31 Best Shopping in Les Grands Boulevards, Paris

At her multibrand concept store, jewelry designer and general fashionista-about-town Marie Gas does the work for you, mixing designers you already know and love (Spalwart, Ulla Johnson) with French and European créateurs that you definitely want to know (and will love). Browse a seasonal collection of everything from ready-to-wear to jewelry, leather goods, perfume, and design objects for the home.

Harking back to the Victorian era, when every chic household had a stuffed bird or small mammal, this outstanding cabinet of curiosities mixes jewel-like butterflies and insects with astonishing specimens of wild animals, including giraffes, lions and tigers, polar bears, antelopes, zebras, and exquisite birds (all of the animals died of natural causes in zoos). More comical or whimsical pieces include pastel-colored chickens, winged monkeys or mice, and the Poe chandelier, complete with a raven. All items come with certification for easy export and can be shipped anywhere.

Join Paris's chefs and head for G. Detou (get it, j'ai de tout—I have everything), just off the wonderful Marché Montorgeuil, for an absolutely astounding range of baking staples, nuts, chocolate, canned rarities, and other French and European delicacies. Basically, a bit of, well . . . everything.

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.

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.

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 installing you 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 shop has anything you can imagine for the French home (and garden) in miniature, including 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.

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.

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).

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.

Le Passage des Princes—one of the city’s historic covered passages—is home to Paris’s most comprehensive toy store. Part of a large French chain, the two-level Village JouéClub carries all the usual suspects (Barbie, Disney, Hello Kitty, and the like) plus the better traditional European brands, including Vilac, Moulin Roty, and L'Atelier du Bois. It’s made up of more than 10 “shops,” each of which is dedicated to a different age group or toy genre. Virtually every kind of plaything is here, so be prepared to linger.

This enchanting shop dates from 1761 and is the oldest continuously open confectionary in Paris. Though it has gone the way of the chain, with multiple boutiques in Paris, À la Mère de Famille retains its authenticity and is well versed in French regional specialties as well as old-fashioned bonbons, chocolates, marzipan, ice creams, and more.

Anouschka has set up shop in her apartment (open by appointment only, Monday through Saturday), and has rack upon rack of vintage clothing dating from the 1930s to the '80s. It's the perfect place to find a '50s cocktail dress in mint condition or a mod jacket for him. A former model herself, she calls this a "designer laboratory," and teams from top fashion houses often pop by looking for inspiration.

A retail institution, Au Printemps is made up of three major stores: Printemps Maison (with home furnishings on four refurbished floors), Printemps Homme (featuring six levels of menswear plus two levels for the gourmet shopping area, Printemps du Goût, which opened in January 2018), and fashion-focused Printemps Mode (which has everything à la mode, from couture to teen trends). While in the Printemps Mode building, be sure to check out the newly enlarged beauty area—the largest in Paris—with the Nuxe spa, hair salons, and seemingly every beauty product known to woman under one roof. The luxurious Printemps du Louvre—in the Carrousel du Louvre, at the underground entrance to the museum, across from I.M. Pei's inverted pyramid—carries fine leather goods, accessories, watches, and beauty products; fittingly, it also hosts revolving art exhibitions.

Chanel Jewelry feeds off the iconic design elements of the pearl-draped designer: witness the quilting (reimagined for gold rings), camellias (now brooches), and shooting stars (used for her first jewelry collection in 1932, now appearing as diamond rings).

The Parisian equivalent of a Savile Row tailor, Charvet is a conservative, aristocratic institution. It's famed for made-to-measure shirts, exquisite ties, and accessories; for garbing John F. Kennedy, Charles de Gaulle, and the duke of Windsor; and for its regal address. Although the exquisite silk ties, in hundreds of colors and patterns, and custom-made shirts for men are the biggest draws, refined pieces for women and girls, as well as adorable miniatures for boys, round out the collection.

Founded in 1830, Christofle has fulfilled all kinds of silver wishes, from a silver service for the Orient Express to a gigantic silver bed. Come for timeless table settings, vases, jewelry boxes, and more.

Just around the corner from Place Vendôme's titan jewelers, Dinh Van thumbs its nose at in-your-face opulence. The look here is refreshingly spare. Best sellers include a hammered-gold-orb necklace and leather-cord bracelets joined with geometric shapes in white or yellow gold, some with pavé diamonds.

This brand revolutionized the bathing suit in the free-spirited '60s. Engineered to move freely with the body, these ingenious cuts liberated women from bones and padding. Lingerie followed in 1998, offering the same flawless craftsmanship and supreme comfort. Sexy without a hint of trashiness, Erès puts out some of the finest and most sophisticated lingerie and bathing suits in Paris season after season.

This cashmere shop provides stylish Parisians with luxury cashmere in every color, style, and weight; yarns range from light as a feather to a hefty 50-ply for the jaunty caps. The store caters to men and women (there are some kids' models too). Styles are updated seasonally yet tend toward the classic.

The most iconic of Parisian food stores is expanding globally, but its flagship is still behind the Madeleine church. Established in 1886, Fauchon sells renowned pâté, honey, jelly, tea, and private-label Champagne. Expats come for hard-to-find foreign foods (think U.S. pancake mix or British lemon curd), while those with a sweet tooth make a beeline to the pâtisserie for airy, ganache-filled macarons. There's also a café for a quick bite. Be prepared, though: prices can be eye-popping—marzipan fruit for €100 a pound?!

This mammoth department store is one of those places that you wander into unawares, leaving hours later a poorer and humbler person. Inside its flagship building at 40 boulevard Haussmann, a Belle Époque stained-glass dome caps the world's largest perfumery. The store bulges with thousands of designers, and 25-minute fashion shows are held Friday at 3 pm in the upstairs café to showcase their wares (reservations are a must: email [email protected]; admission €12). Another big draw is the comestibles department, stocked with everything from herbed goat cheese to Iranian caviar. Just across the street at 35 boulevard Haussmann is Galeries Lafayette Maison, which focuses on goods for the fashionable home. The Montparnasse branch is a pale shadow of the Boulevard Haussmann behemoths.

This shop has the largest selection of wine in one spot in Europe—more than 6,000 wines and spirits from all over the world, ranging from the simple to the sublime. There are expert English-speaking sommeliers on-site to help you sort it all out, as well as a wine-tasting bar, a bookshop, and a restaurant.

One of the best wine shops in Paris, Les Caves Augé has been in operation since 1850. It's just the ticket, whether you're looking for a rare vintage, a select Bordeaux, or a seductive bubbly for a tête-à-tête. English-speaking experts are on hand to guide you through an excellent selection of small-producer, organic, and natural wines and select grower-producer Champagnes.

Poised at the back of a courtyard, this store is a must-stop for makeup artists, models, actresses, and divas of all stripes. The riotous color selection includes hundreds of hues for foundation, eye shadow, powder, and lipstick.

With branches throughout the city, this is the French dime store par excellence, stocking everyday items like cosmetics, groceries, toys, kitchenwares, and more. Monoprix also has a line of stylish, inexpensive, basic wearables for the whole family—particularly adorable kids' clothes—and isn't a bad place to stock up on French chocolate, jams, or confit de canard at reasonable prices.

Built in 1799, the city's oldest extant arcade has become a foodie paradise, with no fewer than a dozen gourmet destinations, including Racines, Alstair, Caffé Sterne, and Coinstot Vino wine bar.

This passage is full of eclectic shops selling toys, Asian furnishings, cinema posters, and more. Pain d'Épices, at No. 29, specializes in dollhouse decor.

Across from Passage Jouffroy, Passage Verdeau has shops carrying antique cameras, comic books, and engravings. Au Bonheur des Dames, at No. 8, has all things embroidery.