11 Best Shopping in Paris, France

After working with Pierre Hermé and at top palace hotels, Claire Damon opened her own pastry shop that translates to "Cakes and Bread", a simple name that downplays her artistic sophistication. Descended from a long line of accomplished chefs, Damon understands that the best results are produced with the finest ingredients. Her exquisite pastries and breads, made with carefully acquired, often organic ingredients are mouthwatering works of art. The individual fruit tarts are almost too beautiful to eat, but you'll be glad you did.

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.

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.

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.

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 place isn't called the "épicerie du monde" for nothing. Izraël is a one-stop shop for any spice under the sun, plus those hard-to-find items you'd otherwise spend days tracking down. Bins overflowing with every variety of candied fruit, nuts, beans, olives, pickles, and preserved fish give this tiny shop the air of an exotic bazaar. You'll also find all manner of canned goods, candies, rare spirits, and baking necessities.

Cheese fans will fall in love with this little shop steps from Les Cave du Louvre, a wine cellar run by the same team. The open plan of the fromagerie allows shoppers to get up close and personal with a wide range of cheeses, from time-tested favorites like Comté and Brie to house specialties like peat whiskey-aged tomme de Savoie. And unlike many other Parisian cheese shops, it's open on Monday. The shop also offers customizable picnic boxes for one to four people that feature a selection of cheeses and charcuterie.

Founded in 1862, Ladurée oozes period atmosphere—even at the big Champs-Élysées branch (No. 75)—but nothing beats the original tearoom on Rue Royale, with its pint-size tables and frescoed ceiling. Ladurée claims a familial link to the invention of the macaron, so it's no surprise that there's a huge selection on offer. Unfortunately, service has lagged at all three of the tearooms in recent years, and the crowded space feels more like an ersatz tourist destination than the historic tearoom that it is. Still, Ladurée’s stylish boxes make memorable, delicious gifts.

The first Paris offshoot of the famous patisserie and tea salon in Lille (one of France's oldest) specializes in the gauffre, a delicate waffle handmade in the original 19th-century molds and wrapped in gilt-paper packages. Native to Belgium and northern France, Méert's version is treasured for its light cream center perfumed with Madagascar vanilla. There are also chocolates, pastries, and flavored guimauves, the airy French marshmallows.

After years of working with the best and brightest in the Paris pastry world, superstar Christophe Michalak is now opening boutiques, writing books, and promoting his skills. His signature pastries are smooth, eye-popping ovals of glazed perfection, whether the bright orange mango mousse with crunchy textures or the green pistachio coconut version. If you're less adventurous, the small vanilla cake is rich and flavorful.