PONCELET CHEESE BAR

As the name would suggest, this isn’t for the lactose intolerant but look no further than this sharp-looking place if you like your cheese. Just as Barcelona’s MonVínic is a temple of wine, the Poncelet Cheese Bar is a temple of quesos, fromages and formaggios where you can browse, buy and eat, all in the same spot with expert advice on hand.

Its mixture of farmhouse finery and minimalist modern classics may be rather Nordic, but the feel to the multifunctional space is definitely Spanish. Prop yourself up at the wine bar or claim a Hans Wegner wishbone chair in the more formal dining section. Upstairs you’ll find the library and reading room, replete with all kinds of foodie books and room for lectures and tastings.

Open from breakfast to midnight, the menu changes over the day but every item has at least one cheese-based ingredient (some non-cheese options are available). There are proper dishes from soups and paellas to meat and fish, as well as tapas and cheese samplers – order any number starting with three for EUR 11.66, all the way up to ten for EUR 24.66, served with fruit, bread and artisanal toppings.

With over 140 of varieties from around the world, the menu is also a mind-boggling education, devoting pages to the making, maturing and testing of the product, and details on the strength, smell, tastes and textures to look out for. For those, ahem, less interested, turn your attention to the extensive wine card and let the cheese be the excuse for ordering another bottle.