Formaggi Ocello

Have you ever seen a wedding cake made of cheese? Do you love a cheese cabinet that stretches as far as the eye can see? Well then, you need to take a walk through Formaggi Ocello. Put simply, it’s a cheese lover’s paradise.

Step off Bourke Street and the front section to this gourmet emporium acts as a rustic café, with a cabinet full of daily fresh filled sandwiches, panini, salads and soups. The coffee machine steams away by the front door, while behind you, a window to the cheese room makes for excellent casual viewing.

Further in, the store opens out to become a fantasyland of tasty gourmet treats, from crisp breads to olive oils, pastas and mustard fruits. But the real draw card here is the cheese, and the cabinet for these dairy delights stretches to the end of the shop, split into convenient sections with plenty of advice on hand. Share your preferences with the staff and they’ll be happy to suggest new varieties for you to try. And with over 200 cheeses (carefully selected from trips to Italy or for their rare production methods), trying something new is part of the fun.

Carmelo and Sogna Ocello started out at the farmers markets and can still be found there regularly, but the cafe and store is a beautiful reflection of their Italian heritage and flair. And for our money? Your best bet is to settle in with a cheese board – you can even pick the cheeses yourself.