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The Marais has stolen the show as the city's hippest shopping destination—and for sheer volume it can't be beat. Rue des Francs Bourgeois and Rue Vieille de Temple form the central retail axis from which the upper and lower Marais branch out. The newest frontier is its northeastern edge (the haut Marais), which is known for ultrastylish boutiques, vintage stores, and design ateliers.
This is Paris’s one-stop-shop for all things Italian—cheeses, charcuterie, fresh and dried pasta, olive oil, sauces, pastries, wines—you name it, it’s here. There’s also a restaurant, café, and two wine bars on the premises. On weekends it’s teeming with neighborhood foodies, so best to go in the morning or linger at apéro hour over specialty olives and a glass of wine.
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.
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.
