Bedford Cheese Shop

This is a gem of a shop. I am a frequent customer and a big fan. This part of town has been growing at a rapid clip and on weekends the shop can be bustling. The most strategic way to shop is grab a number as soon as you walk in and start to think about what you already know you like. I have heard people ask «what’s good?». I have had to bite my tongue as my natural response would be «everything is good or they wouldn’t sell it, it’s just a matter of taste», alas I don’t say this nor do the talented staff who know more about the over 100 cheeses they have than humanly possible. If you love food this shop is for you. If you don’t know what you want go with an open mind.

Good news!!! Socially unsuccessful and in love with cheese??? Here is a place for you to work.
Good products but arrogant and unhelpful. The cheese shop for disposable income wine snob locals. Convenient when desperate.

The only positive thing I can say is nice presentation, however the sandwich menu, prep and policies are out of whack. Spent $ 11+ on a smoked turkey and pickle sandwich: 99% bread, .05% pickles, .05% smoked turkey (they might as well call it a vegan sandwich). You need a microscope (not even a magnifying glass will do) to find the 2 paper-​thin transparent slices of turkey. What is this place thinking; that putting a reasonable amount of meat on their sandwiches will shrink their profit margins??? Apparently yes. And on top of all of this, they allow absolutely NO SUBSTITUTIONS ON ANY SANDWICH – (EVEN IF YOU’RE ALLERGIC TO SOMETHING???). I’m wondering what brainchild came up with these rules and policies? Not going back!!!

I used to pop in here every so often when my girlfriend lived in Gramercy. The staff is personable and knowledgeable and they will easily point you in the right direction when it comes to purchasing specific cheeses and meats.
One of my favorite sandwiches of all-​time is their ‘Gramercy’ sandwich: goat cheddar, roast turkey, peppadew peppers, and house-​made aioli.
It’s expensive, but well worth it if you want quality cured meats and artisanal cheeses.

Lovely shop but loses stars for being quite unaccommodating of customer requests. Their mantra is: «We don’t aim to please. We do things our way!» So don’t ask them to modify a 10 $ sandwich or any other standard item. They won’t… though they’ll try to be nice about it.

These folks are the cat’s meow. Personable, knowledgeable and enablers for us to indulge our cheesy adventurous side of life.
Temptation is encouraged. Straying from your responsible life with the likes of Rachel, Kate, Ros or Lucifer.
Great specialty items and breads featured from local bakers.
Dudette introduced Dude to Amy’s Baguette. Dude was history :)

I LOVE this place. I was born in Germany and lived there and in Switzerland for part of my life as a child and as an adult. In that time, my love of cheese was born. Not to wax too poetic or sound too snobby, but suffice it to say that you cannot stock a good German-​style Abendbrot at the average supermarket.
As soon as I walked in, I knew I’d found my cheesy home. The whole place has a pleasant earthy scent. They have a great cheese selection with cheeses from all over, knowledgeable employees, and a great sample policy :) Their cured meat selection is smaller, but just as delicious.
They also have a variety of other things you’d expect: jams and preserves, British stuff, tons of chocolate and candies, crackers (including a couple of gluten free options, hooray!) and crusty bread, pasta, olive oil, and olives.
Yes, it’s pricey. But good cheese and cured meat cost money, and I’m willing to pay.

Stopped in last night to grab some meats and cheeses for dinner. A guy in a SF Giants hat ended up helping me out (I didn’t grab his name). I’m not super knowledgeable about cheese but Giants guy was super friendly and helpful and able to find me some really interesting and tasty meats and cheeses that would pair well with my wine, all while being mindful of my less-​than-​expansive budget.
If you’re cheese-​ignorant like me, don’t hesitate to stop in and ask questions and try a few cheeses. Not only will you walk out with something tasty but you’ll have a great experience in the store.

I just bought a $ 10 sandwich from this place and there is literally 1 slice of turkey meat on here. Basically paid $ 10 for bread and some cheese. For cheese I’m sure it’s good, but I’ll probably stick with Beechers.

Es una tienda superatractiva de productos gourmet, tiene una parte de embutidos, una de quesos y mil estantes de productos enlatados, en frasco de cristal, o simplemente en paquetes.
Yo al final me tiré a lo que me interesaba, el stand de quesos, quesos europeos, muchos de ellos franceses, pero también una más que razonable muestra de quesos españoles (idiazabal, torta del casar, mahón, manchego, etc.). Para mí, lo que realmente captaba mi atención eran los quesos 100% americander, y esos fueron los que compre con el miedo de que me los quitaran en el aeropuerto o ve tu a saber.
Compre tres tipos de queso californiano, en sus versiones «semicurado» y «curado» y «viejo», muy similares en textura pero muy intensos en sabor.
El dependiente, nos atendió el chico, había otras dos chicas, tuvo una «santa paciencia» para enterarse de lo que queríamos y buscábamos, Todo allí en Nyork es caro, y aquí no iba a ser menos.

La tienda es realmente interesante, y todo tiene una presentación excelente.

This place is great. I feel like they carry a wide enough range of cheeses & snacks to accommodate however much you’re looking to spend. I’ve never shopped for meats there, but there also seems to be a good selection of those as well.
Are the people that work here called «cheese mongers?» I don’t know, but they’re all super knowledgeable & never fail to give great recommendations (even when I only have the faintest idea of what I’m looking for & adjectives fail me).

This place is super adorable, and its placement on quaint Irving Place is enough to make you feel like you’ve wandered into Britain. Perfect spot to snag digestives or funky flavored «crisps.» (Roast chicken potato crisps, anyone?) A bit pricey, but what they lack in affordability they unquestionably make up for in atmosphere.

Bedford Cheese Shop is the best!
Great meats/​cheeses/​delicatessen and imported products
They also have great paninis (easy to miss as the menu is artfully written on a back wall).
Helpful staff and creative classes (bourbon tasting, cheese tasting…) sets Bedford apart from other shops.

Their sandwiches are just ok, and the rest of the ingredients are ridiculously overpriced.

A few weeks ago, my father sent me a picture of Bedford Cheese Shop’s Twitter, where they had posted a picture of their Christmas ham – unfortunately, by the time I actually made it to the store, they were already out! But last night was my second time coming to this great little shop (their Irving Pl location is a blessing to those who live in Manhattan), and once again, the service was great. They happily offered suggestions of similar meats, and pointed out each mouthwatering, giant leg of ham as they explained what was so special about it.
On both visits, the people working the counters were willing to offer suggestions to me, a casual cheese consumer. I am by no means at the level where I could define the flavor profile of cheeses – I get as far as «hard» or «soft» cheese, and maybe by now have got down the «sharp”/“strong» cheese versus the «mild» cheeses. Either way, they were willing to listen to my plebian requests for «something like Manchego, I think» or «something that would go well with the serrano, maybe,» and patiently fed me samples.
Overall, I think they have a fine selection of meats, and also other goodies, such as high-​quality sun-​dried tomatoes, red peppers in oil, fresh pasta, Pipcorn, gourmet chocolates, sausages… all sorts of delicious, luxe ingredients for cooks and connoisseurs alike. I overheard one of the specialists advising a customer on the perfect blend of cheeses for Mac and Cheese, and another one yesterday listening to a customer’s requests for something «earthy… sharp» with no hesitation. They respond well to even the most ignorant of cheese eaters, and for that, I am grateful.
My only complaint is that I asked for 1 pound of the bacon, but instead received only 0.5 (half) pound… Ultimately, I did not mind because a pound is pricey at $ 21, and the half, plus a ¼ pound of cheese, was under $ 20.
Personally, I would love to come here once I have a better grasp on my budget, buy a bunch of ingredients, and make a meal. I also noticed that they sell sandwiches, including a Grilled Cheese, something that is made all the more delicious by a high-​end cheese. Next time I will try one of those, as well.

Make sure you check your receipt! Just purchased three jars of McClure’s pickles today and was charged for four. Of course I didn’t think of looking till I arrived home. No I’m wondering how many other times this has happened and I’ve not noticed. Thanks for pulling a fast one on me Bedford Cheese. I’ll be sure to never give you my business again!

Great cheese selection, with entertainingly florid descriptions. A more tightly edited selection of cheeses and gourmet foods than Murray’s. The staff is knowledgeable and passionate about the cheese, so it’s a good place to go to learn something new. My only complaint is that the shopping routine takes some getting used to. If you are buying meats or cheese and also choosing from their excellent selection of pastas, chocolates, or nut butters, the person who helps you with the cheese is the person who rings you up. But, altogether a pretty fabulous shop.

I came into this shop while waiting for a friend to have brunch next door. I am so glad I came in! I ended up with a few tastes of cheese and a proud purchase of my favorite blue cheese (point Reyes bay blue), a new Comte, and a baguette! I don’t know why I needed food since I was headed to brunch but I figured I would be happy that I had it later. Great little shop with helpful «mongers» behind the bar. They also have a wide arrange of meats and speciality foods. I will be back when I need my cheese fix which is like 8x a week!

A well-​stocked shop filled with international, regional, and local gourmet treats and pantry staples.
Prices are no higher than those from Murray’s Cheese, Chelsea Market, or Grand Central. In fact, prices here are very often cheaper. It all depends on what one buys and in what amount.
My most recent purchase consisted of three cheeses; St. Nectaire, Tome d’Alsace Welsche, and Bra Tenero, and one French mustard; Moutarde Pommery Piment D’Espelette. I’m very happy with the quality, taste and price of these items.
The descriptions provided by the store for the cheeses and meats are fairly accurate in terms of taste and texture. However, the writer or writers tries too hard to be cute, edgy, hip, and outsider. Telling me my cheese can be compared to a «one night stand» is extraneous.

I wandered into this shop while waiting for a friend the other day and just loved the variety of products in the store. I’m a fan of most organic or specialty food stores so I enjoyed taking a look at the huge assortment of cheeses and other dairy products, meats, drinks (non alcoholic), and european chocolates, cookies, and other snacks.
I saw the biggest Jar of Nutella I’ve ever seen in my life. The price tag a whopping $ 90.00. One of the employees told me he’s begged his wife to let him buy it but she refuses. Totally on her side. What could you possibly do with all that Nutella unless you own a dessert shop. lol. I also loved the various duck meat products, eggs, duck bacon, duck prosciutto, duck breast.(I’ll include pics).
What makes this store worth a visit: staff is friendly and helpful, great product assortment, price is reasonable depending on what you’re looking for (some things are expensive) and there are two locations. So if you can’t get to the Irving Pl loc, there is one in BK on Bedford Ave.
Since I was on the go the other day and couldn’t really browse like I wanted to, I’ll definitely be returning to pick up a few items.

Seeing so many cheese shops in Paris just two months ago makes me want to go inside a cheese shop and just inhale and exhale. This cheese stop has more than cheese. It has a lot of European jam, cookies, Italian cold cuts, and chocolates.
Since I am not a real cheese expert, I went with what everyone has been raving about online — the Australian goat cheese (feta) or aka, the Crack Cheese. It is $ 30/​lb so it is a bit pricey but it is very very good. You just need a little bit for the rich and creamy flavor.
I also got some of their chocolate cardinals in a jar and it is dark chocolate covered with liquor inside! I wish I got more.
I can’t wait to return to try more cheese and their salami next time!