The Best Cheese Shops In New York

This wallet-friendly fromagerie has some of the best mac and cheese. The Seattle-based Beecher’s Handmade Cheese’s New York location has a space for every occasion. The upper level is perfect for a casual lunch and the basement cellar has a top-notch happy hour, all with copious amounts of cheese. You also can watch them make cheese, as they craft it in-house. They have their own signature cheese selection, unique to Beecher’s, which you have to try. The Flagship Cheddar is a white, mellow, nutty and milky cheese.

Murray’s Cheese Shop’s West Village location is a cheese heaven. This New York institution has been around since the 1940s, and it is huge. They have over 200 different kinds of cheese from all over the world. If the overall cheesiness wasn’t enough they also offer cheese making classes. Murray’s Cheese Bar has all the cheesy foods you will ever crave like grilled cheese, cheese pastas, cheeseburgers, and even fried cheese.

Bedford Cheese Shop is a Bedford Avenue staple for cheese, charcuterie, canned or preserved fish, and European candy. They have a larger, more curated selection than a huge shop like Murray’s. Each cheese is accompanied by a detailed description of origin and flavor. This is a pricier cheese shop, but you’re paying for good quality and knowledgeable staff who are liberal with the cheese samples. This small neighborhood store has a commitment to the local cheese makers who are dedicated to the art of cheese making.

The Cheese Counter at Fairway Market seems never ending. This is not your normal grocery store cheese selection. The extensive selection rivals its competitors and can come in pre-cut and sized pieces. All the cheese is also well priced. The people in the cheese department are knowledgeable, and the fact that this is a good grocery store makes it easier to rationalize buying nice cheese with your normal groceries.

A lot of great things go with cheese like bread or figs or macaroni, but beer has to be one of the best things to pair with cheese, and Astoria Bier and Cheese gets that. Their cheese plates all come with a variety of cheeses, and you can get these cheese plates with coordinated beer flights. The staff really knows how to pair beer and cheese. The atmosphere is warm and comforting, making this a great place to relax and try something new.

Di Palo has the most amazing imported Italian cheese selection in and out of Little Italy. The service is thorough: they’ll give you samples of cheeses and make recommendations. The homemade burrata and ricotta cheeses are to die for. Everything is fresh. Di Palo should be the go-to for all your Italian cheese-centered meals. The prices are what you would expect for authentic and imported Italian cheese. The Italian-run market feels as though it’s in a small village rather than in the heart of a big American city.

All the cheeses at Saxelby Cheesemongers are amazing, but the Hudson Truffle cheese is particularly delicious. The cheese selection here comes from small producers who make cheese sustainably with respect to the land and animals. Because of the artisanal nature of their selection, availability varies from month to month, and there’s a seasonal menu that is dedicated to bringing you only the choicest product for the season.