It must be said that there’s a faint whiff of funk as you enter, but don’t let this alarm you. It’s all part of having a cheese room with some of the finest fromage on offer.

Step off the hustle of Bridge Road, under the canvas awning, through the intimate gourmet food store and into the surrounds of the Richmond Hill Cafe and Larder.

Originally started by Stephanie Alexander and cheese doyen Will Studd, RHCL is solidly built on good food. The original foodies might be gone, but the Cafe Larder is still going strong.

Large windows, a well trodden wood floor, brusque and efficient waiters in crisp aprons bustle about and the cheerful lunch crowd is a rising crescendo of clinking coffee cups and wine glasses.

With seasonally sensitive food (think winter afternoon teas), well picked wines and convivial respite for the harried shopper, it’s easy to imagine - just for a moment - that you are on holidays in Provence.

The grilled cheesy toast is ‘famous’ for a reason and we’ve seen more than one person join the cheese club as a direct result. As they say, ‘bread, cheese, wine, good things’ and we simply have to agree.