In Rome, there is a small French shop, a kingdom of cheeses and fragrant baguettes

Laurène Brayda, a lawyer and wine sommelier passionate about wine, together with her husband David Bilski, an IT engineer with a knack for pairings, decided to change their lives. In 2013, they left Paris with a dream: to bring their passions to the palates of Romans. Thus, while still very young, they opened a small 25-square-metre shop in Piazza Quadrata, as the locals call Piazza Buenos Aires. The offering of French delicacies at Va Sano, the name of their shop, was an instant success, enchanting Rome with its supply of fragrant baguettes and a selection of excellent wines from every region of France. But at the French shop in the Coppedè neighbourhood, people primarily come for the cheeses. Here, you’ll find them all: the magnificent Brie de Meaux, Mont d'Or, Tomme de Savoie, Morbier, Brillat Savarin fermier, Comté, the rustic Camembert de Normandie fermier, and so on. A feast of delights.

In March 2022, the shop became too small for their dreams, so they moved just a bit further, to elegant Via Po, a stone's throw from Villa Borghese and the ancient Via Salaria, into a bright space that became home to their range of exquisite products—where people now queue to enter. The secret of their success? Conversation. As a great enthusiast and occasional customer, I couldn’t wait to chat with them.

The gourmet shop with a French accent

Across the Alps, fromageries are commonplace, but here in Italy, they struggle to take off. Thankfully, in this corner of France in Rome, you feel a little like you’re in the 6th arrondissement. The freshly baked baguettes are from Tibò boulangerie, as are the croissants and viennoiseries, including excellent pain au chocolat and savoury croissants. Foie gras and terrines are available for all tastes and budgets; sauces and compotes are carefully chosen to enhance the cheeses; La Mère Poulard sablé biscuits, a Norman institution, are sold in beautiful decorated tins; and then there are aromatic oils, caviar, and numerous other delicacies, all selected with care.

But beyond the obsessive selection and quality of the fine cheeses, wines and Champagnes, and oysters, the strength of Va Sano lies in the ongoing conversation that the owners and the entire staff dedicate to their customers. Every product has a story to tell and a perfect pairing to suggest, so anyone unfamiliar with French delicacies can stay and learn.

“Two excellent delicacies, if paired poorly, will ruin each other,” says Bilski. “We care about enhancing the products, suggesting their best use through an informal chat.” Those seeking a sommelier’s advice here receive useful suggestions, with labels and vintages proposed based on taste and occasion, featuring references ranging from Champagne to Bordeaux, Burgundy, and the Rhône.

For both experts and novices in the world of cheese, before weighing, cutting, and wrapping their selections in their polka-dot paper that preserves wedges and wheels beautifully, a small taste is always offered, along with a story about the product, its sustainability, and even some tips on the best jam to pair it with.

“In our eleven years of activity in Rome, we’ve built loyalty with our suppliers, getting to know them personally, while also staying open to novelties,” says David. “For example, we’re now collaborating with a tea and infusion specialist, Linda Reali, who prepares perfect blends to pair with our cheeses.”

Tastings and meetings with producers

In addition to their regular offerings, Va Sano has a packed calendar of events at La Cincineria, a tasting room with a communal table that can host up to 20 people for events dedicated to wine and gastronomy, where private tastings can also be organised. By subscribing to the newsletter on their website, you’ll receive all the notifications about appointments with producers, product presentations, and guided tastings.

In collaboration with Rome’s Libreria Stendhal, La Cincineria also promotes culture, featuring shelves full of books on wine, cheese, and gastronomy to deepen knowledge of all the delicacies of our French cousins.

Va Sano’s products delivered to your home

Another gem: David and Laurène have come up with L’AperiVia, a ready-to-go aperitif. It’s a box to open and set directly on the table. Starting from €45, it contains an elegant assortment of cheeses, artisanal pâtés, charcuterie like goose breast and other pre-sliced cured meats, a selection of crudités made from seasonal fresh vegetables and fruits, refined dips and spreads like tapenade, and a traditional French baguette, fragrant and perfect to accompany every bite.

It’s also available in a vegetarian version and two sizes: a mini box for 3–4 people and a maxi box for six, ideal for a gourmet Epiphany stocking. An update and expansion of their e-commerce site is in the works, but even now Va Sano delivers all its products within Rome and ships wines, preserves, and canned goods throughout Italy. Romans, hurry to stock up, as the Beaufort d’alpage, for instance, is already sold out.

Va Sano - Via Po, 66 - Tel. +39 06 855 4971 - vasano.it