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Les Amis Du Fromage
Category: Food Specialty Food Cheese Shops Cheese Shops [Edit]
1752 2nd Ave WVancouver, BC V6J 1H6
Neighbourhood: Fairview Slopes
(604) 732-4218
- Hours:
Mon-Wed, Sat-Sun 9 am - 6 pm
Thu-Fri 9 am - 6:30 pm
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
26 reviews for Les Amis Du Fromage
Review Highlights
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"Raclette grills, Fondue sets etc." In 3 reviews -
"The staff have superior product knowledge and are capable..." In 3 reviews -
"You'll feel like you're (almost) in Quebec or France." In 3 reviews
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26 reviews in English
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Review from Earl W.
2/17/2012
If there is one thing Earl loves (besides his wife Janet), it's a big block of cheese to munch on while watching his favorite extreme rollerblading videos. Combine that with a loaf of fresh bread and some olives, and Earl will entertain himself for hours while Janet knits cat pillows.
So imagine our delight when we came across Les Amis du Fromage one day while meandering home from Granville Island. It's a tiny shop but they have an excellent selection - we can find everything from good basic ricotta to yummy smoked cheddar to unique choices like blue cheese gruyere. The best part is that the friendly staff can always recommend a top-notch fromage if you just describe what you're looking for, and they will gladly cut you a little sample to taste (much to sample-loving Earl's delight).
The store also stocks a small selection of breads and hors d'oeuvres which can be paired with the cheese.
We just adore this place for it's delicious offerings, super service, and quite reasonable prices, so as the young folks say, "you gotta check it out!"
Sincerely,
Earl and Janet -
Review from Simon K.
1/24/2012 1 Check-in Here
"I should not come over empty handed! What do you parents like/want? Cheese... OK" and that is how I ended up at this location. It was on the way, and what they specialize is the aromatic goodness of Cheese, whether firm or soft, smelly of less scented, you are in this haven, or heaven, of 'Fromage'! I didn't even realize they were related to the other shop they have on East Hastings, but when I brought my partner in, after cursing me due to the fact that her hand was going to go into her purse, we quickly scurried in here before closing to pick out some fine items.
The staff here are very knowledgable, and friendly to answer you about what type of cheese you are looking for, as my partner did inquire. They allowed us to sample some cheese's so we could make the decision. They know what they are talking about, and just from their smiles they know they have got you once you put those delights in your mouth. The prices are fair, and it is a specialty store that caters to what you are looking for. There are some other items here, like bread from "a Bread Affair" that compliment your main purchase well. They also have some meats to go along in your shopping bag if you put your head toward the back end of the fridge.
The store is small, and not as big as their main shop on Hastings, but it does the job, simple, clean, bright, and a good hint of cheese in the air, before you ask them to "cut the cheese" please!
Another thing we noticed that they had on the shelves was a Rose jelly spread and some thin crisps that not many places carried. A great experience, that I feel will keep me coming back when I am in this area! -
Review from Crystal H.
Vancouver, BC
12/21/2011 3 Check-ins Here
Ripe, raw, stinky cheese... every which way you look. The smell hits you like a brick of cheddar when you open the door. More than a superstore of pasteurized goodness, this is the one place in Vancouver that I have always been able to locate an obscure order. The staff are like walking cheese encyclopedias. For years, I've been a cheesy spender, especially around the holidays.
This past weekend, I watched as a customer asked one of those head scratching questions that went a little something like this. "Last week I had a cheese at La Brasserie. Do you know what it is?" And to my great delight, the cheese experts flipped through books, searching for what it could be. I didn't stay to hear the ending, but brownie points for the books. I was blown away.
And with my burrata, goat, cream cheese and olives in hand, I skipped off to make a beautiful snowman cheese man. True story.Listed in: A Guide to Vancouver's Dining…
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Review from Russell J.
Vancouver, BC
3/24/2012
This place has a fantastic selection of cheese. Even better that their prices are cheaper than Whole Foods. And wouldn't you rather support a small local business anyway? Metered parking near(ish) Granville Island. I prefer buying my cheeses here than GI--much better value and you don't have to run the gauntlet of tourists either. I wish I could give it more stars. The only place I spend more money on cheese than here is Beecher's in Seattle. But Beecher's doesn't come close in selection.
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Review from John D.
Vancouver, BC
4/20/2012
What a great selection at very reasonable prices. As someone previously wrote, why bother going to a supermarket for your cheese? The staff were very helpful. I certainly came out with cheeses I would never have known to try, but felt confident enough to give a go because of the staff's knowledgeable advice (felt a bit like going into a good wine store). And I really like this area, some neat places.
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Review from Martijn S.
Vancouver, BC
8/1/2011 3 Check-ins Here
Seriously, why even bother buying your cheese at Safeway or IGA if you can get the real deal here, for the same if not better prices.
Coming from Europe, it's already painful enough having to take out a mortgage to buy a brick of cheese in Canada, let along getting crap in return at your average grocery store. Individually wrapped slices of artificial milk products.
Entere Amis Du Fromage - this is as good as it gets for buying cheese in Vancouver. Real stuff, sliced fresh off of the brick, at prices that are probably as good as they get too (thank the Government for tariffs!!! - not).
I always buy my Gouda here... $2.25/100 gr, real Gouda, you can't beat that Safeway! -
Review from Vanessa G.
1/27/2011
Wow i love this place. Mainly for helping me make a kick ass fondue. I was a little scared that there would be some cheese snobbery.. but not at all. The girl was super helpful and gave me a great recipe too.
As i waited for my cheese to get shredded i checked out the other cheese's and will definitely be going back for more. Plus they had take away mac and cheese! It must be good.. seriously.
Prices were reasonable and not gouging.Listed in: The impress a girl locales
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Review from Lex B.
8/24/2010 ROTD 10/3/2010
Les Amis du Fromage makes me want to break out in spontaneous song and dance about the many joys of cheese shopping and devouring. I freaking LOVE this place and would buy a mountain of cheese and cheese accessories (crackers, bread, preserves) every day if I could justify it to my wallet and my body.
It's a candy shop for the cheese lover. There are detailed descriptions of each cheese and the marvelous employees will go into depth if asked, and even give you a sliver to taste if you're undecided. Piave, a large variety of blue (Rogue River Blue is AMAZING - wrapped in olive leaves that have been macerated in pear brandy, what?) mimolette, I could just keep going.
If you love cheese (and I mean REALLY love cheese) and live in Vancouver, you are not living a full life unless you frequent Les Amis Du Fromage.Listed in: ROTD
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Review from shain r.
Vancouver, BC
8/18/2008 1 photo
I heart a good cheese shop and the only way to describe how I feel about this fantastic place is to sing you a song by the cure that plays through my head whenever I peer through the glass case at all that cheese....uhem...
The sun is up
I'm so happy I could scream!
And there's nowhere else in the world I'd rather be
Than here with you
It's perfect
It's all I ever wanted
I almost can't believe that it's for real
I really don't think it gets any better than this
Vanilla smile
And a gorgeous strawberry kiss!
Birds sing we swing......Listed in: Best cheese shops ever
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Review from Andrew L.
Port Moody, BC
8/11/2009
I went to a wine tasting that had Peller Estates wine, and a huge wheel of phenomenal cheese from Les Amis Du Fromage at each table.
While others enjoyed the wine, I had an unlimited, insanely fabulous cheese orgy! Along with the wine, of course!
Loved the triple creamed Saltspring Island goat cheese - I went back again and again.
Some of this stuff LOOKS expensive, but if you select the right one, the cheese can be sooooo far above the normal cheedar/mozzarella/parmesan type of stuff as to actually make this taste sensation a complete bargain!
Ask the staff for help, or get a broad selection and narrow it down to what you love the best.
The huge no-cost tasting that I had has made me a fan for life!Listed in: Top Vancouver Restaurants
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Review from Es T.
Vancouver, BC
4/18/2009
Les Amis is, bar none, the best cheese shop in Vancouver.
When you open the door to their rather unassuming Fairview Slopes location, prepare to be yanked in through the door nose first. It is first and foremost an olfactory experience ... until you sample some of the delicious cheese.
The customer service is always outstanding and if you should have a question about the characteristics of cheeses or need assistance with wine pairing, the staff is excellent.
Some of my favorite things about Les Amis include the freshest Picholine Olives in Vancouver (brine so fresh and clear you could drink it, olives so crisp they are like the first bite of a fresh-off-the-tree apple), Souvagine cheese (a nod here to Quebec for their fabulous cheeses), which is a soft cheese with a medium flavor of grass and butter - at least to my palette. Their blue cheese selection is also excellent and there are too many other wonderful cheeses to list.
Conveniently, Les Amis also carries a selection of very good quality biscuits and crackers as well as cheese condiments and many of the other accompaniments that one might want for a cheese-feast. One of the best features, particularly for summer evening nibbles on the beach is their "Brown Bag" which is literally a brown bag with a selection of four or five cheeses that complement one another and a suggestion for wine pairing. It's a great way to try new cheese and it prompts you to visit the wine store afterwards for another new discovery.
Cheese lovers: get thee to Les Amis! -
Review from Littlefish B.
Vancouver, BC
10/8/2009
They are AMAZING with their customer service & product knowledge. Ask them to introduce you even just to something you likely haven't heard of before, and you'll be treated to some great history and trivia.
I had them put together a full tasting tray for me for a family celebration one year. It was a HUGE hit!
If you have wine, ask them to pair it with something for you to take with you. They'll likely be busy, but they don't mind helping. They're used to the questions because no one would know where to start! They also have an impressive offering of balsamic vinegars and truffle oils. -
Review from Curtis B.
Vancouver, BC
8/3/2010
Les Ami Du Fromage is a gem in Vancouver. By my experience, it is the best cheese shop in the city.
When you walk in you can smell all the delciousness and then you see all the cheeses. The staff have superior product knowledge and are capable of making excellent suggestions. My suggestion, La Sauvagine - always a personal and crowd favourite. The prices are WAY lower than an food store.
In addition to the cheese there are also some accompaniments. Rain coast crisps are more expensive than at IGA. The half baked baguette is great for cheese since you can spread the cheese on freshly baked bread and it doesn't have interfering flavours like Rain Coast Crisps.
Bring some cheese to your next potluck (including some Sauvagine) and your friends will love you! -
Review from Anita T.
Toronto, ON
9/23/2008
Cheese Heaven. Seriously. That is the only way to describe it.
My favorite cheese here that i go back for again and again is the Aged Guinness Havarti Cheese..... Mmmmmm... its scrumptious! They even have books on cheese and sell everything to do with cheese including Fondue sets. The staff is superly knowledgeable on the cheeses that they sell and let you sample the cheese before you buy a big block of it. -
Review from Natasha L.
11/1/2009 1 photo
This is bad, really bad... Who knew that cheese can bring such joy to your life? And O... so... addictive...
This is my second time in a week to this cheese heaven and I don't live within 10 km radius. (Which I should be grateful for)
They seems to have everything from "melt in your mouth" triple creamed brie to my current crush: stilton lemon cheese and I'm never a cheese fan (until now, that is). I've officially traded vinyasa breath for crumbly stilton in my quest to seek inner joy. I'm not sure about the how comprehensive their cheese stocks are, but they must have the most cheese variety per square feet in Vancouver.
They also have been commendably helpful and friendly, and pretty generous with tasting too.
A great place to fuel cheese addiction. -
Review from Nestor B.
Vancouver, BC
5/28/2009
Les Amis is, plain and simple, the perfect cheese store. Well, it's perfect, if you don't mind bankrupting yourself on a cheese platter for two or three guests. But, frankly, as far as the alternatives (especially supermarket cheese selections) in Vancouver go, I don't mind that, once in a while.
Of course, there will always be some type of exotic cheese a store won't carry on a regular basis. But, being a cheese aficionado myself, I'm yet to find something missing here that I was looking for. And, most importantly, all the products that they carry are of the highest quality. So, at least, when you walk out of there having paid nigh $60 for a medium piece each of Comte and aged Mimolette, a small slice of Roquefort and some crackers, you can assuage your guilty conscience with the knowledge that all of the above will unequivocally taste like a slice of heaven.
With the Granville Island Public Market cheese shops, I've had varying qualities in the past. Never at Les Amis. And, finally, I also appreciate their array of cheese related products (e.g. Raclette grills, Fondue sets etc.) and their regular cooperation with wine stores to offer perfect matches for cheese and wine lovers relatively new to the game. Like I said in another review, what sums up Les Amis du Fromage for me is simply this: You may walk out broke, but you'll definitely be happy. -
Review from Heather E.
Vancouver, BC
11/6/2009
If you're going to go to Les Amis Du Fromage, go for cheese. They've got it. Lots of it. And most of it is good.
I made the mistake of going specifically for frozen macaroni and cheese. I had read recently that it was good. It wasn't. And neither was the frozen chicken dish I purchased, which was essentially chicken chunks floating in mustard-flavored jelly. It was just weird. And both dishes, although not very large, cost me over $30.
But hey, that said, it's called The Cheese Friends for a reason, right? Go and buy some, I dunno, cheddar. -
Review from Luisa S.
Vancouver, BC
8/27/2008
This little cheese shop sends my heart aflutter. Yes, it's terribly stinky but oh so great.
With a focused dedication to cheese, the selection here is wide, varied and very overwhelming. Today, alone, I had my pick of five different kinds of Brie, and that was only in their sale section. As my eye wandered elsewhere, I noticed another two shelves devoted to Brie, alongside another two filled with goat cheese. While the Swiss gouda kept calling out to me, I eventually settled on three-year-old cheddar and a havarti.
Also stocked are traditional cheese accompaniments: crackers, olives, spreads, tableware. -
Review from Noa G.
Vancouver, BC
9/5/2008
Who doesn't love cheese? I guess some people don't... but I do! If you, like me, liken cheese to chocolate, I've got just the store for you: Les Amis Du Fromage on West 2nd Ave. in Vancouver is the ultimate one-stop shop for cheese connoisseurs.
With an offering of over 400 cheeses from around the world, Les Amis (as its name suggests) specializes in French cheeses, but is also well-stocked with products from Quebec, Italy, Portugal, and England. If you're not sure what cheese to choose, or need a flavour to complement a specific ingredient, meal, or wine selection, the friendly staff is more than happy to dispense its expertise.
One of the things I love about Les Amis are the party platters, which come ready to serve right down to the silverware. You can even rent out fondue sets, platter dishes, and baskets. -
Review from Be C.
Vancouver, BC
5/29/2011
For a European, especially coming from really close to France, Les Amis is what you need to bring home what you know cheese is all about. I men no supermarket-second-zone cheddar, here, just plain good cheese, tasting the way cheese is supposed to taste. It may sound snob, but I AM snob about cheese and wine. Which means I'm ready to pay the price for good cheese. And here it is.
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Review from Andrew F.
Vancouver, BC
6/29/2010
This is by far the best cheese store, and chain, in Vancouver. To be an amazing cheese store goes far beyond the amount of varieties available. Any exceptional fromagerie has to have the following qualities:
1) Product knowledge: from characteristics to origin to applications a product of fine quality is something to appreciate on various levels.
2) Proper showcase: cheese should stored in a cool, not cold, showcase that organizes the cheese in an enticing way.
3) Quality: all of the cheeses, along with perishable accompaniments, should be as close to the ripened stage as possible.
4) Diversity: There should be a choice of cheese out there for anyone wanting to try, whether it is choosing fresh vs. aged, sheep vs. cow's milk, hard vs. soft, etc.
5) Quantity: a good fromagerie owner knows how much stock to keep on hand for freshness sake.
6) Customer relations: a customer of fine cheese is your ally. Don't let them become just another nameless customer you'll never see again. Nurture their craving in a way that makes them appreciate cheese on new levels.
Les Amis gets checkpoints by every point. I have never stumped an employee with a question about their product. (I know personally that each employee gets intensive training that last months!) Les Amis' showcase clearly presents their well-stocked artisanal cheeses in their perfect maturation stage. Les Amis has some of the greatest artisanal cheeses of Europe. If Les Amis has a specialty it is the imported cheeses. Unfortunately Canadian standard laws prohibits importing raw cheese that are aged less than 60 days, which means Canadians will never try real Camembert from Normandy unless they go to France themselves. I digress though. Les Amis' choices not only in variety but in maker puts them on a level higher than other fromageries. They know their cheese makers: which ones produce handmade quality cheeses with care in limited quantities, and which ones are concerned making readily available mass-produced cheeses that are imitating the real deal. While quantities of artisanal cheeses vary from maker to maker, Les Amis tries their best to make the best sellers available year round while allowing rotation of some of the more obscure cheeses to allow for more cheese to be consumed. And the staff's customer relations is something other companies should model themselves after. I always feel welcome in the store. They gladly recommend I sample a cheese before I purchase it. It makes complete sense!
Some of my favorite cheeses, including Pierre Robert triple-cream, pecorino affienato, comte juraflore and french sheep's feta are always available here.
Lastly, just know that Alice - the matriarch of Les Amis du Fromage - is a Maitre Fromager in the Guilde des Fromagers Confrerie du Saint-Uguzon. This is the cheese world's highest honour so give great respect when you meet her and her daughter Allison. They are serious about their cheese! -
Review from B R.
Vancouver, BC
8/18/2010
Best selection, knowledgable staff, and decent prices. Try the Compde Montagne.
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Review from Sarah Jane M.
Vancouver, BC
11/28/2009
Thank goodness Vancouver has this business! A MUST for cheese lovers.. You'll feel like you're (almost) in Quebec or France. Incroyable!!
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Review from Susanne J.
Hope, BC
6/6/2009
It's a good little cheese shop with lots of variety unless you're looking for some fine Danish havarti. That's specifically why I went. I looked everywhere in the store for havarti then had to ask. The clerk pulled a big chunk out of a fridge behind the counter but when I saw it was labeled Dofino, same mass-produced stuff Costco would sell, I lost my craving. That was the only kind they were carrying. So much for high-end I thought. I wanted quality. I ended up leaving with some decent BC cheddar, minus the orange dye, which can be a little hard to come by.
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Review from J G.
Vancouver, BC
10/15/2008
When I moved to Vancouver from Montreal, I worried that I would be deprived of good bread and good cheese. But, not to worry, Les Amis du Fromage has filled any possible West Coast cheese void with hundreds and hundreds of cheese possibilites, each one hand picked by someone with a very knowledgeable palate. Whether you are looking for a nice chevre or perhaps a more succulent manchega, you will find your cheese niche here. The staff here is very helpful and knowledgeable, and in addition to cheese, you will find plenty of cheese accoutrements to help you indulge your taste for cheese.
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Review from mike c.
Vancouver, BC
9/11/2010
I've been there several times. There are several choices of cheese, good and traditional but also some industrial tasteless cheese. There is not a huge range of cheese but often more than in supermarkets. But they don't sell a Pont l'évèque, a Reblochon, a Gruyère or a Comté, Feta, Mozarella, Roquefort, a minimum for a cheese specialist store. What I dislike is that the clerks never make efforts to greet you with a smile, the location is very bad and the biggest drawback is that there is no client parking. You must pay at the parking meter and there is no refund even if you pay for $50 of cheese. After staying only 5 minutes in the shop today, I got a ticket, $35-$70 as I've never had a ticket cause I'm very cautious but it's not practical there. I usually go to the other store in West Vancouver, or at Granville market or Wholefoods market and you can park as you want and the welcome is often very good and they provide with a lot of advice at wholefoods market for example or they even can order special cheese for you. So I think it is not enough to sell cheese to be a good store and the atmosphere and the no client parking will prevent me from coming back definitely.
