Paris_ City Guide (Lonely Planet, 7th Edition) - Lonely Planet [126]
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MONTPARNASSE
There might be just one raison d’être to shop in the 14e arrondissement, but it’s bargain-packed.
MARCHÉ AUX PUCES DE LA PORTE DE VANVES Map Flea Market
av Georges Lafenestre & av Marc Sangnier, 14e; 7am-6pm or later Sat & Sun; Porte de Vanves
The Porte de Vanves flea market is the smallest and, some say, friendliest of the lot. Av Georges Lafenestre has lots of ‘curios’ that don’t quite qualify as antiques. Av Marc Sangnier is lined with stalls of new clothes, shoes, handbags and household items for sale.
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FAUBOURG ST-GERMAIN & INVALIDES
In the more austere 7e arrondissement, the style of St-Germain des Prés continues along the western half of blvd St-Germain and rue du Bac – two streets with a stylish collection of contemporary furniture, kitchen and design shops (including the Conran Shop, Kartell, and Paris’ biggest shop window in the shape of Knoll at No 268).
The fashion show congregates on rue de Grenelle, spilling across from place St-Sulpice in the neighbouring 6e Click here. By the water, the exclusive Carré Rive Gauche (www.carrerivegauche.com; Rue du Bac or Solférino) portfolio of 120 art and antiques galleries sits square on quai Voltaire and the trio of parallel streets south.
ALEXANDRA SOJFERMap Accessories
01 42 22 17 02; www.alexandrasojfer.fr; 218 blvd St-Germain, 7e; 9.30am-7pm; Rue du Bac
Become Parisian chic with a frivolous, frilly, fantastical or frightfully fashionable umbrella (parapluie), parasol or walking cane, handcrafted by Alexandra Sojfer at this parapluie-packed St-Germain boutique, in the trade since 1834.
GALERIE FRANÇOIS RÉNIER Map Accessories
01 45 49 26 88; www.unjourunsac.com; 27 blvd Raspail, 7e; 10am-7pm Mon-Sat; Sèvres Babylone
Un jour un sac (a bag a day) is the philosophy of handbag designer François Renier, who creates bags in paper, fabric or leather and leaves her customer to pick which handles to attach. Buy a couple to mix ’n’ match at home.
LE BON MARCHÉ Map Department Store
01 44 39 80 00; www.bonmarche.fr; 24 rue de Sèvres, 7e; 9.30am-7pm Mon-Wed & Fri, 10am-9pm Thu, 9.30am-8pm Sat; Sèvres Babylone
Built by Gustave Eiffel as Paris’ first department store in 1852, Le Bon Marché (which translates as ‘good market’ but also means ‘bargain’) is less frenetic than its rivals across the river, but no less chic. It has excellent men’s and women’s fashion collections, and a designer ‘snack chic’ café on the 1st floor. But the icing on the cake is its glorious food hall, La Grande Épicerie de Paris (Map; 26 rue de Sèvres; Sèvres Babylone), which sells, among other edibles, vodka-flavoured lollipops with detoxified ants inside and fist-sized Himalayan salt crystals to grate over food.
DEYROLLE Map Home & Garden
01 42 22 30 07; 46 rue du Bac, 7e; 10am-1pm & 2-7pm Mon, 10am-7pm Tue-Sat; Rue du Bac
This shop, born in 1831, has to be seen to be believed. Be it a stuffed white stork, baby chick, butterfly or tiger you want to hang in your home, you can buy one here. A quick chat with a member of staff confirmed that Deyrolle stocks every animal species legally allowed. Buy rare and unusual seeds (including many old types of tomato), gardening tools and accessories on the ground floor.
BONTON BAZAR Map Kids
01 42 22 77 69; www.bonton.fr; 122 rue du Bac, 7e; 10am-7pm Mon-Sat; Sèvres Babylone
This ode to childhood is an old-fashioned delight. It sells a mix of clothes, toys, kids’ chopsticks (handy for families dining out a lot in Paris), kitchen and bathroomwares (polka-dotted cutlery, black rubber ducks with fishing rods), bedroom decorations, pedal-powered metal cars and so on.
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ÉTOILE & CHAMPS-ÉLYSÉES
The av des Champs-Élysées is lined