Fromagerie Laurent Dubois — Specialty Store in Le Marais, Paris

Fromagerie Laurent Dubois is an independent cheese shop in Le Marais, on Rue Saint-Antoine near Saint-Paul. The name on the door belongs to the cheesemaker himself, an ager awarded the Meilleur Ouvrier de France, and the shop is built around that: cheeses chosen for origin and aging, from goat and sheep to cow's milk, with classic favourites sitting beside rarer finds. English is spoken. A quarter of Brillat-Savarin costs 7 euros, and the staff will vacuum-pack your purchase and put it in insulated bags so it survives a journey. They can also trim a wedge to meet your budget.

Start with the Brillat-Savarin, a soft cow's milk cheese from Normandy and Burgundy with a bloomed rind and a texture rich like butter, sold by the wedge at around 7 euros for a quarter. The Saint-Clément is a goat cheese from Périgord that is creamy, nutty and sweet. A truffle-laced cheese is there for anyone who wants something deeper. If you cannot decide, a small selection of bite-sized pieces lets you taste your way in.

The shop works like a proper fromagerie: you ask at the counter, the staff cut to the size you want and will trim a wedge to meet your budget. They speak English and will talk you through what will survive a journey home. For a long trip, they vacuum-pack your cheeses and pack them in insulated bags, which is how a dozen cheeses make it onto an evening train.

Prices run high: a quarter of Brillat-Savarin at 7 euros gives you a sense of the scale, and the bill adds up quickly if you are buying for a dinner party.

Sunday hours are shorter, 10 am to 6:30 pm, while the rest of the week runs to 8 pm and Saturday opens at 9 am. The shop sits in Le Marais, so you can pair a cheese run with the rest of the neighbourhood on foot.