Fromagerie Abraham Kef is the best artisinal cheese shop in Amsterdam which would make it… the best cheese shop in Amsterdam. They stock mostly raw milk cheese, supplied by farms where they know the actual cheese makers on a first name basis. They offer artisinal cheese tastings just across from Amsterdam Central Station. I tried them out recently with a friend and was very impressed. The tasting I ordered was the ‘Dégustation Intermédiaire” paired with charcuterie. This means 9 cheeses with a glass of both white and red wine and a meat platter…
Round 1 – 5 cheeses & white wine
Pictured above… a table for 2. The cheese comes in 2 rounds. Round 1 includes the first five paired with a fresh white wine and some fig ‘loaf’ and crackers and healthy bread. The cheeses vary depending on what is at its best but when I went this what was on offer, working clockwise above:
Päölke Köning – white rind cheese – made with raw cow’s milk and but intentionally made in the style of a soft crumbly goat’s milk cheese. It is very mild on its own but went well with the bread.
Swarte Toer – Dutch raw goat’s milk cheese from a tiny flock of goats from the province of Friesland – Initially soft smooth flavour becoming slightly tangy with a lace of sourness (in a good way). Loved this one!
Kobunder – Dutch hard cheese from the province of Gelderland – mixture of pasteurised goat and cow’s milk and the rind is coated with apple syrup. It is mild but full flavoured with a gentle tang from being aged in a peat barn.
Taleggio – Washed rind cheese from Lombardy made from raw cow’s milk – Some people struggle with washed rind cheese – this is from the famous ‘stinky’ cheese but this is a very mild version of that cheese. It is an easy, creamy, cheese with a little tingle at the end.
Coulommiers – Raw cow’s milk cheese from Île de France – One of my favourite cheeses – a soft smaller and older vedrsion of brie cheese with a creamy, mushroomy, warm taste and feel with a slightly tart ending.
The above were all paired with a fresh and fruity blended white wine from Languedoc.
Of the above I loved the last 4, a lot! They will definitely grace my table in the future!
Round 2 – 4 cheeses, red wine & charcuterie
Round 2 includes 4 bolder cheeses paired with a juicy but full flavoured Cabernet Sauvignon also from Languedoc and quince jelly on the side.
Hooikaas – A raw cow’s milk cheese – Originally Dutch with a Mountain Cheese twist and now migrated to a German cheesmaker. Light, sweet, slightly musty, a vague hint of chocolate and great with the quince jelly.
Vieux Boulogne – French washed rind cheese made from pasteurised cow’s milk – Made by 2 brothers on a small farm near the Calais coast, the salty grass leaves its mark on the cheese. We are into stinky cheese territory here and whilst the ‘aroma’ is rather strong, the taste is more subtle and complex. I loved it and I don’t usually go for stronger washed rind cheeses.
Lacaune – Dutch pasteurised sheep’s milk from a farm in Zeeland – The milk comes from Lacaune sheep, a French breed normally found in Roquefort country. So to find them grazing on the salty grass just behind the sea dikes in the Dutch delta is kind of weird and speaks to the quirkiness of artisanal cheese makers! It is rich and has the crystals typical of aged hard cheeses, a bit like a milder Parmesan with a zing at the end.
Fourme d’Ambert – French pasteurised cow’s milk blue cheese from the Auvergne – interesting combination of flavours for me, the white is creamy and holds its texture, unlike Roquefort, and the blue brings a lingering earthiness to the party.
Of the above I particularly liked the Hooikaas, Vieux Boulogne and the Fourme d’Ambert. The Lacaune I would save for grating over pasta or shaving over almost anything.
All of these were great with the wine and quince except the washed rind – but then they do warn you about this!
And the meat platter: Dried sausage, coppa, smoked duck breast, osseworst and leverworst. All were delicious and what really stood out was the coppa and the osseworst. This is a real Amsterdam thing, raw, or cured rather, beef sausage, this was smoked and so delicious. I even loved the Leverworst – liver sausage – which is not usually my thing at all. They are sourced from the famous Louman butcher, a family business in Amsterdam’s Jordaan district that has been pleasing customers since 1890!
Fromagerie Kef have 3 branches, one in Amsterdam East/centre at the Czar Peterstraat 137. Another on the edge of the Jordaan District at Marnixstraat 192B, and the last in Amsterdam North on the Van der Pekplein 1B. The one in North is where they have both a shop and cheese tastings and this is a 3 minute ferry ride across from Amsterdam Central Station and then a 10 minute walk to their cosy tasting location and shop – and tasting terrace in the summer!
What’s the damage: I ordered the ‘Dégustation Intermédiaire’ so that means: 9 cheeses with 2 glasses of wine cost €37.50 per person. Include the charcuterie to that and it bumps up the cost to €51.00 per person.
Opt for the ‘Dégustation Mémorable’ and you get the same as the above but for €7.50 more per person you get upgraded wine with stories about the wine makers.
See all of Fromagerie Kef’s tasting options
Final verdict – I loved this experience. It wasn’t cheap but it was a meal and everything costs nowadays. The cheese and wine part I thought was really excellent value. The charcuterie seemed a bit on the pricey side but then it was really, really good, and quality costs money. This is definitely something that I will do with visiting friends – chacuterie included and I’ll give the upgraded wine option a whirl as well.