Arcadia England

By Rachel Epstein

Food is synonymous with culture. The culture of cheese lives and breathes in several European countries and all of them thinking their fromage is the best. In recent years, England has experienced an increase in cheese production specific to other countries. So where are these cheesy restaurants? Here’s a few must-trys:

Grill My Cheese 

This isn’t your momma’s grilled cheese. There’s not a slice of store brought white bread in sight, nor orange, plasticized, imitation cheese slices. This is the real deal—the gourmet cheese toastie. Grill My Cheese ventures into the land of the sandwich to provide customers with a toastie so fulfilling, you can’t help but say “should’ve ordered the double.”

The stand itself is located in the bustling Leather Lane market. But don’t worry, it’s easy to find. To be frank, you’ll smell it even before you see the bright orange plywood cart. A sumptuously charred mixture of fresh, homemade sourdough bread and a blend of four sizzling cheeses drowning in a layer of rich, thick béchamel sauce palpitates through the nostrils before the menu even has a chance to be read. This is the classic. They call it the G.M.C.

Owners, Nisha and Nishma undertook the challenge of creating London’s best grilled cheese in May 2013, just as London’s street food scene began to pick up pace. Through many trials and tribulations of making the perfect toastie, they settled on an interesting theme: British Cheese with Americana flavors. As a result, Tex-Mex and BBQ inspired combinations run rampant throughout the menu. Nishma recognizes the cultural diversity the stand brings, “people think it’s funny that we’ve picked this up because we’re from India. Indian women making an America thing in Britain; we could be a sitcom! 

Only using local ingredients for everything from jalepeno and mango chutney to the bread itself, Grill My Cheese is an organically inspiring look at changing food culture in London. If the classic seems to simple for your taste, have no fear for Grill My Cheese offers different options daily. From a luxurous brie and apple connocation (known as the Justin Brie-ber) to the heavier cheese, pulled pork, and mac cheese monster (the Baby Got Mac), Grill My Cheese is the cheese toastie on speed.

Grill My Cheese (grillmycheese.co.uk, no phone available). Open from Monday-Friday from 12pm-2pm. Costs from £6-8.

Kappacasein 

It’s sticky. It’s creamy. And it continues for what seems like infinity. Raclette is a Swiss tradition that has slowly slipped into British cheese culture beyond the typically romantic cheese fondue pots. 

Raclette is grittier—a salty combination of intensely sharp Ogleshied heated then forcefully shaved onto fresh roasted potatoes, gerkins, and onions. Kappacasein nails this process perfectly, and for just  £5. 

The wheels of cheese stand in halves over a continuous flame, stressing the cheese until the hefty amounts of lactose begin to bubble and seethe over the casing. The dish of veggies is held underneath and in one fowl swoop, a large metal spatula pulls the cheese onto the plate in a gooey, molten avalanche. If the sight doesn’t get you, the smell will. Dripping with richness, the Ogleshied is known for it’s intense, fresh-grass fragrance. 

The dish might be Swiss, but the copious wheels of lactose are made with love from 150 jersey cows right here in England, expertly showcasing the melding of two cultures where cheese is a massive vestige of food.

If you’re in the mood for something more crunchy, pungent, and British, opt for the Montgomery Cheddar toastie sandwich. Kappacasein actually massages the cheese into the bread for crispy outside that perfectly compliments a soft, warm heart of cheesy goodness.

Kappacasein (kappacasein.com, 020 7394 5520).  Open on Thursdays from 11am-5pm, Fridays from 11am-6am, and Saturdays from 8am-5pm.

Obica

Moving across Europe from Switzerland to Italy, check out Obica, meaning “Here It Is” in Italian. The expression is used to describe freshly made mozzarella from Naples, curdling and spinning right before your eyes before it is presented in a neatly compacted ball of cheese, still dripping in a perfect lactosey brine.

Obica is located in the heart of St. Paul, a stone’s throw from London Blackfriars station. It markets itself as a “mozzarella bar” although it’s more of a sit down restaurant with several small mozzarella dishes. Featuring imported mozzarella di bufula campana, also known as the true home of the cheese, Obica combines traditional Italian flavors. The kind of fresh, basily, tones of the cheese pair perfectly with sharp peppercorns, sumptuously rich prosciutto or perhaps the ripest of tomatoes. With luxury additions like black truffle oil and Italian caviar, Obica successfully transports the visitor to an authentic Italian paradise.

They offer the classics, of course: creamy burrata that pops open with a soft press from a delicately thin casing or bufula classica, which shouts more pizza topping than stand-alone appetizer, but is nonetheless traditionally perfect. If you’re feeling adventurous, opt for the burrata al tartufo, simiar to the classic burrata spiked with a rich black truffle oil and topped with sumptuous, fresh basil.

Each of these are priced at under  £11 and drip with a unique cheese culture that goes beyond the commonality of your neighborhood pizza express.

Obica (obica.com, 020 7637 7153). Open everyday from 12pm-11pm.

Androuet

From cheesecakes to cheese boards, this French cheese bar seems to accomplish much in its tiny London space. Androuet is both a market and a restaurant, which is highly convenient considering the sheer amount of choice you’ll have there. 

The interior is small, but well-decorated, and creates the perfect vibe for a romantic fondue night, plus the space provides a welcome respite from the bustle of Spitalfields Market in Shoreditch. The environment of Androut even seems to counteract the hefty dose of hipsterdom from the surrounding area; candles adorn each table creating an illusion of privacy from the bustle of London outside. 

The cheesemongers of Androuet really make the place special. They’re personable, helpful, and actually take the time select cheeses based on your preferences no matter if you try 3 or 30 cheese.

If you picked the restaurant, like me, maybe go for something more filling, like Androuet’s homemade ravioli. Peas and shallots compliment the ricotta inside perfectly. The cheese is also light and fluffy, which helps prevent the inevitable bloat that comes post-pasta meal.

The original House of Androuet, the brainchild of some of the best cheesemongers in the world, remains in Paris, its home since 1909. They import hundreds of cheeses everyday, but recently joined up with Paxton & Whitfield, England’s oldest cheese shop, which has sparked the inclusion of traditional British cheeses in the collection. Including cult-classics like Montgomery cheddar, stilton, and stinking bishop, makes the shop accessible to a range of cultures and tastes. Of course, camembert is their specialty. 

Androuet (androuet.co.uk, 020 7247 7437).  The shop is open everyday from 10am-7pm and the restaurant on Wednesdays from 5pm-10:30pm, Thursday-Saturday from 12pm-10:30pm, and Sundays from 12pm-9pm.