Paris Shopping Tips by shrimp56

This street market is very upscale -- wonderful cheeses, meats, bread , pastries, wine and a new store selling olive oil and products. Not to mention the fresh produce and the cafes for sitting and people-watching:)

What To Buy: You can buy any meal to eat in your hotel room or in a park. Or you can eat in one of the popular cafés along Rue Cler.


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Theme: Food and Drink

Name of Shop: One of the produce stands on rue Cler

The produce on rue Cler is near perfection, both for eating and for photos. But remember -- let the seller do the selecting!!!

What To Buy: Whatever looks fresh -- which is everything!!! If you are staying in an apartment in the quartier it is an excellent place to buy yourself the makings of a meal.

What To Pay: Being in the upscale 7eme, the rue Cler shops are not inexpensive, but the quality is excellent.

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Theme: Food and Drink
Address: rue Cler
Directions: Runs for several blocks from Avenue de la Motte Picquet. The nearest métro is Ecole Militaire.

Name of Shop: Le Bon Marche

This is THE upscale department store in Paris -- besides the usual clothes and accessories "pour la femme et l'homme" there is an enormous food hall with many delicacies.
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The name is ironic as "bon marché" means a bargain.

What To Buy: I found some on the lower-priced designer jewelry -- very original and not too dear. Of course perfume is another center of attention for chic shoppers:) I also buy socks and knee highs here -- they have the basic brands such as DIM, as well as some more frisky ones ;)
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There are number of nice small cafés around for that needed break from shopping!

What To Pay: How much do you have?

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Theme: Department Store
Address: 22 Rue de Sèvres, 7th Arrondissement.
Directions: Métro: Sèvres-Babylone.
Website: http://www.lebonmarche.fr/

Name of Shop: Le centre commercial du Musée du Louvre

The underground mall between the Rivoli/Louvre metro station and the museum mimics the museum's glass pyramids. It is a useful route for entering the museum as the security line tends to be shorter here.
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There is an underground parking lot for those who must drive. Daily 11am-8pm, some boutiques close Tuesday when the museum is closed

What To Buy: There is a wide variety of upscale ships. The biggest is a Virgin megastore. The Louvre itself has an outpost of its bookstore here.


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Theme: Other
Phone: +33 1 43 16 47 10
Address: 99, rue de Rivoli, The Louvre Museum
Directions: Palais Royal / Musée du Louvre Metro.

Name of Shop: Passages

The covered passages, or galeries, in Paris are among the first enclosed "shopping centers". You will find them in the 1st, 2nd and 9th for the most part. They vary from the fancy to the ordinary and provide a nice slice of Parisian life.

What To Buy: Depending on the economic "scale" of the passage -- you will find almost anything from old postcards and "antiques", to very upscale wine bars.


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Theme: Other

Name of Shop: Emilio Robba in Galerie Vivienne

Modern French floral design is one of the delights of looking in Paris shop windows.
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You can pay a lot of money for a class at The Ritz Hotel, or you can come here and make your own arrangement from the artifical flowers on display !!!


What To Pay: Such an experience is not inexpensive, but would be a wonderful introduction to the French view of flower arranging.

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Theme: Flowers
Address: Galerie Vivienne
Website: http://www.emiliorobba.com/decor.asp

Name of Shop: A patisserie in the Marais

The windows of Parisian bakeries are a minefield for the unwary. EVERYTHING looks soooo tempting. This patisserie in the Marais is no exception!


What To Pay: For the quality reasonable.

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Theme: Food and Drink

Name of Shop: Passages

Not all of the old shopping "passages" are upscale and elegant -- but even those that aren't, are full of fascinating shops and little cafes.
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Passage Verdeau was built at the same time as Passage Jouffroy in 1847 by the same architects.



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Theme: Other
Address: Passage Verdeau

Name of Shop: Galerie Vivienne

Galerie Vivienne was built between between 1823 and 1826.
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It is one of the most elegant of the passages near Palais Royal -- here you can see the care that is taken with the maintenance.

What To Buy: Obviously the shops and cafes are also very elegant! Among them are Cave Lucien Legrand filles et fils, where you can buy wine and eat a lunch in chic surroundings; The beautiful artificial flowers of Emilio Robba ; and " A Priori The ", a tearoom with great incredible hot chocolate and superior scones.


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Theme: Other
Address: Rue des Petits-Champs

Name of Shop: Le Forum des Halles

Les Halles was originally the wholesale food market for Paris. After its move to Rungis they developed a shopping center, mostly underground. Now, after that is not working very well, they are talking about a major redevelopment. See the website for more information.
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The image on the right is of the Bourse de Commerce. On the left is a window into a stairway garden. The day we walked through to avoid the rain, the part we saw felt very empty and almost abandoned.



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Theme: Other
Phone: 01 44 76 96 56
Address: 101 Porte Berger
Website: http://www.projetleshalles.com/index/index1.htm
Other Contact: http://www.forum-des-halles.com/