Cheese Shop Near Me in LA: Monsieur Marcel Gourmet Market

Searching for a cheese shop near me in Mid-City, Fairfax, or Miracle Mile leads straight to 6333 West 3rd Street at Fairfax Avenue, where Monsieur Marcel Gourmet Market has anchored Stall 150 inside The Original Farmers Market since 1993. Founded by French-born husband-and-wife team Stephane and Katy Strouk, this sprawling European market and adjoining open-air French bistro bring the spirit of Nice and Paris to the heart of Los Angeles. Whether you want a quarter-pound wedge of runny Époisses wrapped for home or a sit-down cheese slate with a glass of Sancerre on the patio, Monsieur Marcel delivers both under one green awning.

What distinguishes Monsieur Marcel's retail cheese counter is its scale and direct French provenance. Stephane Strouk and his team of veteran cheesemongers maintain a wrap-around refrigerated showcase stocked with hundreds of farmstead and AOC-protected wheels flown in weekly from France, Italy, Switzerland, Spain, and Holland, alongside California artisanal standouts. Mongers slice generous samples off the knife and cut every wedge to your exact weight request.

At the retail counter, start with French icons such as twenty-four-month Comté, Roquefort Papillon, and truffled Brie de Meaux priced around $28 to $36 per pound. Washed-rind lovers can score Burgundy Époisses in its wooden box or Alsatian Munster at $22 to $29 per wheel, while Loire Valley goat cheese fans find ash-coated Sainte-Maure de Touraine, Valençay, and Crottin de Chavignol. The market shelves surrounding the counter hold imported French butters, cornichons, chestnut spreads, and hundreds of global gourmet condiments.

Beyond France, the display cases stretch across Italy, Spain, Switzerland, and Northern California with equal depth. Ask for aged Italian Parmigiano-Reggiano, creamy Gorgonzola Dolce, or truffle-veined Boschetto al Tartufo alongside Spanish sheep's milk Manchego and drunken goat cheese soaked in red wine. At the charcuterie and wine stations steps away, staff slice paper-thin Prosciutto di Parma, French jambon de Paris, andduck pâté while sommeliers pull small-production Bordeaux, Burgundy, and Provence rosés from a multi-hundred-bottle wine wall.

Unlike strictly retail cheese shops where you have to wait until you get home to eat, Monsieur Marcel's adjoining Bistro lets you sit down right beside the market stalls for lunch, happy hour, or dinner. Custom Bistro Cheese and Charcuterie Planks range from $24 to $42 depending on the number of selections, served with walnut bread, grapes, dried apricots, and cornichons. You can also order classic French bistro dishes like a bubbling Croque Monsieur with jambon de Paris and melted Gruyère for $19, a Croque Madame for $21, or traditional Swiss cheese fondue and melted raclette for the table.

If you visit on a weekday afternoon, take advantage of the Bistro Happy Hour running Monday through Friday from 3:00 PM to 6:00 PM, when select wines by the glass, French beers, and small cheese and charcuterie bites are offered at friendly afternoon pricing. Over on the retail market side, custom catering platters and gift baskets can be ordered for dinner parties across Los Angeles.

Monsieur Marcel Gourmet Market is open Monday through Saturday from 9:00 AM to 9:00 PM and Sunday from 9:00 AM to 8:00 PM, while the Bistro serves from 11:00 AM to 9:00 PM Monday through Saturday and 11:00 AM to 8:00 PM on Sunday. Because most Los Angeles specialty cheese shops close by 5:00 PM or 6:00 PM, Monsieur Marcel's 9:00 PM evening closing time makes it a lifesaver for after-work shopping.

Shopping at the gourmet market counter is always walk-in with no reservations needed, and remember to bring your parking ticket to the register for ninety-minute Farmers Market validation. If you want a prime patio table at the Bistro on Friday or Saturday evening, booking a table ahead or arriving before 6:00 PM is recommended.

Atmospherically, Stall 150 captures the lively indoor-outdoor energy of a southern French market square. Striped green awnings, wrought-iron bistro chairs, chalkboards chalked in French and English, and towering stacks of wine crates surround the gleaming glass dairy cases.

Since Stephane and Katy Strouk opened Monsieur Marcel in 1993 inside the historic 1934 Farmers Market complex, they have expanded the business to include a dedicated seafood market and restaurant while keeping the cheese and wine counter at the heart of the operation. Over three decades of relationships with European exporters mean that seasonal releases like autumn Vacherin Mont d'Or and holiday truffled wheels arrive here as soon as they land in Southern California.

Once you finish shopping or grazing on the patio, explore the surrounding Fairfax and Miracle Mile cultural corridor. Stroll through the rest of The Original Farmers Market and The Grove next door, walk ten minutes south to the Los Angeles County Museum of Art and the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures on Wilshire Boulevard, or browse independent streetwear and bookstores up North Fairfax Avenue. Pan Pacific Park just north on Gardner Street also offers wide green lawns and picnic tables if you prefer unpacking your market bag outdoors.

Keep these practical details handy before you go. Monsieur Marcel Gourmet Market at 6333 West 3rd Street, Stall 150, is open Monday through Saturday from 9:00 AM to 9:00 PM and Sunday from 9:00 AM to 8:00 PM. All major credit cards and Apple Pay are accepted, ninety-minute validated parking is available in the Farmers Market lots, and the ground-level arcade and patio are step-free. Open Karpo APP to pair your Farmers Market stop with museum exhibitions on Wilshire or evening comedy shows on Fairfax.

Monsieur Marcel is ideal for evening shoppers needing cut-to-order cheese after 6:00 PM, couples wanting a relaxed French bistro cheese board and wine flight on an outdoor patio, and Francophiles hunting for authentic AOC Roquefort, Comté, and Époisses. Plan on spending $25 to $45 for either a sit-down bistro plank or a generous three-cheese market bag.