258 Best Places to Shop in France

This inviting cave (literally wine store or wine cellar) focuses on wines by small French producers. Each is handpicked by the owner, along with a choice selection of estate Champagnes, Armagnac, and the classic Vieille Prune (plum brandy). The friendly and knowledgable English-speaking staff makes browsing a pleasure. Check the schedule for classes and tastings.

Founded in 1852, Le Bon Marché has emerged as the city's chicest department store. The fact that it isn't nearly as crowded as the department stores on the Right Bank is an added bonus. On the ground floor of the main building, look for makeup, perfume, and accessories; this is where celebs duck in for essentials while everyone pretends not to notice. On the floor above, you can do laps through dozens of glamorous and überhip labels. The next floor up is home to streetwise designers and edgy secondary lines. Under the restored glass ceiling, the gleaming Le Soulier shoe department assembles the crème de la crème of European shoes. Meanwhile, the menswear department has consumed the entire basement level and has even added a barbershop. Across the street, the home-goods store in the sister building is a great place to browse the latest designer furniture, stock up on French linens, porcelain, cookware, and luggage, or just relax over tea or a gourmet lunch in the soaring atrium restaurant. Before leaving, be sure to visit the spectacular La Grande Épicerie and cave (wine shop) on the ground floor of the main building; it's the haute couture of grocery stores. Artisanal jams, olive oils, and much more make great gifts, and the luscious pastries, fruit, and huge selection of prepared foods beg to be chosen for a meal or snack.

Elbé has been selling rare, original serigraphs, lithographs, and vintage posters since 1976, specializing in artists such as Roger Broders and Keith Haring. Air France's graphic posters featuring exotic destinations, a Brigitte Bardot movie classic, or Sean Connery in the French version of one of his roles as 007 are just a few examples of the large, frameable affiches (posters) sold here.

The Paris-based luxury leather goods and fashion house par excellence is resplendent in an 18th-century mansion on the elegant Place Vendôme. Part fashion boutique and part art gallery, this impeccably restored locale retains the original woodwork, gilding, and stone, adding contemporary chrome, glass, and colorful works from more than 30 contemporary artists and sculptors. Covering three floors, the grand Place Vendôme store offers the entire Vuitton collection, including high-end jewelry and watches, bags and accessories, fashion, luggage, and some fabulous home furnishings on the top floor.

Louis Vuitton has spawned a voracious fan base from Texas to Tokyo with its mix of classic leather goods and saucy revamped versions orchestrated by Marc Jacobs. His 2013 exit left tall boots to fill, but Nicholas Ghesquière—a daring designer who single-handedly resurrected the Balenciaga label—has done an admirable job. Melding his signature edgy modernism with vintage touches and colors, Ghesquière is taking the legendary luxe label to a glorious new level.

Maverick chocolatier Michel Chaudun was a legend around Paris. Trained at the Maison du Chocolat, the master confectioner was the very first to strike out on his own, long before Paris became a chocolate mecca. He was also the first to introduce granules of cocoa bean into his chocolates to achieve a rich intensity. In 2015, Chaudun passed the baton to Gilles Marchal, who has more than upheld the standard. Specializing in chocolate sculpture, pastries, and other sinful delights, this enchanting boutique is any chocolate lover's dream.

Come here to learn the secrets of Paris's chicest apartments and upscale boutique hotels, brought to you by the sought-after Parisian designer herself. The boutique carries everything from textiles, throw pillows, tableware, and accessories to furnishings and lighting, all in Lavoine's signature jewel colors and luxe textures and shapes.

This picturesque market on the city's northern boundary still lures crowds on Friday from 8 am to noon, and weekends and Monday from 10 am to 6 pm, but its once-unbeatable prices are now a relic. Packed with antiques booths and brocante stalls, the century-old, miles-long labyrinth has been undergoing a mild renaissance lately: its 15 covered "marchés" now house all manner of artisans and creators as well as buzzworthy shops and galleries (some of which keep weekend-only hours). Destination cafés and eateries—including the popular La Chopes des Puces, where Django Reinhardt used to jam, and the chic MOB Hotel—also attract a hip Paris contingent. Arrive early to pick up the best loot, then linger over a meal or apéro. Be warned, though: if there's one place in Paris where you need to know how to bargain, this is it. If you're arriving by métro, walk under the overpass and take the first left at the Rue de Rosiers to reach the center of the market. Note that stands selling dodgy odds and ends (think designer knockoffs and questionable gadgets) set up around the overpass. These blocks are crowded and gritty; be careful with your valuables here and throughout the marché.

One of Paris's oldest and most colorful market streets, with its roots in the 12th century, still harbors addresses that hark back to the 18th century. To get the full effect, start at Rue Réaumur, and walk this cobbled pedestrian street all the way to the Forum des Halles, past shops displaying every French delicacy, from cheese and chocolate to oysters and pastry, interspersed with bustling cafés. Stop in at Société des Huîtres d'Étretat (1777), at Nos. 61–63, purveyors of oysters to Marie-Antoinette, or grab a divine pastry at Stohrer (1730) at No. 51.

Paris's favorite concept store assembles top fashions for men and women, home furnishings (including those irresistible French bed and bath linens), vintage, jewelry, and housewares all plucked straight from top-tier French, European, and American designers. Every two months the store features a new design concept in the main entrance, with themes that range from Merci en Rose (featuring all things pink) to American Surf & Skate. The store's three cafés make lingering among Paris's fashion elite a pleasure.

Off the bustling Rue Montmartre, this unique concept store is Paris's perfume and skin-care central—a must for seekers of that elusive perfect fragrance. After you're installed at the bar (with refreshment), you'll be given a detailed questionnaire on the in-house iPad to pinpoint five or 10 scents from 500 niche perfumes that correspond to your deepest self. There's also a super range of European skin-care products, scented candles, and other delicious surprises.

This elegant little "pharmacy" could have been here for a hundred years, thanks to the genteel ambience of the shop featuring a line of irresistible all-natural fragrances and luscious beauty concoctions for the face and body. Choose from a range of lotions in delicate scents like tuberose, orange blossom, and damask rose or create your own according to skin type. The charming tea and coffee bar, where you can sit for a snack or drink, was imported straight from Italy.

This toy shop has anything you can imagine for the French home (and garden) in miniature, such as Lilliputian croissants, wine decanters, and minuscule instruments in their cases. Build-it-yourself dollhouses include a 17th-century town house and a boulangerie storefront. Upstairs are do-it-yourself teddy-bear kits and classic toys.

This iconic clothing store, originally for kids, provides a fundamental part of the classic French wardrobe from cradle to teen and beyond. The signature T-shirt—cut close to the body, with smallish shoulders—works equally well with school uniforms or vintage Chanel. Thanks to timeless designs, the high-grade cotton clothes remain wardrobe staples year after year; however, lines in cotton-silk or cotton-cashmere and popular collaborations with chic designers like Christian Lacroix or Inès de la Fressange mean there's now even more in store. There are boutiques in all the major shopping neighborhoods. Stock up: if you can find this brand back home, the prices are sure to be higher.

By turns bold and dainty, these exquisitely constructed vintage-inspired bags are some of the yummiest in Paris. A python-and-calf tote is demure in storm gray: in ice blue it's a statement. Day bags in myriad shapes and sizes are always stylish; for evening, ingenious faceted clutches come in a range of colors and skins, with a sexy signature version chained to a python wristband. Other leather accessories (like iPad cases and wallets) and whimsical Polaroid-print silk scarves are also available.

Pierre Hermé might just be Paris's most renowned pâtissier, and this shop has the peerless cakes and macarons, and many chocolate delights (classic varieties, like the dark-chocolate and orange-rind batons, are perennial favorites). It sells a wonderful, zesty lemon pound cake preboxed and dense enough to survive the trip home—if you can resist eating it. There are several small cafés in St-Germain-des-Prés (and around the city) that feature his creations, one just across from this original boutique, at 61 rue Bonaparte. Other locations include 126 boulevard St-Germain, 43 rue St-Placide, and 53–57 rue de Grenelle, in the quiet, contemporary Beaupassage.

In the heart of the Notre-Dame neighborhood, a few steps from the fabulous market, the Quartier des Antiquaires is a warren of streets, passages, and squares beginning at the northwest corner of the market square and extending along the cobbled streets to the charming Passage de la Geôle. You'll find scores of elegant antiques shops brimming with eye-popping objects, paintings, furniture, china, and bibelots from every epoch.

An absolute favorite address for the kind of beautifully designed, offbeat yet sexy wardrobe staples we've come to expect from Paris designers. First carried only in top boutiques and concept stores, this sought-after label opened its own boutique only recently. You'll find tons here to love that you won't see on anyone else, including shoes and accessories.

Open since 1977, this family-owned boutique specializes in high-end traditional board games such as chess and backgammon, but also many you’ve never heard of like Nain Jaune ("Yellow Dwarf," a very old French game) and other ancient card games. With over 2,000 items in stock, many made by French artisans, the game-passionate staff has an endless number of suggestions and advice to help you find the perfect original gift that no one else will have back home.

Just when Paris thought its already phenomenal chocolate scene couldn't get any better, chocolatier Frédéric Marr opened this chic chocolate factory and boutique in 2007. Now the words "healthy" and "chocolate" appear together in the organic, nondairy, vegan (and yes, tasty) confections made here from unheated raw beans to preserve all the nutrients, subtle flavors, and (minimal) natural sugars. There's no resisting the chic metal boxes filled with bite-size truffles perfumed with flavors like sesame-rose, hazelnut-vanilla, or honey-pollen, as well as tablettes (bars) and baking chocolate, a boon for vegan cooks. It's known for its vegan, gluten-free, organic, and low-sugar products, but it also has delicious hot chocolate. Plus, you can watch chocolate being made on the premises.

Just steps from the popular market street Rue Montorgueil, this diminutive passage has become a foodie mecca ever since Frenchie chef Grégory Marchand set up shop here in 2009. Not only is the street home to Marchand's Michelin-starred restaurant (No. 5), wine bar (No. 6), to-go shop (No. 9), and wine cellar (No. 9), but it also features five shops from locavore trendsetters Terroirs d'Avenir peddling everything from cheese (No. 8) to produce (No. 7) to baked goods (No. 3). Chocoholics won't want to miss Plaq at No. 4 selling exquisite single-origin chocolates, cakes, and hot cocoa.

Once a sordid spot where grifters convened to count the daily take, this minuscule street, tucked away in the up-and-coming Sentier neighborhood in arrondissement 2e, is now foodie central. It all began with the Frenchie empire—takeout, wine bar, and gastronomic restaurant—then their suppliers decided to follow. Now, the cobbled street is lined with chic eateries and purveyors of everything from fresh fish and fruits to tempting breads and pastries, and boasts one of Paris's best gourmet coffee shops (L'Arbre à Café).

One could easily walk straight past this discreet, boudoir-like boutique. It is, however, one of the world's finest lingerie stores and the place where actresses Catherine Deneuve and Isabelle Adjani (among many others) buy superb French underthings.

After standing empty for 16 years, the Samaritaine department store finally reopened in 2021 following an ambitious renovation by new owners LVMH. The space dating to 1870 retains many of its Art Deco details, including its beautiful facade overlooking the Seine, and is also now home to the city's Cheval Blanc hotel. You can enter the store via Rue de la Monnaie, encountering labels from more than 600 fashion brands, including Alexander McQueen, Balenciaga, Stella McCartney, and Moschino. The new Samaritaine is also home to a spa and several eateries, including a gorgeous fifth-floor restaurant, Voyage, where you can dine on seasonal, international dishes beneath the department store's beautiful glass roof.

This institution opened in 1730, thanks to Louis XV's Polish bride, who couldn't bear to part with her pastry chef and thus brought Nicholas Stohrer along with her to Paris. Today, it has all the to-die-for pastries that made the bakery's name, including the famous baba au rhum that originated here, as well as a tantalizing range of other sweets, breads, and savory prepared foods to go.

This shop has been at the heart of the Parisian locavore movement since 2008, when it began uniting innovative chefs with small local producers. Today, Terroirs d'Avenir also caters to individuals, with no fewer than five shops on the tiny Rue du Nil: a bakery (No. 3), butcher shop (No. 6), cheesemonger (No. 8), greengrocer (No. 7), and fishmonger (No. 8). Even if you're not planning a purchase, the picturesque cobbled street is worth a stop for a photo op.

This small-but-mighty boutique has quickly become chic Parisians' go-to place for affordable, eminently wearable, and ever-stylish urban classics. From stunning leather trenches to flowing suits and elegant evening wear, you'll find all the best in urban basics for home, office, and evening. These beautiful basics will never go out of style.

If you're looking for a good book to read and love independent bookshops, stop by this Left Bank institution, with its enormous inventory of English (and French) language books for adults and children. It's the perfect place to get some reading recommendations and discuss literature, poetry, art, cooking, and politics. Across the street from the Luxembourg Gardens, it also happens to be in an ideal location.

This whimsical jewelry line finally open a dedicated boutique, home to its entire cast of lovable creatures—from ghosts and jack-o-lanterns to owls and dolphins to rocket ships and PAC-MAN—all so colorful and captivating you can't stop at just one. There's also a superchic line of bracelets, necklaces, and rings, but the real showstoppers are the pins, perfect accents on anything from an evening gown to a jean jacket. This stylish boutique also stocks original artwork, ceramics, books, toys, and an irresistible line of stationery.

Glamour, nonchalance, and serious chic are what make these highly sophisticated separates standouts for the contemporary woman-on-the-go. Even Gauthier's more tailored, masculine styles manage to feel feminine and romantic, and she doesn't shy away from gauzy silks or colorful prints. A Paris insider favorite, her sleek boutique—on an up-and-coming Haut Marais shopping street not far from the concept store Merci—carries clothes, accessories, and her sought-after shoes.