LA CANTINE D’AUGUSTA
Grenoble-born Sébastien Gorius personally seeks out the pungent raw-milk cheeses, cured meats and wines sold at his cosy shop/bar/ bistro. He also puts them together in marvellous combinations, whether as a take- out picnic basket, an on-the-spot charcuterie plate or a date-night fondue meal.
> Langenscheidtstr. 6/6a, Schöneberg, Tue–Fri 17:30-00, Sat 10-00 Sun 10–16
LA KÄSERIE
Enthusiastic owners Romain Dumond and Bastien Slovinski recently moved their great selection of over 80 cheeses – sourced from small producers and farms all over France – to a marquee address on Schönhauser Allee, while keeping their original location open for wine and dairy-heavy snacking.
> Schönhauser Allee 147, Prenzlauer Berg, Tue-Fri 11-19:30, Sat 10-19:30; Lychener Str. 6, Wed-Sat 18-22
LES ÉPICURIENS
True gourmands have long headed to this stand in Kreuzberg’s Marheineke Markthalle for a culinary Tour de France. Run by Éric Marette and Fré- déric Gachelin-Verneuil, the place offers everything from three-year aged Comté to preserves, mustard to Brouché Valrhona pralines. If you’ve got the time, take a seat at one of the bistro tables to enjoy fresh oysters from Île d’Oléron over a glass of Champagne or Crémant. Be sure to take home a slice of one of their popular homemade terrines or foie gras refined with Marc de Champagne for more indul- gence à la française.
> Marheinekeplatz 15, Kreuzberg, Mon-Fri 9-20, Sa 9-18
L’ÈPICERIE
Feel the sudden urge to buy foie gras at 9 in the evening? This pair of shops has you covered. With their long opening hours and wide range of imports – from chestnut cream to crémant – Samir Ouhibi and Jean-Michel Daubet cater to homesick French expats and Germans with a tooth for French stuff.
> Wörther Str. 19, Prenzlauer Berg, Mon-Sat 10-22; Brunnenstr. 49, Mitte, Mon-Fri 11-20, Sat 10-20
GALERIES LAFAYETTE
The number-one reason to go to the Berlin branch of the famous Paris department store? Naturellement, the food! In addition to the patisserie (p.40), the baguettes, the foie gras and terrines and the dizzying selection of raw-milk sheep and goat cheeses, French folk come here for the less obvious staples you won’t find in German shops: vinegary, crunchy, sugar-free cornichons, petit suisse curd cheese, all those delicious biscuits that taste like home… If you’re not sure what to buy, just treat yourself to a slice of quiche, a serving of entrecôte with frites or crêpes suzette at the in-house bistro La Madeleine, unless you’d rather pair proper Champagne with sushi at Le Bar Blanc or slurp half a dozen Normandy oysters with a crisp chablis at the beautiful fish counter. >Friedrichstr. 76-78, Mitte, Mon-Sat 11-19
