Tucked away in a calm corner of Barcelona, Can Lecomte is not your average cheesemonger. It’s a thoughtful, serene space curated by Natalia Castañeda and David Koral, a couple whose passion for artisan cheese runs as deep as their aesthetic sensibilities. Their shop is equal parts fromagerie, tasting room, and art installation—a tribute to craftsmanship, terroir, and curiosity.
The shelves are lined with meticulously sourced cheeses from across Europe, with a strong showing from Spain and France. Labels like Pont l’Évêque, Bleu des Causses, Étivaz, and Suau de Clua speak of both tradition and rarity. Each cheese is presented like an artwork—carefully spaced, well lit, and crisply labeled. You don’t browse here in a hurry; you wander, you pause, you ask questions.
Cheese selection at La Formatgerie Can Lecomte
David is the encyclopedic half of the pair, guiding customers through textures and origins, while Natalia, a ceramicist by training, lends the space its tactile beauty. Her hand-thrown plates and vessels—some of which she creates for the shop and others by ceramicist friends—are available to purchase. It’s all beautifully understated: earth-toned tones, organic shapes, and a quiet reverence for slow processes.
A highlight of the visit is their cheese tasting: a nine-cheese journey (€40) that unfolds like a story across countries and textures. On the day I visited, we tasted Ondare Elkano (a pasteurized sheep’s milk cheese from the Basque Country), a funky Saint-Nectaire Fermier AOP from Auvergne, and a peppery Manchego Curado DOP Malacara from La Mancha. Each was paired with naturally leavened breads and served on hand-formed ceramics—cheese elevated by context.
Can LeComte Cheese prints by Natalia, a ceramicist when she is not at Can LeComte
At Can Lecomte, cheese isn’t simply sold—it’s curated, contextualized, and celebrated. It’s a space that rewards the curious: the kind of place where you ask what’s new, and they answer with “Crème fraîche made from sheep’s milk” or “a very young, very raw goat pyramid just in from the Pyrenees.”
Whether you’re a cheese obsessive or a design lover (or both), this is a place worth seeking out. Come for the cheese, stay for the slow rhythm, the conversations, and the quiet conviction behind it all.
Can Lecomte
Carrer de Manso, 60
Sant Antoni 08015
www.canlecomte.com/la-formatgeria
instagram.com/canlecomte.formatgeria
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