgeable staff to help shoppers navigate the wide variety but also monthly cheese classes, events and a cheese-of-the-month club to educate them. Follow along on Instagram for menu updates announcing the shop’s daily rotation of cheese-focused, not-to-be-missed sandwiches, which often include comforting American stalwarts, European classics or creative, off-the-wall flavor combinations. For best results, grab your sandwiches and some chips, crackers, chocolates, beverages and other picnic-perfect items from the shelves and head to a nearby park or beach and enjoy immediately.
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(Cindy Carcamo / Los Angeles Times)
Cheese Shop at the Mix
Costa Mesa Cheese Shop Sandwich Shop $
For years, this fromagerie has been my go-to when I have neither the time nor the energy to put together my own cheese board. Without fail, the cheesemonger on duty is always attentive and more than willing to spend time with customers to help them navigate the dozens of domestic and imported artisanal cheese and charcuterie items to make the perfect platter. This full-service cheese shop makes some of the best-looking grazing boards that you can customize with your own cheese selections, local honey, jam, chocolate, dried fruits and salumi, prosciutto or other cured meats. If you’re in need of charcuterie gear, they have you covered with slicers, rustic boards, vintage cutlery and more. If you lose your way to the cheese shop, tucked away in the OC Mix, just keep an eye out for the store mascot Clementine the Cow, though, anatomically, she’s really a bull.
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(Cindy Carcamo / Los Angeles Times)
The Butchery
Newport Beach Butcher Shop Sandwich Shop $$
If you want to nosh on a charcuterie board while watching the sunset over the Pacific Ocean, this is the place for you. There are three Butchery locations in Southern California, but the Crystal Cove shop in Newport Beach is my favorite. Not only are the cheese selections excellent and service attentive, but the patio tables out front provide some of the best views of Crystal Cove State Park and the ocean beyond. When I was last there, one of the attendants whipped up a lovely impromptu cheese platter for my husband and me. The choices are abundant — from luscious crowd favorite Fromager D’Affinois double-cream to the more obscure Red Butte Hatch Chile Cheddar. If you order a platter, they’ll also add all the accoutrements, such as Marcona almonds, Castelvetrano olives, dried fruit and cornichons. You really can’t go wrong.
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