What a cute little shop! I came across this at the market, and it must've been a sign because I have been on the hunt for two particular cheeses. The store is not that big, but it made it cozier in a way. The layout is easy: spreads/jams in the front, then the cheese. Everything is labelled nicely, where you can see the country and the cheeses offered. Of course, the people who work there are knowledgeable about most cheeses. Keep in mind, because it's a small shop, the selection won't have everything in the world of cheese. That being said, I did find one of the French cheeses I was searching for and came across some that were a bonus to try. I ended up having an array of different countries in my basket. I'm talking Ireland (Dubliner), France (Camberet) and surprisingly Norway (Skiqueen). I would've left with more, but they either didn't stock the other particular cheeses or didn't carry them. I had to cut myself off because the pricing can rack up here. My only irk was that I wish they had more variety of spreads. I expected more variety. read more

Been coming here for years and this is the first review I've written about anywhere I've been. The owner and anyone else I've met working there always have great suggestions and answers to whatever questions I have. If I tell them I like a specific cheese, they can point me to another that I might like. This is my go-to for cheese, crackers, and any other bits I might want for a board. read more

It was spur of the moment to check out this place. I found a beautiful smoked parmesan on sale for just under 4 bucks. I've already used it in salads and its wonderful! They have a selection of pickles, turnips, meat pies, but the way they had them sitting out in open bins was a turn off. I recommend doing research and going in knowing what you are looking for as it can get overwhelming. Im sure the staff will also help out with recommendations, but the only assistance we got is when we were checking out. read more

Well I used to be quite fond of this place but I had a bad experience today unfortunately! This place is a little shop with hundreds of types of cheese. I can almost guarantee if you're looking for an unusual type of cheese they'll carry it. They carry the keflotiri cheese I've wanted for years. I've looked at at least 5 stores and sure enough this place carries it. As far as basic cheese go such as cheddar, mozzarella, parmesan, brie, etc. They carry 5-10 different types. They also have some Lebanese food like meat pies, pickled turnips and really tasty samosas. Here is why I am rating it 2 stars. I bought high quality parmesan cheese yesterday which to my delight was on sale for $4. They have lots of deals like that, 3 for $5, 2 for $5 etc. I was stupid and trusted the store to carry cheese that wasn't expired. I got home and was going to make lasagna and when I went to put the parmesan on top I noticed there was mold ALL over it. I checked the expiration date and it was expired on August 20th. I bought it a WEEK after it expired and it was still on the shelf. I contacted the shop and told them that they sold me bad cheese and they told me that's why it was on sale and I need to check the expiration date next time. There is another shop that specializes in international cheeses called Boushey's on Elgin Street. I've never bought anything that was expired from Boushey's and I would recommend it over International Cheese & Deli, the selection is comparable. read more

The International Cheese & Deli is a great place to go in the ByWard Market to pick up reasonably priced cheese. They have an excellent variety and I often like to try something different every time I go, usually by picking something they have on sale. They also have other grocery items that usually complement a cheese snack, such as crackers and tea. If you're in the Market picking up some fresh produce, I highly recommend stopping in here since the location is so close to the vendors. Their staff is very friendly and knowledgeable. read more

Was walking around Ottawa before a show on Friday. Been travelling for a month on tour and saw this place. I love cheese and was definitely interested in grabbing a small piece just to try it. I walked in to Check if they had any small amounts I could buy because I didn't wanna buy a huge brick of cheese to walk around in the sun. The lady asked me something in French, I responded by saying I couldn't speak French (in french). She made a funny face and asked me if I needed help with disgust on her face now. I asked if they had any small sample sizes I could buy. She said this isn't a loblaws.. we don't give out free samples. I said I know... I'm looking give you money for a small amount of cheese. She said no No, what we have is what we have. I told her she was rude and left the store. Garbage humans selling great cheese. Avoid at all costs. Go to loblaws, they have samples. read more

While walking around the Market, and after picking up some fresh bread, I came across the International Cheese and Deli. The store isn't very big, and there are only a few staff members, though all friendly and knowledgeable. I browsed around for a bit, looking through all of their teas and coffees, crackers and chocolates, and other small sweets and treats. I checked out their sales on cheese, and to my surprise, they actually had brie on sale! I found the prices to be very reasonable for a specialty shop, and I walked out very happy with my purchase. It was very fast and easy, and I try to stop by whenever I'm in the area to grab a little snack or some cheese to fill my sandwiches with. read more

This is my go-to place for cheese in Ottawa. When we first moved here I had the worst time differentiating between International Cheese and House of Cheese (which is not bad, but not as good.) The selection is huge, they often have good sales (though, as someone said, check the best-before date... personally I think most cheese is fine past the date as long as you eat it right away but you do have to be on the lookout for mould - I've never had a problem so I won't adjust my rating but I can see in the reviews that others have) They also carry an assortment of homemade and packaged middle-eastern foods at the back of the store as well as other dairy, crackers, sausages and various cheese accompaniments (compotes, mustards, etc) throughout the store. Their baklava is also good. It tempts me terribly every time I head to the cash to pay. read more

Besides cheese as it's name suggests, the International Cheese and Deli carries a mouth-watering selection of olives and more unexpectedly, a variety of coffees and chocolates! For me that means one stop shopping! All I'm missing is my wine and I'd have all of my weaknesses in one place. This store will also prepare platters for you, if you need something for an event. They carry a large selection of Canadian cheeses, as well as international ones, as implied by their name. Super friendly and helpful service. I love this store! read more

Ordered a custom basket as a Christmas present for family for delivery during Covid. They were super helpful and the selection of items was amazing! Great customer service, great product list, great cheese etc, and it made a wonderful gift and greatly appreciated gift! I highly recommend them! read more

I feel like there's not much more cheese variety than what you would find in a well-stocked grocery store. For example, they don't cut any of their own cheese (if you're reading cheese store reviews I'm assuming we're past making a joke about that!), which is a bad sign to me. read more

I often visit this shop, which had a reputation of having a wide selection of reasonably-priced cheeses. That was then......... I visited today to get cheese for a family fondue. The selection was poor and the prices were much higher than in the past. I wanted to buy 3 pieces of cheese for $5 - as advertised - and discovered they had no selection! Only a tiny brie (not good for fondue!) and sliced cheddar. I asked the clerk why they did not have a better selection? Rather than accept the comment as a friendly suggestion, he became irate and argued with me. International Cheese used to be the place to go in Ottawa, but not any more! read more

They offer a huge selection of cheese at very affordable prices (much cheaper than the grocery store). The real hidden gem is their samosas, though. For $2, you can get a freshly made samosa the size of your head. Their fried veggie ones are the perfect amount of spicy and just to die for. read more

We stopped in while we were in the Byward Market looking to stock up on supplies for a picnic. Beside the obviously good selection of cheeses here, there are also meats, crackers and other delectables that are the perfect accompaniment to the cheeses. Prices are a little high, which is why they only get 4 stars, but service is friendly, and the convenience of having this many choices crammed into such a small space is worth an extra buck. read more

Been shopping here and a couple of doors down at The House of Cheese for over 30 years. Both places are fabulous and the discounted cheeses which frequently are past their 'sell by' date, are in actual fact just becoming beautifully ripe....especially so in the case of the various domestic and imported soft cheeses. I have bought the odd 'dog' but very rarely, but then when they are 2 for $5 compared to $6 to $7 for one at Loblaws what do you expect. As in any food shopping use feel, smell and sight as your guide................caveat emptor. read more

BUYER BEWARE! My wife wanted to buy a nice cheese basket for her boss. She decided to try this shop since we had seen it on the market and had been there for years. She went in on the 22nd of December 2016 Thursday. She spoke with a person from the store and explained her situation. She was told that they had one basket left that was already made. She understood there wouldn't be a huge selection so she bought the last basket available. She bought a few more cheeses to add to the basket as it was a little empty. When she told the lady what she was doing, she insisted that the basket was wrapped beautifully and shouldn't be opened. When she got home she opened it up to add the other cheeses and a couple bottles of wine. Upon closer look she found that majority of the items (4 out of about 7) were expired and not just recently expired. One can of stuffed olives was expired by a year and badly rusted at the bottom. We had to take out the expired items and go to another store later that night to refill the basket that she had just paid 60.00 for. About 30.00 of the items were expired. My wife called the store that night and they were closed so she explained the situation and asked for a call back. No one returned her call. I wish we would have read some of these reviews before about sub-par and expired items. Another poster states that when talking with the store after realizing some of their items were expired, the employee told them that it is the customers responsibility to check the dates. How can I check the dates when they were all wrapped up in a gift basket. I would like to believe that a company that has been on the market for so long and that has such a specialty would care about their reputation and their customers and not knowingly sell expired food items. If you have to purchase from this store PLEASE check your dates! Even better, go to another one of the cheese stores in Ottawa. read more