Paris_ City Guide (Lonely Planet, 7th Edition) - Lonely Planet [129]
LES CAVES AUGÉ Map Food & Drink
01 45 22 16 97; 116 blvd Haussmann, 8e; 1-7.30pm Mon, 9am-7.30pm Tue-Sat; St-Augustin
Founded in 1850, this marchand de vin (wine shop) should be your first choice if you trust the taste of Marcel Proust, who was a regular customer. It’s now under the stewardship of knowledgeable sommelier Marc Sibard.
VIRGIN MEGASTORE Map Music, Books
01 49 53 50 00; 52-60 av des Champs-Élysées, 8e; 10am-midnight Mon-Sat, noon-midnight Sun; Franklin D Roosevelt
This French-owned version of the huge British music and bookshop chain has the largest music collection in Paris, as well as English-language books.
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OPÉRA & GRANDS BOULEVARDS
The area around Opéra and the Grands Boulevards is where you’ll find Paris’ most popular grands magasins, around which are clustered branches of all the major French and international chain stores. If here in December, check out the fabulous Christmas shows in the department store windows and the sales in January and July.
HÔTEL DROUOT Map Art & Antiques
01 48 00 20 20; www.drouot.com; 7-9 rue Drouot, 9e; sales 2-6pm; Richelieu Drouot
Paris’ most established auction house has been selling fine lots for more than a century. The bidding is in rapid-fire French (also now available on the website) and a 10% to 15% commission is charged on top of the purchase price. Viewings (always a vicarious pleasure) are usually from 11am to 6pm the day before and from 10.30am to 11.30am the morning of the auction. Further details can be found in the weekly Gazette de l’Hôtel Drouot (www.gazette-drouot.com; €3.40), available at the auction house and selected newsstands on Friday as well as on the main Hôtel Drouot website.
WOCHDOM Map Clothing & Accessories
01 53 21 09 72; www.wochdom.com; 72 rue Condorcet, 18e; 12-8pm Mon-Sat; Pigalle
Cool in a slightly creepy way, this self-consciously chic, retro seconds store has painstakingly selected ‘design vintage’ and shoes, mostly from the ’70s. Staff are helpful and full of ideas.
GALERIES LAFAYETTE Map Department Store
01 42 82 36 40; www.galerieslafayette.com; 40 blvd Haussmann, 9e; 9.30am-7.30pm Mon-Wed, Fri & Sat, to 9pm Thu; Auber or Chaussée d’Antin
A vast grand magasin in two adjacent buildings, Galeries Lafayette features over 75,000 brand-name items and a wide range of fashion labels. In the annexe linked by a covered footbridge over rue de Mogador you’ll find menswear, the world’s largest lingerie department and Lafayette Gourmet ( 9.30am-8.30pm Mon-Wed, Fri & Sat, 9am-9pm Thu). There’s a fine view from the rooftop restaurant. A fashion show (bookings 01 42 82 30 25) takes place at 3pm Friday. The 10,000-sq metre Lafayette Maison (Map; 35 blvd Haussmann, 9e; Auber or Chaussée d’Antin) has four floors with each dedicated to a particular room in the house.
LE PRINTEMPS Map Department Store
01 42 82 57 87; www.printemps.com; 64 blvd Haussmann, 9e; 9.35am-7pm Mon-Wed, Fri & Sat, to 10pm Thu; Havre Caumartin
This is actually three separate stores – Le Printemps de la Mode (women’s fashion), Le Printemps de l’Homme (for men) and Le Printemps de la Beauté et Maison (for beauty and household goods) – offering a staggering display of perfume, cosmetics and accessories, as well as established and up-and-coming designer wear.
LA MAISON DU MIEL Map Food & Drink
01 47 42 26 70; www.maisondumiel.com; 24 rue Vignon, 9e; 9.30am-7pm Mon-Sat; Madeleine
In this sticky, very sweet business since 1898, ‘The Honey House’ stocks over 50 kinds of honey, with such flavours as Corsican chestnut flower, Turkish pine and Tasmanian leatherwood.
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GARE DU NORD, GARE DE L’EST & RÉPUBLIQUE
These areas are not especially known for their shops, but there are a couple of specialist boutiques worth going the extra mile for, and workaday department stores and electronics retailers ready