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Not only is Paris magical during December, it’s also the perfect place to get your holiday shopping done. From concept shops to specialty food stores to vintage treasure troves, here are our 16 favorite places to shop for unique presents in Paris.
1. La Super Marquette
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La Super Marquette is a small, Instagram-adorable world of French goodies. In this store in central Paris, Made in France products mingle next to vintage finds. A reusable Filt bag, a toy wooden sailboat, shiny barrettes, Opinel knives, vintage plates, homey soaps… Though they may have some of the usual items found in a souvenir store (like dish towels, for example), what La Super Marquette offers is different; their tea towel might be vintage, locally designed or made only in small batches. The selection is carefully curated and the stock changes often. Check out their their Instagram for the most up-to-date information on what’s in store. — 65 rue Rambuteau, 75004
2. Mariage Frères
Every mother, grandfather, teacher — anyone who likes tea — will appreciate a canister of Mariage Frères. Founded in 1854, Mariage Frères offers over 800 gourmet teas from 36 countries, sold in sleek black containers, no wrapping necessary. Their collection contains classics, like Earl Grey, Jasmine, Black and Green, the specialties, like Marco Polo and Thé à l’Opéra, and the seasonal options, like Noël in Love and Jasmine in Love, plus plenty of tea paraphernalia. Stop by one of their Paris locations for afternoon tea for yourself, then pick up a few cannisters on your way out. — tea salon & store: 30 rue du Bourg-Tibourg, 75004; 13 rue des grands Augustins, 75006; 260 Faubourg Saint-Honoré, 75008; 56 rue Cler, 75007; store only: 17 Place de la Madeleine, 75008; 90 rue Montorgueil, 75002
3. Lou.Yetu
Lou.Yetu, which riffs from Loup y’es tu? (Are you there wolf?), a refrain from a classic French children’s song, blends playful simplicity with timeless French appeal. Here, delicate and girly gold rules with slim stackable rings, ready-to-layer feminine necklaces and on-trend medallions aplenty. Look for gold statement earrings, intricate rings, necklaces, and cuffs all priced from 20€-80€, with only a few pieces going higher in price. An excellent selection of rings is available as well. Best of all, for those looking to stay thrifty, there are the “petits plaisirs” for under 30€. Shop online or head over to their newly opened Bar à Bijoux in Le Marais where you’ll be personally assisted to find the perfect piece. — 12 Rue Volney, 75002
4. Tomat’s Epicerie Fine
Walk too fast and you just might miss it. Through a doorway and inside a courtyard, Tomat’s Epicerie Fine contains a wide selection of gourmet products from small and new providers, many of whom are French. Spices, mustards, sardines, chocolate, artisanal beers, olives… The owner, who is eager to help and offer samples, personally tests every product to decide if it belongs in her store. If you purchase any one thing, pick a fruit vinaigre, perfect for salads and marinades. — 12 rue Jacob (in the courtyard), 75006
5. Buly
On the chic rue Bonaparte, Buly, a luxe apothecary, combines modern science with vintage aesthetics. The store is filled with glass containers, dark wood panels, and an entrancing aroma. Buly offers a fine selection of bulk herbs and powders for a wide range of uses: face scrubs, masks, lotions, and more. Knowledgeable staff scoops them out of large glass amphora and into apothecary-style packaging to bring home. With gorgeous packaging, Buly goodies make wonderful additions to a bathroom or boudoir display, and even better gifts for those who live outside the City of Lights. — 6 Rue Bonaparte, 75006
6. E. Dehillerin
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Since 1820, E. Dehillerin has been providing kitchen supplies to any chef wise enough to buy their products. They specialize in professional-quality cookware but that doesn’t mean you can’t buy something for an amateur chef. Their store near Les Halles feels like it’s been there forever. Gorgeous copper pots and pans, affordable French knives, Le Creuset stoneware, pastry moulds, serving dishes, utensils, cutting boards… And not everything in their stock is large and costly; you can buy something as small as a wooden scoop the size of your pinky for tapenade or a ceramic dish the size of a doorknob that keeps butter cold on the table. — 18-20 rue Coquillère, 75001
7. Patrick Roger
Touted as a chocolate artist, Patrick Roger is a master of contemporary flavors and sensations, working saveurs ranging from lemongrass to Sichuan peppercorn with dreamy, dark ganaches and caramels. Go for bars of dark chocolate, and try the ganache or anything with praline in it. Also highly tempting is the “rocher,” an upscale spin on Ferraro Rocher that blends a crunchy mixture of almonds and hazelnuts. — 45 avenue Victor Huge, 75016; 108 blvd Saint-Germain, 75006; 3 place de la Madeleine, 75008; 2-4 place Saint-Sulpice, 75006; 91 rue de Rennes, 75006; 43 rue des Archives, 75003; 225 rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré, 75008
8. La Garçonnière
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“L’art de vivre au masculin,” printed on the wall behind the register, embodies the idea behind this Marais concept shop. La Garconnière is a one-stop shop for all the things that a modern man needs to live a well-curated life. Over 150 brands are represented in clothing and shoes, recipe books and alcohol, technology and decor, health and hygiene. A themed pop-up provides a changing selection of additions, from eco-friendly products to African textiles. — 47 rue des Archives, 75003
9. Au Petit Bonheur la chance
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This is a vintage treasure trove, like a French grandmother’s attic with less dust and more natural light. Hunt through old school supplies, porcelain dishes, a late-1800s pot for moutarde, thread and rickrack, postcards, fabric, old posters, and metal tins to hold sucre, sel, and farine. The space is so small and personal that you might feel like an intruder in someone’s home, but the shopkeeper is kind and patient as you sort through the shelves and piles of goodies. There’s only one of a kind things in Au Petit Bonheur de Chance, so anything you buy will be extra special. — 13 rue Saint-Paul, 75004
10. Les Fleurs
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Les Fleurs exists somewhere between a concept store and a boutique. Everything in this 11th arrondissement shop is delicate, feminine, and far more moderately priced than you would expect for a small boutique in the trendy neighborhood. An extensive jewelry selection, much of it gold and delicate, is sure to have something for a girlfriend or best friend, but if she doesn’t love jewelry, the home goods are lovely. Pick out a photo frame, vase, notebook or mug for the morning café au lait. Accessories, like leather bags, headbands and sunglasses, and a children’s section round out the store. With its affordable prices, it’s a must location to get French-girl style or French home gifts that won’t break the bank. — 6 passage Josset, 75011; 5 rue Trousseau, 75011
11. City Pharma
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French pharmacies are known for having incredible beauty and skincare products of a high quality, at a slightly higher price… unless you’re shopping at CityPharma. This French pharmacie offers beauty and skincare products at discounted prices. Appearing like any other pharmacy on the outside, the store contains aisle after aisle of product (there are even a few gift sets). Do your research ahead of time to see what products you might be interested in or speak with one of the people in white coats in the store, they can advise you. The earlier in the day you go, the better. The store is incredibly popular and it will be packed if you wait until mid-day to go. — 26 rue du Four, 75006
12. La Galcante
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Down an alleyway near the Louvre you’ll find La Galcante, offering journaux, documents and presse ancienne, but this little shop is so much more than that. A treasure trove of history, there are piles — on tables, beside cabinets, under stacks… — of publications dating back decades, sometimes a hundred years. Sort through vintage issues of ParisMatch and The New Yorker or rifle through old photos of celebrities, or ask the shopkeeper for help — he knows everything. Looking for an issue of Vogue published on your mom’s birthday (let’s say it was October 12, 1959) to give to her as a holiday present? Right off the top of his head, he knows if he has it and where to find it. And if he doesn’t have it, he knows what he can give you as a counter-offer (“How about the issue published on October 29, 1959?”). — La Galcante, 52 Rue de l’Arbre Sec, 75001
13. Merci
Paris’s favorite concept store, Merci offers a variety of clothing, accessories, tableware, kitchenware, books, linens and decor. The price tags on clothing that you see upon entry are misleading; head upstairs or downstairs to do your holiday shopping, where prices are much more varied and affordable. You can get a beechwood rolling pin, a recycled glass carafe, sleek dishes, bud vases, and woven baskets for everyone on your list. Stop in their Used Bookstore café to peruse the books and sip on un café. — 111 Boulevard Beaumarchais, 75003
14. Coutume
When you feel like really stepping up your coffee snobbery, Coutume is the place to go. Founded by Australian Tom Clark, the shop made a name for itself by being the first roasteries in Paris to offer weekly cuppings (re: coffee tasting). Decked out with elaborate glassware and bare bulbs hanging from the ceiling, Coutume has an almost Nordic look to it. Their offerings change day to day, and if you’re not feeling coffee you can purchase juice that lets you know exactly how many raspberries went into making it. Buy a bag or two of their coffee beans, or some elevated caffeine accessories like a sleek glass carafe or Chemex. — 47 rue de Babylone, 75007; 60 rue des Écoles / 33 rue Sommerard, 75005; Ici Grands Boulevards, 25 Boulevard Poissonnière, 75002; La Grande Epicerie, 1st floor, 80 Rue de Passy, 75016; 56 Rue du Faubourg Saint-Denis, 75010
15. The bouquinistes
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Though many of the bouquinistes (book sellers) by the Seine sell cheap magnets, shiny postcards and mass-produced paintings, a little bit of hunting can turn up a real gem. An old issue of Vogue Paris could be perfect for a sister, a copy of “Les Misérables” will excite any literary Francophile, and “Astérix” will thrill any school-age student of French. Just remember to bring your own reusable bag and some cash. — Bords de Seine, Pont Marie to quai Voltaire, 75004
16. Galeries Lafayette Gourmet
Galeries Lafayette Gourmet is your one-stop shop for all things food (when you don’t want to buy from a small provider at Tomat’s Fine Epicerie!). On the ground and basement floors of Lafayette Maison and Gourmet, a market place and épicerie boast fresh produce, meat and seafood, a cheese counter, regional specialities, and classic products from the major French brands. Maille mustard, Dammann Frères tea, Valrhona chocolate, Fauchon pastries, Petrossian caviar, Ferber jam, and more are for sale. Load up a shopping cart for your friends, then make a stop for yourself at one of the pastry counters. — 35 Boulevard Haussmann, 75009
