Montmartre & Northern Paris
Rummage through the trays of secondhand and vintage knick-knacks – miniature toys, bottles, dolls, ornaments, pillboxes, everything you can imagine – in…
Must-see shopping in France
Paris
Chinatown's beating heart centres on this enormous Asian supermarket, where you would be forgiven for thinking you’d been transported to another continent…
Bordeaux
Browse stall after stall, laden with 17th- to 20th-century furniture and ornaments, tapestries and trinkets, paintings, household items and silverware at…
Le Marais, Ménilmontant & Belleville
Invariably stuffed to the gills with vintage fashion and shoppers, this tiny boutique on busy rue des Rosiers is one of the top spots in Le Marais to pick…
Bordeaux
This art-decor shopping mall, at home in a modern round glass-and-steel building with striking cupola, mirrors the original 1860 food market hall that was…
Le Marais, Ménilmontant & Belleville
This is the Parisian mecca for fans of pétanque or the similar (though more formal) game of boules, a form of bowls played with heavy steel balls wherever…
Pays d’Aix
Rampal-Latour's century-old factory recalls the time when soap-making was big business in Salon (now the real manufacturing is done elsewhere, on modern…
Bordeaux
The age-old craft of gold-leaf art and gilding is practised with style and panache by artists Rizwan Fatahu and Claire Selosse at their small workshop,…
Paris
Venetian carnival masks – intricately crafted from papier mâché, ceramics and leather – are the speciality of this exquisite shop, which also sells…
Brittany
This excellent shop is a peach of a place, either to browse the delectable offerings on shelves, or to marvel at the sheer variety on offer. Easter sees a…
St-Germain & Les Invalides
This designer outlet specialises in grandes marques (big names) at knock-down prices for men, women and kids, with labels like Emilio Pucci, Ralph Lauren,…
Bouches-du-Rhône
In a prime position just back from the quai, Poissonerie du Port sells plats aux coquillages (shellfish platters), red mullet, racasse or whatever's been…
St-Germain & Les Invalides
Self-caterers shouldn’t miss this sleekly refitted fishmonger, which looks more like a fashion boutique. Even if you don’t have access to a kitchen in…
Marseille
For cosmetics and artisanal soap, au naturel or scented with olive oil, fig or wilder Provençal fragrances, hit this iconic savon de Marseille (Marseille…
St-Émilion
Nip into this 1930s boutique with red-and-white candy-striped awning and tiny kitchen out back to buy a box of St-Émilion's famous macarons (moist almond…
Le Marais, Ménilmontant & Belleville
French cooks have been using Le Creuset's colourful cast-iron and stainless pots and pans since 1925. At this Marais boutique you'll find corkscrews,…
Paris
Over 130 shops and eateries fill this spiffing shopping mall, including a handy branch of Fnac (electronic goods, books and concert tickets), a huge…
Paris
Set in the former Bercy wine warehouses, this popular outdoor mall has a multiplex cinema, restaurants, bars and a string of stores catering to the needs…
Le Marais, Ménilmontant & Belleville
Stylish parents keen to don their kids in chic, retro fashion should check out this boutique's clothes and accessories for babies, toddlers and young…
Bordeaux
Dip into 19th-century Bordeaux with this old-world, covered shopping arcade peppered with a handful of small boutiques including a toy shop specialising…
Paris
Over 150 antique dealers make up this 'village' incongruously set in a late-20th-century courtyard complex. Browse for paintings, ceramics, engravings,…
Paris
Two outlet shops along rue d’Alésia stock previous-season Sonia Rykiel designs. This branch has Sonia Rykiel’s classic lines, while No 64 has lower-priced…
Cité Marchande Docks de la Riviera
Nice
One of Nice's most traditional covered markets is this local-focused indoor affair in a brick building near the heart of Libération. Meat, fish, cheese,…
Yonne
At its store on Vézelay's main street, this family-run winery sells organic white wines from the tiny Bourgogne-Vézelay appellation. Owner Maria and her…
St-Germain & Les Invalides
Trivial Pursuit Paris, Rubik’s cubes, juggling balls, backgammon, chess, tarot and playing cards… This small family-run boutique specialising in…
St-Germain & Les Invalides
Fronted by a black wooden façade, this stylish ‘boutique of curiosities’ stocks hand-me-downs mainly from the 1960s on consignment, returning anything…
Rouen
This small and quite sweet English-language bookshop was just changing hands as we stopped by so at the time of writing was a tad empty, but it's worth…
St-Germain & Les Invalides
Art, architecture, literary criticism, politics and science are among the non-fiction titles at this haven of a tiny second-hand English-language bookshop…
Marseille
Baker José Orsoni specialises in making the city’s signature biscuits, the orange-perfumed navettes de Marseille, as well as macarons and canistrelli …
Paris
An outlet shop for Sonia Rykiel's more affordable, casual lines. It's sister shop at No 110-112 on the same street stocks the pricier classic lines.
Paris
Stalls overflowing with handmade arts and crafts fill the western end of bd Edgar Quinet on Sunday, drawing a mixed crowd of locals and travellers in…
The Pyrenees
This lovely old shop makes the beech-handled, rattan-ribbed umbrellas traditionally used by Pyrenean shepherds. Also specialises in the anachronistic art…
Latin Quarter
Grocers, butchers, fishmongers and other food purveyors set their goods out on street stalls during this almost-daily market. Many stalls close from…
Distilleries et Domaines de Provence
Alpes-de-Haute-Provence
In business since 1898, this friendly distillery makes its own pastis and absinthe. Look for the sign marked ‘Espace Dégustation’ and the antique still…
St-Germain & Les Invalides
Lollypop-coloured tableware (trays, serving bowls, dinner settings) and cookware (whisks, mixing bowls and much more) fill this original, inexpensive…
Bordeaux
Behind Basilica St-Michel, secondhand dealers sell their vintage wares – furniture, homewares, clothing, decorative objects – in an old recycled warehouse.
Marseille
This vast mid-19th century complex of shipping warehouses, derelict by the 1990s, has been redeveloped and now includes shops, boutiques and galleries.
Maison des Produits de Pays des Alpes du Verdon
Parc National du Mercantour
This attractive cooperative shop is a great place to pick up local souvenirs, from goat's cheeses, jams and honeys to handmade candles and woodcrafts.
Le Marais, Ménilmontant & Belleville
Silver-skinned mannequins model overly feminine but funky, femme-fatale designs at the boutique of Parisian fashion designer Kate Mack.
Beaune
This no-frills wine shop is where locals come to buy Burgundy AOC wines for as little as €5.50 per bottle. Tasting is free of charge.
