Latin Quarter
Enchanting nooks and crannies overflow with new and secondhand English-language books. The original shop (12 rue l’Odéon, 6e; closed by the Nazis in 1941)…
Must-see shopping in France
Paris
Grande-dame department store Galeries Lafayette is spread across the main store (its magnificent neo-byzantine stained-glass dome dates from 1912), its…
-
Paris
With some 3km of forest-green boxes lining the Seine – containing over 300,000 secondhand (and often out-of-print) books, rare magazines, postcards and…
-
Montmartre & Northern Paris
Spanning nine hectares, this vast flea market was founded in 1870 and is said to be Europe’s largest. Over 2000 stalls are grouped into 15 marchés …
-
Latin Quarter
Kids and kids-at-heart will adore this sugar-fuelled tour de France. The school-geography-themed boutique stocks rainbows of artisanal sweets from around…
-
Le Marais, Ménilmontant & Belleville
A Fiat Cinquecento marks the entrance to this unique concept store, which donates all its profits to a children’s charity in Madagascar. Shop for fashion,…
-
Aix-en-Provence
Run by committed oenophiles Francois and Vincent, this trove of rare and delightful bottles aims to cover the many French styles and terroirs, paying…
-
Bastia
Run by Bastia’s famous distillery, this iconic boutique has the look and feel of a grocer from the 1900s. The enticing array of bottles naturally includes…
-
St-Germain & Les Invalides
The magnificent food hall of department store Le Bon Marché sells 30,000 rare and/or luxury gourmet products, including 60 different types of bread baked…
-
St-Germain & Les Invalides
Built by Gustave Eiffel as Paris’ first department store in 1852, this is the epitome of style, with a superb concentration of men’s and women’s fashions,…
Paris
If you only get to one open-air street market in Paris, this one – stretching between the Bastille and Richard Lenoir metro stations – is among the very…
Marché aux Fleurs Reine Elizabeth II
Paris
Blooms have been sold at this quaint flower market since 1808, making it the oldest market of any kind in Paris. On Sunday, there's also a cacophonous…
-
The Pyrenees
In the village of St-Girons, a massive market spreads along the riverbank every Saturday throughout the year. If you're in the area, it's well worth…
-
La Rochelle
Vinyl collectibles and beautiful objects for the home, many handcrafted in the region, fill this small concept store. Design posters inspired by local…
-
Montmartre & Northern Paris
As if fashionistas needed any confirmation that northern Paris' 'nouveau quartier' Clichy-Batignolles is the place to be: iconic fashion brand Sézane has…
-
Le Marais, Ménilmontant & Belleville
Living proof that Parisian fashionistas are increasingly green: every Saturday and Sunday huge queues snake outside this 2019-opened store, much-loved for…
-
Aix-en-Provence
No spot in Aix revs up your taste buds more than the city’s premier food market, where trestle tables groan each morning under the weight of marinated…
-
Bordeaux
Romantic and youthful, this delightful 'cabinet de convivialité' inspires bags of instant feel-good factor. After several years in Paris, Claire…
-
Paris
A favourite with chefs and locals, this chaotic street market's stalls are piled with fruit, vegetables and seasonal delicacies such as truffles. Behind…
-
Montmartre & Northern Paris
On stall-filled foodie street rue Poncelet, heady fromagerie Alléosse has its own cheese-ripening caves (cellars) spanning 300 sq metres with four…
-
Paris
Not only does this contemporary, creamy white-fronted fromagerie (cheese shop) run by young, dynamic, food-driven duo Didier Grosjean and Thibault…
-
Bordeaux
Follow local gourmets to this exquisite, oh-so-bourgeois chocolate shop, run by the same family since 1893. Fourth-generation chocolate-maker Thierry…
-
Bordeaux
Vintage designer fashion for men and women is the mainstay of Mathilde Milande's exquisitely arranged boutique, peppered from head to toe with an…
-
Dijon
Northwest of Palais des Ducs is Dijon's fabulous 19th-century covered market, Les Halles. Enshrined as a national monument in 1975 (when it narrowly…
-
Auvergne
A staggering range of sweet temptations fill this richly decorated 19th-century boutique, with some recipes barely changed since it was founded in 1866…
-
Montmartre & Northern Paris
Eco-conscious Parisian designer Anaïs Dautais Warmel takes unwanted fabric scraps from upholstery workshops and haute-couture fashion houses in Paris and…
-
Montmartre & Northern Paris
Be whisked back in time to the elegance of belle époque Paris at this Montmartre shop specialising in perfume bottles. Gorgeous 19th-century atomisers,…
-
Le Marais, Ménilmontant & Belleville
Candles made from natural, biodegradable wax in Parisian scents such as Jardin du Luxembourg (with lilac and honey), Place des Vosges (rose and jasmine)…
-
Nantes
A young Jules Verne was awed by this beautiful chocolate shop's chandeliers, marble floors and circular velvet banquette where Nantais have lingered amid…
-
Montmartre & Northern Paris
Former financial-trader-turned-jeweller Arnaud Soulignac is the creative mastermind behind this tiny boutique specialising in stylish and unique homewares…
-
Le Marais, Ménilmontant & Belleville
Styled like a boutique, this contemporary fromagerie is a must-discover. Clément Brossault ditched a career in banking to become a fromager and his…
-
St-Malo
The cheeses and butters handmade by the world-famous Jean-Yves Bordier are shipped to renowned restaurants around the globe. Showstopping butters include…
-
Bordeaux
Not only does the wine sold at this fantastically well-stocked cellar cover the whole range of prices (read: €2.50 to €5000 a bottle), bottles are also…
-
Nice
After the Cours Selaya produce market, this is Nice's largest outdoor display of fresh fruit and veggies – and an authentically local experience. When it…
-
Bordeaux
Welcome to what must be the grandest wine shop in the whole of France. A magnificent central staircase spiralling up five floors is surrounded by…
-
Nice
With its gilded counters and mirrors, this opulent shop – run by the same family for five generations – looks more like a 19th-century boutique than a…
-
Paris
Beautiful objects with une histoire (a story) is what this backstreet boutique is all about. Hand-woven items from West Africa pile next to silk and…
-
Le Marais, Ménilmontant & Belleville
Spanning four floors, this design emporium is a concept store for unique, handcrafted pieces by emerging and established French artists and designers…
-
Bordeaux
Gaëlle and Maxime are the creative duo behind this inspiring concept store stocking fashionable tote bags, t-shirts, fashion accessories and homewares…
-
Antibes
A wonderful – and as its name hints, very Provençal – local market selling fruit, vegetables, meat, cheese and local products like tapenade (olive spread)…
