Skip to main content
logoImage

Unconventional Parisian Souvenirs: Where To Find Artisan Crafts

Thought Parisian souvenirs were all about plastic models of the Eiffel Tower? Mercure’s guide to unusual gifts to take home from the City of Love will make you think again.

It’s almost impossible to leave the City of Love without picking up a Parisian souvenir or two, but looking beyond the tourist stalls around the Louvre and Montmartre will open up another world of stylish and unusual gifting. Instead of snapping up plastic mementoes made in China, shop local; take home French gourmet treats or vintage finds from flea markets. That way you’ll support local artisans and surprise friends and family with meaningful gifts they really appreciate.

Parisian souvenirs: distinctive crafts that reflect the city's authentic charm

Very fine foods

The quality of French food is renowned across the world – and so is Galleries Lafayette, the landmark department store that sells everything high end. Its two-storey food hall is across the road from the main shop and is quite simply gourmet heaven. Among the cheesemongers, seafood stalls, butchers and grocers, star-rated culinary souvenirs of the taste of France include Guérande sea salt from Brittany, tins of foie gras and bottles of Dijon mustard.


Getting there
: 40 Boulevard Haussmann, 75009. Métro lines 7 or 9 to Chaussée d’Antin-La Fayette, lines 3, 7 and 8 to Opéra or line 12 to Trinité. Gourmet Store open Mon–Sat 9:30am–9:30pm, Sun 11am–8pm.

Exquisite handmade chocolates

It’s hard to pick out one Paris chocolatier from this elite crowd, but Chocolats Rochoux certainly ranks very highly on the list. Man of the moment Jean-Charles Rochoux has racked up a considerable reputation with his extraordinarily detailed chocolate animals – including horses’ heads, elephants and bears. All his tantalising goodies are made in the basement kitchen; we adore the hazelnut praline paste, packed in a handy jar for transporting chez vous


Getting there
: 16 Rue d’Assas, 75006. Métro line 4 to Saint-Sulpice. Open Mon 2:30pm-7:30pm, Tue-Sat 10:30am-7:30pm.

Good to know: Prefer your chocolate in pastry form? Le Royal Monceau – Raffles Paris has a delectable range of cakes, flans and macarons in chocolate and other flavours. Pick up a selection at their 8th arrondissement address, or buy online for click and collect or delivery. 

Simply divine macarons

Everyone covets a gaily beribboned mint-green box of delicious macarons from Ladurée, first established in 1862 and still going strong. Tempting flavours include caramel, lemon and Ispahan, a best-selling concoction of rose cream, raspberry and lychee. This much-loved brand now has numerous outposts in Paris, but the flagship is undoubtedly the Avenue des Champs-Elysées store, where you can also eat breakfast, brunch and dinner as well as stocking up on macaron gift sets for back home.


Getting there
: 75 Avenue des Champs-Elysées, 75008. Métro line 1 to George V. Open daily 9am–9:30pm. 

Good to know: If you fancy learning how to make Ladurée macarons yourself, you can now book lessons under the chandeliers in their elegant, turn-of-the-century Champs-Elysées kitchens – a perfect gift for devoted foodies!

Wine from Montmartre’s last vineyard

The last vineyard in Montmartre, Le Clos is also the oldest in the capital. Straddling a steep hill, its opening hours are limited to guided tours during the October Fête des Vendanges (grape harvest festival). If you can get your hands on a bottle of its red wine during this time, all the profits from the sale are ploughed back into the local community, making this a Parisian souvenir with a worthwhile social purpose. 


Getting there
: Rue des Saules, 75018. Métro line 12 to Lamarck-Caulaincourt.

French cookbooks galore 

Described as an “Aladdin’s cave of culinary treasures”, Librairie Gourmande has the perfect Parisian souvenir for budding or professional chefs – many published in English too. Biographies of the great names in French cuisine – such as Paul Bocuse, Pierre Gagnaire and Alain Ducasse – share shelf space with books on zero-waste cookery, pastry making, tomes dedicated to sauces, meat dishes, fish recipes… you name it, you’ll find it in this bookshop! 


Getting there
: 92-96 Rue Montmartre, 75002. Métro line 3 to Sentier or line 4 to Etienne Marcel. Open Tue–Sat 11am–1:30pm, 2:30pm–6:45pm. 

 

Kitchen utensils built to last

When you’re buying Parisian souvenirs for acknowledged gastronomes, E. Dehillerin is the place to head for. This cornucopia of all things culinary has been around since 1820 – the shop may be cramped and cluttered but its legendary copper cookware can be found in smart kitchens throughout Europe. If these gleaming saucepans are too heavy for you to carry home, go for an oh-so-French duck press.


Getting there
: 18-20 Rue Coquillière, 75001. Métro line 4 to Les Halles. Open Mon 9am–12:30pm, 2pm–6pm; Tue–Fri 9am–7pm; Sat 9am–6pm. 

Good to know: There are no prices on the stock; you have to look them up in the catalogues that hang on every shelf of the store.

Vintage flea market finds

Any trip to a Parisian marché aux puces is virtually guaranteed to turn up a unique Parisian souvenir. We recommend you get up early on Saturday morning to grab the best bargains at Porte de Vanves flea market. Among the 400 or so stalls there, a good rummage may produce anything from hand-tailored, pre-loved frocks to vintage postcards and – occasionally – valuable antique jewellery.


Getting there
: Avenue Marc Sangnier and Avenue Georges Lafenestre, 75014. Open Sat-Sun 7am-2pm. Métro line 13 to Porte de Vanves.

Good to know: Very few stallholders accept credit cards, so take cash with you.

Rare first-edition books

A visit to Shakespeare and Company is a Parisian rite of passage for readers; this much-loved English-language bookshop is a charming hotch-potch of floor-to-ceiling shelves stacked with novels, poetry and antiquarian books. The shop also does a good line in branded tote bags and jigsaws. It’s only 5 minutes’ walk from our Saint Germain des Prés hotel, a handy base for exploring the Île de la Cité and Notre-Dame Cathedral. 


Getting there
: 37 Rue de la Bûcherie, 75005. Métro line 4 to Saint-Michel or Cité, line 10 to Cluny–La Sorbonne. Open Mon–Sat 10am–8pm; Sun 12pm–7pm.

Top tip: If you’re sourcing Parisian souvenirs for kids, dig out a vintage copy of Barbar the Elephant, Asterix or Le Petit Prince from the bouquinistes along the banks of the River Seine.

Artisan soaps made with love

With its roots stretching back to the early 18th century, recently revived Maison Oriza L. Legrand is big into heritage fragrances. This pretty little shop is a treat to visit, all decked out in palest green and gold, with highly polished wood-and-glass cabinets displaying perfumes redolent of a bygone age. Its velvety soaps are beautifully packaged in art nouveau-inspired boxes and are just the right size to slip easily into your luggage. 


Getting there
: 34 bis Rue Vignon, 75009. Métro lines 8, 12 or 14 to Madeleine or lines 3 and 9 to Havre-Caumartin. Open Mon–Sat 10:30am–7:30pm. 

Good to know: The shop sells the perfect Parisian souvenir online – a sample box of six scents that you can put together yourself.

Unique Parisian fragrances 

French perfumes always make welcome gifts, but what sets kerzon’s ranges apart is that they are inspired and named after Paris’s famous sights. Whether you prefer elegant notes of rose and geranium of the Place des Vosges eau du parfum or the fresh hyacinth fragrance of the Tuileries Palais Royal candle, using a kerzon souvenir at home will soon transport you back to the elegant streets of the city – why not be self-indulgent and keep this gift firmly to yourself?


Getting there
: 68 Rue de Turenne, 75003. Métro line 9 Saint-Ambroise. Open Tue–Friday 11am-2pm, 3pm–7:30pm; Sat 11am–7:30pm.

We hope you love our choice of Parisian souvenirs, which you can easily pick up while you're exploring Paris on foot. And remember, when you’re staying in our conveniently located Paris hotels, you have the chance to shop for many more unusual gifts too!

 

Location & contact

Location

8 Club Street

069472 SINGAPORE

Singapore

Get Directions

Parking

Parking not included

52 Parking spaces

Indoor parking

Reservation

Vue Map

Start planning your Paris getaway now

HOTELS NEARBY

RELATED ARTICLES

YOUR MERCURE EXPERIENCE

From the moment you arrive at a Mercure property, you're immersed in a locally inspired atmosphere that ignites your passion for travel. Every detail, from the décor to our passion for uncovering local food and beverage delights, is curated to reflect the unique essence of each destination.