47 Best Places to Shop in France

Stock up here on local olive oils, local food specialties, and cork crafts.

Near the train station, Leonard Parli offers a lovely selection of calissons.

For those with a taste for all things Provençal, this gourmet épicerie sells many of the delicacies found in the region's best local markets, all neatly packaged and suitcase ready—if they make it that far. Shop for olive oils, tapenades, herbs, preserves, bottled soups, fruit jams, honey, pastries, lavender-based sweets or cosmetics, and so much more.

The most picturesque shop specializing in calissons is the venerable bakery Béchard, founded in 1870.

The longtime local favorite boulangerie–patisserie is the best place to buy yet another of Nîmes's many specialties: the jaw-breaking croquant, a confection made with roasted almonds and caramelized sugar.

This Aix institution since 1954 is chock-full of sweets that look good enough to immortalize in a still life, let alone eat. Its version of the iconic Provençal calisson is hands down the best around.

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.

Come here for the best selection of Provençal olive oils in town. Oliviera is run by the passionate Nadim Beyrouti, who also serves Mediterranean dishes made with the finest local ingredients.

A local favorite in the old part of town, Philippe Olivier's family has been collecting, refining, and trading pungent rounds of cheese for three generations. The shop's inventory is huge, with almost 300 types, some resurrected from old recipes.

Pierre Hermé might just be Paris's most renowned pâtissier, and this shop sells his peerless cakes and macarons along with many chocolate delights (classic varieties, like the dark-chocolate and orange-rind batons, are perennial favorites). Try the delicate Cheesecake Satine, made with passion fruit and orange marmalade. You can also sample his creations at several cafés throughout St-Germain-des-Prés.

A good, if somewhat pricey, place to stock up on pastries, preserved meats, and wines. It has expanded to become a mini-chain, with locations selling gourmet prepared foods at 8 place Bellecour, 48 rue Vendôme, and 42 rue de la République. The tearoom is at this address.

This is the place for charcuterie. Look for the wonderful array of sausages hanging in the front window.

The gorgeous, delicate pastry creations made by Japanese-born Sadaharu Aoki are a delightful mix of traditional French with his signature Asian flavor and design touches. Look for green tea, black sesame, and yuzu versions of updated classics like éclairs, mille-feuille, and other elegant baked goods, as well as artfully presented colorful batons of chocolate.

A veritable Ali Baba's cave in the heart of the souklike Arab market, this colorful shop brims with eye-popping mounds of dried fruit and nuts, exotic condiments, grains, and every spice under the sun.

Known for its high-quality cheese and wine, this award-winning shop offers some of the best hams on the island, including the waist-busting Coppa and Lonzu. Tasting is encouraged.