Regional cheese and cream stores Les volcans d'Auvergne

The cheese shop is a reference in downtown. Kindness, discretion and sound advice are their watchwords! Let yourself be surprised by the cheeses selected by Olivier the owner, valuing the maturing, the farm products and the raw milk. Don't hesitate to compose your own cheese platter. The place also has a rich wine cellar with affordable prices. Taste on the spot a platter of about ten cheeses, accompanied by fresh or dried fruits and small vegetables to crunch: the ideal to share a beautiful moment between friends.

If the diversity of local products found there (honey, sausage, lentils, eggs, craft beer, etc.) could allow us to qualify this cheese shop as a grocery store, it is indeed the cheese that is at the centre of attention and for good reason. Lizette has been working with cheese since she was 16 years old and she knows her stuff. Her advice is accurate and valuable, her explanations are clear and she never hesitates to offer a little tasting. Her good humour is a pleasure to see and her cheeses, coming directly from local producers, are delicious.

At the foot of the Puy de Dôme, you'll find an area dedicated to the region's products, with large stalls of Auvergne cheeses, as well as a vast selection of wines, beers, spirits, confectionery, cured meats, crafts, books... Saint-nectaire is matured on site in the cellar (AOP Auvergne cheese). Charcuterie and cheese platters are also available to order. Ample parking and prices no higher than those charged by supermarkets make this a stopover of choice.

From the street, if there's one establishment that catches our eye, it's the Maison Rodier. The mosaic-adorned façade is absolutely sublime. It was built by architect Louis Jarrier between 1920 and 1923. Once a tearoom, it now houses a cheese dairy showcasing the five Auvergne PDO cheeses. A guided tour of the building includes an introduction to the building, an exhibition of furniture from the former tearoom, the former room used for tea dances, and a documentary on Auvergne PDO cheeses.