Finest food store in Paris

November 2, 2006 9:20 PM

Please enlighten me on the best food store or market in Paris.

I'll be passing through Paris and have only one day to find the finest saucissons, patés, rillettes, foies gras and other delicacies to bring home. I vaguely remember this fascinating two story shop I found some years ago in rue Montmartre near Les Halles, this time I arrive by train at Montparnasse but I can navigate through Paris with ease so any suggestions are welcome. Merci d'avance.

posted by fondle to food & drink (15 comments total)

According to my girlfriend: the grocery store at Galleries Lafayette is extremely extensive.

On Rue Cler you can wander up and down in and out of lots of food shops, and check out some outdoor food stalls.
posted by ludwig_van at 9:53 PM on November 2, 2006

La Grande Epicerie, hands down. It's the large market store connected with the Bon Marche department store. I was there in May after not having seen it for fifteen years, and it has gone from being a particularly nice grocery store, to being the be-all and end-all of French grocery shopping. I only had an hour there this time and it was torture to have to leave.

La Grande Epicerie is at 38, rue de Sevres, open Monday through Saturday 8:30 am to 9 pm, metro stop: Vaneau or Sevres-Babylone (line 10 or line 12). A good intersection to watch for if you're walking/driving is Blvd Raspail and Rue de Sevres/Rue de Babylone, which approach Raspail together at an angle. The Bon Marche website linked above has a map if you click on "Plan d'access et horaires" at the bottom of the screen.
posted by gillyflower at 11:57 PM on November 2, 2006 [1 favorite]

There are 2 shops on Place de la Madeleine - Hédiard and Fauchon, both of which are Parisian gastronomic institutions.
posted by jontyjago at 1:19 AM on November 3, 2006

If I were you, I'd make a trip to La Grande Epicerie, and I'd also go to an outdoor market. I don't know what day you'll be here so I can't recommend a particular market, but here's a list, in English, with days and hours. My favorites are the organic market at Raspail and the Marché d'Aligre.

Rue Cler would also be great. Personally I'm not wild about Hédiard or Fauchon though. They're very expensive and the quality isn't what it used to be.
posted by hazyjane at 3:08 AM on November 3, 2006

I should mention that the organic market at Raspail is on Sundays from 9-2, not the one on Tuesdays and Fridays at the same location. Also, here's a link that might tempt you to go to the Marché d'Aligre (as a vegetarian, it was painful to post that link!).
posted by hazyjane at 3:12 AM on November 3, 2006

There is a market at Place d'Aligre that is open every morning until ~1:00, except mondays.

Or at least was there 3 years ago when I bought my food from there. It is not touristy at all, and therefore very cheap. I remember getting a kilo of tomatoes for like a euro or something. I highly recommended it.

Man, do I miss paris.
posted by milarepa at 4:13 AM on November 3, 2006

Fauchon isn't half bad either
posted by matteo at 4:48 AM on November 3, 2006

Seconding Fauchon and Hédiard. They are both terrific, and practically right next door to each other. And if you have a few extra moments to spare, a few doors down from Hédiard is the truffle shop. The window-shopping alone to see the 3-lb truffles is amazing.
posted by shiu mai baby at 5:20 AM on November 3, 2006

Seconding the Rue Cler -- although I haven't been there in ages, I bet it's just as wonderful as ever.
posted by nnk at 6:17 AM on November 3, 2006

e Marché d'Aligre (as a vegetarian, it was painful to post that link!).

As a meatatarian who's going to Paris in December, I'm glad you did!
posted by mimi at 6:57 AM on November 3, 2006

Boulevard de Charonne, Phillipe Auguste Metro station : Incredible market every Sat (i think) and Wed, can easily be combined with visit to Pere Lechaise Cemetary
posted by criticalbill at 7:56 AM on November 3, 2006

Thank you all very much for your answers (keep them coming...)! I'll be in Paris on a monday in December, maybe not the best day for an outdoor market but I'll definately go to La Grande Epicerie and Place de la Madeleine. For a gourmand living in a gastronomical desert (Norway), the markets mentioned here will most definately be checked on my next (much longer) stay in Paris.
posted by fondle at 12:24 PM on November 3, 2006

The envy metre is really off the scale today!
posted by oxford blue at 5:26 PM on November 5, 2006

Rue Mouffetard (possibly spelled wrongly) in the 5th is another good street market, with a good variety. It's near the Place de la Contrascarpe.

Hediard and Fauchon are indeed overpriced, etc, but have tons of small packaged goodies one can pile in a suitcase to take home. I always make a stop at one or the other to stock up on gifts for foodies back home.

Have a great time!
posted by shifafa at 4:05 AM on November 6, 2006

So I had 2 hours between train and plane, no more. I spend all my time in La Grande Epicerie which is a very very dangerous place for ones bank account.
posted by fondle at 3:20 PM on December 12, 2006