Synonymous with style, luxury and craftsmanship for centuries, Paris, France, is one of the world’s great shopping capitals. For travelers on our private Paris tours, Artisans of Leisure can arrange personalized shopping and private appointments at specialty boutiques, historic ateliers and iconic department stores that reflect the city’s rich traditions and enduring sophistication.

Historic Patisseries and Gourmet Shops

Paris’s historic patisseries and confectionery shops reflect centuries of culinary tradition and craftsmanship and remain part of daily Parisian life, many still operating in elegant historic interiors. Some of our favorites include:

A la Mere de Famille

Founded in 1761, A la Mere de Famille is the oldest chocolate shop in Paris and operates from its original boutique, which features a beautifully preserved Belle Epoque interior dating to 1895. The shop is known for signature specialties such as praline rocks and Palets de Montmartre (traditional butter cookies associated with the Montmartre district), and oversees all stages of production, including the selection of cocoa beans and the design of molds.

Stohrer

Founded in 1730 by Nicolas Stohrer, pastry chef to King Louis XV, Stohrer is the oldest pastry shop in Paris. It is credited with inventing the classic baba au rhum and is known for high-quality sweet and savory specialties displayed in its historic shop, whose richly decorated interior, including 19th-century painted ceilings, is listed as a historic monument.

Debauve & Gallais

Founded in 1800 by Sulpice Debauve, pharmacist to Louis XVI and Marie-Antoinette, Debauve & Gallais is one of Paris’s great historic chocolatiers. The boutique on Rue des Saints-Peres retains an elegant interior dating to 1819 and is known for its signature pistoles, thin chocolates originally created to make medicinal preparations more palatable for the queen. The Marie-Antoinette Pistoles, now among its most popular items, feature engravings inspired by her jewelry collection.

Laduree

We always enjoy stopping at the flagship on Rue Royale, where Louis-Ernest Laduree opened his bakery in 1862. Known for its iconic macarons, Laduree later became one of the first Parisian tea salons in the early 1870s, offering an elegant setting where women could socialize in public.

The flagship on Rue Royale retains its signature celadon interiors and Belle Epoque elegance, which have inspired the design of its other locations.

Artisanal and Specialty Shops

Paris has a rich tradition of artisanal craftsmanship, with distinctive boutiques dedicated to specialty products such as traditional ceramics, fine cookware, custom shirts and historic apothecary goods, underscoring the city’s enduring culture of quality and savoir-faire.

Marin Montagut

The whimsical boutique of French illustrator and designer Marin Montagut is known for hand-painted ceramics and glassware, illustrated stationery, decorative textiles, vintage finds and other artistic objects inspired by Paris and his international travels. It’s one of our favorite places to browse for distinctive, refined souvenirs.

La Tuile a Loup

Open by appointment, La Tuile a Loup has specialized in hand-painted ceramics and decorative tableware inspired by traditional French aesthetics since the 1970s. The boutique on the Left Bank showcases one-of-a-kind pieces handmade by artisans across France who preserve regional techniques.

E. Dehillerin

A legendary kitchenware shop operating since 1820, known for its old-world atmosphere, floor-to-ceiling displays and high-quality copper cookware and pastry tools. It is also associated with Julia Child, who shopped here while studying at Le Cordon Bleu.

Charvet

Founded in 1838 by Joseph-Christophe Charvet, the son of Napoleon’s personal dresser, Charvet is considered the world’s first dedicated shirt shop and is renowned for bespoke shirts and ties for royalty, heads of state and other luminaries.

Its historic boutique on Place Vendome, near Ritz Paris, remains its only brick-and-mortar location, offering ready-to-wear shirts, ties, belts and silk prints designed in house, as well as custom orders by appointment.

Officine Universelle Buly 1803

This Parisian beauty and fragrance apothecary dates to the early 19th century and was reimagined and relaunched for a modern audience in 2014, offering a curated selection of creams, perfumes and specialty items sourced from around the world alongside its own formulations, with an emphasis on decorative packaging and handwritten personalization. Its boutiques evoke historic apothecaries, with glass cabinets, marble countertops and painted ceramic vessels.

Legendary French Fashion Houses

Paris has been a leading center of fashion since the 17th century, when Louis XIV developed the French luxury industry, supporting innovation and promoting French textiles, luxury craftsmanship and court dress and etiquette across Europe, setting the global standard for style and sophistication. Today, legendary fashion houses such as Chanel, Dior and Louis Vuitton continue to influence the industry, combining heritage craftsmanship with contemporary design.

We arrange visits and private appointments at renowned maisons such as:

Louis Vuitton

Founded in 1854 as a maker of innovative travel trunks, Louis Vuitton is now a global fashion leader. Its Paris flagship on the Champs-Elysees showcases exclusive collections and personalization services across multiple floors. LV Dream, located near Pont Neuf, is a separate exhibition and retail concept featuring immersive displays, exclusive merchandise and a cafe.

Dior

Dior’s flagship on Avenue Montaigne offers extensive ready-to-wear collections in elegant boutique spaces, as well as La Galerie Dior, an immersive exhibition on the history of the fashion house, and Cafe Dior, an elegant cafe for a stylish break between browsing.

Goyard

We also take interested travelers to Goyard’s historic flagship, which has operated in its original location since the 19th century. Founded in 1853 as a trunk maker, the house is known for its signature hand-painted chevron canvas and its highly personalized approach to luxury, offering custom luggage and leather goods.

Other favorites include the Chanel jewelry boutique, Guerlain’s historic outpost on the Champs-Elysees, the Hermes flagship and renowned jewelry houses such as Van Cleef & Arpels, Cartier and Boucheron.

Curated Hotel Boutiques

Many ultra-luxury Paris hotels, including Ritz Paris, Le Bristol Paris, Four Seasons Hotel George V, Paris and Hotel de Crillon, a Rosewood Hotel, feature in-house boutiques offering high-end fashion, accessories, limited-edition collaborations and exclusive branded items available only on site.

Iconic Parisian Department Stores

Since the mid-19th century, when Paris established the world’s first modern department store with the opening of Le Bon Marche, the city has set the standard for department store design, curated collections and shopping as a leisure experience. We always like to stop by Parisian institutions such as:

Galeries Lafayette

Constructed between 1907 and 1912, Galeries Lafayette is known for its magnificent Art Nouveau glass dome, high-end collections, a rooftop terrace with panoramic views and its annual Christmas tree display, a Parisian tradition featuring a new design each year.

La Samaritaine

Originally established in 1870 and expanded in the early 20th century, La Samaritaine reopened in 2021 after extensive renovation. It features luxury retail, dining options, a spa and one of Europe’s largest beauty departments, all set within a visually striking Art Nouveau and Art Deco space.

Le Bon Marche
Founded in 1852, Le Bon Marche, located on the Left Bank, is considered the world’s first modern department store. It pioneered the concept of shopping as a leisure activity with fixed prices, multiple departments under one roof, open browsing and changing rooms, innovations that influenced later department stores such as Selfridges and Harrods in London and Macy’s in New York. The building features late 19th-century architecture, with elements designed by Gustave Eiffel, and is known for designer fashion, curated goods and the adjacent La Grande Epicerie de Paris, its dedicated gourmet food market.

Contact Artisans of Leisure to begin planning a private France tour featuring personalized, insider shopping experiences to complement in-depth cultural touring and culinary highlights.