Paris_ City Guide (Lonely Planet, 7th Edition) - Lonely Planet [116]
Founded in 1820, this two-level shop carries an incredible selection of professional-quality matériel de cuisine (kitchenware). You’re sure to find something you desperately need, such as a coupe volaille (poultry scissors) or even a poëlon escargots (snail pan), with six or 12 – your choice – holes.
KINDAL Map Household Goods
01 42 61 75 34; www.kindal.net; 32 av de l’Opéra, 2e; 10am-6.30pm Mon-Fri, 11am-6pm Sat; Opéra
In the market for something sharp? This coutellerie (cutlery shop) sells everything that slices and dices – from table and pocket knives to razors and Japanese swords. We even saw some stunning nail clippers on sale here.
CARROUSEL DU LOUVRE Map Shopping Centre
01 43 16 47 10; www.carrouseldulouvre.com; 99 rue de Rivoli, 1er; 8am-11pm; Palais Royal-Musée du Louvre
Built around IM Pei’s inverted glass pyramid beneath the place du Carrousel, this shopping centre contains some three dozen upmarket shops ( 10am-8pm daily), more than a dozen restaurants and even the Comédie Française Studio Théâtre.
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MARAIS & BASTILLE
The Marais can boast some excellent speciality stores and an ever-expanding fashion presence. Note that the hip young designers are colonising the upper reaches of the 3e towards rue Charlot (Map). Meanwhile, rue des Francs Bourgeois and, towards the other side of rue de Rivoli, rue François Mirron in the 4e have well-established boutique shopping for clothing, hats, home furnishings and stationery. Place des Vosges is lined with very high-end art and antique galleries with some amazing sculpture for sale. Over towards the 11e, Bastille has some interesting shops on rue Keller (Map; young designers, records and manga/comic book shops) and rue de Charonne (clothes).
GALERIE & ATELIER PUNCINELLO Map Art & Antiques
01 42 72 00 60; 16 rue du Parc Royal, 4e; 2-7pm Tue-Sat; St-Paul
This delightful gallery and workshop stocks masks, shields, spears and other collectables and antiques from Oceania and Southeast Asia. The items coming from the Asmat region of Irian Jaya in Indonesia are particularly fine, though expensive. The workshop can make you a socle – a stand or pedestal for your new treasure – to any specification in wood, bronze or plexiglass.
LES MOTS À LA BOUCHE Map Books
01 42 78 88 30; www.motsbouche.com, in French; 6 rue Ste-Croix de la Bretonnerie, 4e; 11am-11pm Mon-Sat, 1-9pm Sun; Hôtel de Ville
‘On the Tip of the Tongue’ is Paris’ premier gay bookshop. Most of the left-hand side of the shop on the ground floor is devoted to English-language books, including some guides and novels. If you’re feeling naughty, go downstairs.
LIBRAIRIE DE L’HÔTEL DE SULLY Map Books
01 44 61 21 75; 62 rue St-Antoine, 4e; 10am-7pm; St-Paul
This early-17th-century aristocratic mansion housing the Centre des Monuments Nationaux (Monum), the body responsible for many of France’s historical monuments, has one of the best bookshops in town for titles related to Paris. From historical texts and biographies to picture books and atlases, it’s all here.
RED WHEELBARROW BOOKSTORE Map Books
01 48 04 75 08; www.theredwheelbarrow.com; 22 rue St-Paul, 4e; 10am-7pm Mon-Sat, 2-6pm Sun; St-Paul
This impeccably run English-language bookshop has arguably the best selection of literature and ‘serious reading’ in Paris, and helpful, well-read staff.
ABOU D’ABI BAZAR Map Clothing & Accessories
01 42 77 96 98; www.aboudabibazar.com; 10 rue des Francs Bourgeois, 3e; 2-7pm Sun & Mon, 10.30am-7.15pm Tue-Sat; St-Paul
This fashionable boutique is a treasure-trove of smart and affordable ready-to-wear pieces from young designers such as Paul & Joe, Isabel Marant, Missoni and Antik Batik. There’s also Abou d’Abi 125 (Map; 01 42 71 13 26; 125 rue Vieille du Temple, 3e; Chemin Vert), which keeps the same hours.
ALTERNATIVES Map Clothing & Accessories
01 42 78 31 50; 18 rue du Roi de Sicile, 4e; 1-7pm Tue-Sat; St-Paul
This resale shop stocking mostly men’s high-end fashion has great bargains in superb condition. This is an excellent place to pick up Japanese designer-wear at a third