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dehillerin copper

Paris is a mecca for cooks, and folks come here from around the world to stock up on French and specialty cookware. Many of the shops are clustered around the Les Halles area, where for many years restaurateurs shopped at the giant market there for produce and other comestibles, as well as professional kitchenware. Although the market is gone, many of those stores exist and you can make a day of shopping in the various stores.

tartrings a.simon

One caveat is to check prices before leaving home. Often items are priced less elsewhere because many goods in France have substantial VAT added (hovering at around 20%). Plus figure in shipping or baggage fees if you plan to haul it yourself as most airlines charge for additional suitcases. So that Le Creuset casserole might cost you more than you bargained for.

verrerie des halles

Service in the shops can range from gruff to helpful, depending on the staff. For years, the shops served mostly professionals. Although that’s changed over the last decade.
As other people starting picking up tart rings and baking sheets, shops are now more welcoming to everyday cooks. But still, much in the places around Les Halles are self-service and getting attentive help can be a challenge. Be sure to measure your oven before you leave since French baking sheets, and silicone baking mats and cookware, are made for European-sized kitchens and appliances.

la vaisellerie

Shops in Les Halles often display prices HT (hors taxes) and that 19.6% is added on the bill when they ring you up, unless you have European tax-exempt status. TTC (toutes taxes comprises) means all the taxes are included in the price. In other cookware and department stores, the price generally includes in the tax. When in doubt, ask.

Tourists can avoid the tax if you purchase €175 worth of goods in the same store on the same day. You need to present your receipt that the store will give you (called the “bordereau de détaxe”, so advise the cashier before they ring up your purchases that you’ll want one) at the counter at the airport before departing, and often show the merchandise at that time. You can check the customs information for Charles De Gaulle Airport.

Also the Galeries Lafayette and Printemps department stores will give tourists a storewide discount coupon at their front desk, generally good for 10% off, if you present a foreign passport. (Some items are excluded.)

argenterie copper pot

The first thing to mention is that you won’t find many bargains in Paris on cookware. It’s usually not substantially cheaper than it is outside of French. Even French-made items, like Le Creuset and Staub cookware. However the big department stores, often run promotions and you can score a cast-iron casserole or another treasure for a good price. Once again, check prices before you leave home if you’re looking for specific pieces. During sale periods (les soldes), in January and in the summer, markdowns can be substantial, especially if you wait until the final days.

For those in for an adventure, scour the outdoor markets: the Paris website has page that lists all the food markets and brocantes (sidewalk sales) in Paris and usually there are people there selling a wide range of French kitchen objects. The most obscure food markets (marchés alimentaires), most notably the ones in ethnic neighborhoods, have the best prices.

I also recommend checking out the discount stores dotted around Paris, which I mentioned in The Sweet Life in Paris, and consequently, many of you have asked me about specific addresses.

You basically need to just walk around everyday neighborhoods (more are concentrated in the outer arrondissements, especially on the Right Bank), and you’ll come across some. Follow signs outside that say “Affairs” or “Bazaar”, but you’ll know you found one when there are stacks of miscellaneous things stacked up outside. Inside is usually a great selection of cookware and baking equipment, as well as some French bistroware. I don’t have many specific addresses, but check toward the Belleville area, off the République on the Rue du Faubourg du Temple, the area around the Marché D’Aligré, or the lower part of Rue Oberkampf, just off the boulevard Richard Lenoir.

(Tip: If you’re up near Montmarte, there is a particularly good shop with lots of housewares at 4, rue de Clignancourt.)

I’ve divided my list into three parts; the shops near Les Halles, other cookware shops around Paris, and department stores and hypermarkets (large discount stores). Before setting out, remember that shops in Paris may be closed at unexpected times, on holidays, and in August. So always call first or check their websites to confirm opening hours.

Paris Cookware and Specialty Shops

Atelier du Cuivre et de l’Argent
113, avenue Daumesnil (12th)
Tél: 01 43 40 20 20

Ultra-modern cutlery share space in this shop that specializes in copper cookware made in their atelier, outside of Paris. Located just under the viaduct, by the Gare de Lyon, they also re-tin copper as well.

Au Petit Bonheur la Chance
13, rue Saint-Paul (4th)
Tél: 01 42 74 36 38‎

Filled with old French charm, this shop was recently squeezed into tinier quarters. Lots of linens, café au lait bowls, and kitchen knick-knacks. Nearby is Virtuoses de la Réclame (5, rue Saint-Paul) for old café pitchers and memorabilia, and in the Village Saint-Paul (25, rue Saint-Paul, in the courtyard), Folle du Logis is worth a stop for rifling though their stacks of French plates, serving pieces, glassware, and other curiosities.

Bachelier Antiquités
Marché Paul Bert
18, rue Paul Bert (St Ouen)
Tél: 01 40 11 89 98

In the Clignancourt flea market, Bachelier sells vintage copper, linens, and cooking utensils. Open only on limited days, so be sure to call or check the website before venturing up there.

Bouquiniste Gastronomie

On the quai Conti, this bookstall has an amazing collection of used and rare cookbooks. Not inexpensive, but quite impressive. I’ve been told you can bargain him down.

Cuisinophile
28, rue due Bourg Tibourg (4th)
Tél: 01 40 29 07 32

This tiny slip of a shop is tucked next to the Mariage Frères tea salon and boutique. Not a big selection, but worth a look if you’re in the Marais.

Culinarion

A French chain of upscale cookware shops, with various addresses across Paris.

Eurotra
119, boulevard Richard Lenoir (11th)
Tél: 01 43 38 48 48

Large selection of cookware, and items geared toward professionals. A local favorite, Chinese and Asian items are a specialty, although you’ll find French goods, most notably for restaurants, here as well.

Kitchen Bazaar

With shops scattered about Paris, Kitchen Bazaar has the latest in ultra-trendy bakeware and appliances, plus cooking tools that are hard to find in, or out, of France. Certain times throughout the year the store has 30% off sales which makes shopping particularly fruitful.

La Carpe
14, rue Tronchet (8th)
Tél: 01 47 42 73 25

Just off the swank Place de la Madeleine, La Carpe is packed with cookware of all types. Good selection and you’ll likely find things not available elsewhere.

La Vaissellerie

One of my favorite places to shop in Paris, and the cheapest, these shops scattered across the city are packed with inexpensive porcelain baking dishes, glassware, café au lait bowls, shopping bags, and French novelties, like glasses for verrines.

Le Marché aux Puces de Vanves

Less-famous than the other Clignancourt market, the Porte de Vanves flea market in the 14th is less expensive and more of a real flea market than a collection of antique stores. The market is on both Saturday and Sunday mornings.

Marché d’Aligré

Primarily a food market nowadays, the origins of this terrific market was a place where used items where sold and traded. Today, in the center of the marketplace is a daily flea market. Quite lively on weekends, the market is open daily, except Monday. Bargain hard here.

Marché Saint Pierre
2, rue Charles Nodier (18th)
Tél: 01 46 06 92 25

This giant fabric store sits under Sacré Coeur, and not only can you find cotton tablecloths, bistro napkins and lovely torchons (kitchen towels), but they sell étamine, French muslin cloth, which is a good replacement for cheesecloth. It’s sold by the meter and is very inexpensive.

Pylones

Pylones creates fun, yet functional, housewares, like cheesegraters in the shape of the Eiffel Tower and knives with colorful handles. Not really for serious cooks, but great for poking around and finding gifts. Stores across Paris.

Restomat
147, rue de Bagnolet (20th)
Tel: 01 40 30 00 70

Perhaps too professional for most people, but they do carry equipment for hotel and restaurants and is interesting to poke around in if you’re in the neighborhood.

Saint Kioko
46, rue des Petits Champs (2nd)
Tel: 01 42 61 33 65

This shop specializes in Japanese foods, but up on the first floor are tools for preparing Asian foods. The nearby Ace Mart (63, rue Saint-Anne) also has some Asian cookware and in the quartier Chinois you’ll find Tang Frères and other large Asian markets.

 

Cookware and Specialty Shops in Les Halles

All of these shops are clustered around the same area, accessible from the Les Halles métro. Many are professionally oriented but cater to all. Generally speaking, to get service, you’ll need to take your own initiative.

In these shops, when you buy something, a clerk writes your purchases up on a receipt, which you take to the cashier and pay for, then return to pick up your purchases. Some stores will ship, although the cost may be rather high.

A. Simon
48 + 52 rue Montmartre (1st)
Tél: 01 42 33 71 65

A very complete shopping store for culinary items, from cookware to French café items, the kind found on bistro tables in France. They have an especially good selection of glassware and heavy-duty, professional-quality white French porcelain.

E Dehillerin
18-20 rue Coquillière (1st)
Tél: 01 42 36 53 13

Brace yourself and step inside. Two stories of cramped aisles packed with cookware and specialty gear. Famous for their gorgeous copper, in the basement, the staff can be overtly eager to help you to buy something, or disinterested. The staff is well-informed, but don’t let them talk you into something expensive just because they recommend it. The plastic pastry scrapers with their logo on them make inexpensive, and excellent, gifts for baker and cooks back home.

G. Detou
58, rue Tiquetonne (2nd)
Tél: 01 42 36 54 67

One of my favorite shops in Paris for specialty foods, including chocolate, mustard, honey, and olive oils. During December, prepare for a crush of Parisians stocking up on holiday goods.

La Bovida
36 rue Montmartre (1st)
Tél: 01 42 36 09 99

Lots of cookware, but my favorite part of the store is the top story, which has food wrappers and other French cad bakery-style emballages.

La Verrierie
15, rue du Louvre (1st)
Tél: 01 42 36 80 60

Hidden in a courtyard, push open the gate and visit this dark shop. Mostly glassware and earthenware, you’re expected to go in the back and comb the aisles for yourself.

Librarie Gourmande
92-96, rue Montmarte (2nd)
Tél: 01 43 54 37 27

This two-story bookstore has an extensive collection of cookbooks. There are some used books amongst the stacks, but on the upper floor is an impressive collection of oversized books by European chefs which are hard-to-get outside of Europe.

MORA
13, rue de Montmarte (1st)
Tél: 01 45 08 19 24

Pastry chefs come from all over the world to visit MORA, which has a great selection of tart and cake molds, whisks and spatulas, and just about everything else. Plus the best selection of chocolate molds in Paris.

copper ports verrerie des halles

Department Stores and Hypermarkets

The department stores of Paris have excellent cookware departments, which carry professional-quality cookware as well as items for everyday use. Hypermarkets, large discount food stores which have extensive cookware departments, are prohibited from operating within the city limits. But I’ve given the addresses of Auchan and Carrefour, that are just at the edges of Paris, easily reached by métro.

Auchan

This hypermarket chain has two stores, one at La Defense and the other at Porte de Bagnolet (M: Porte de Bagnolet), in large shopping centers. Several aisles are filled with cookware and bakeware.

BHV
55, rue de la Verrerie (4th)
Tél : 01 42 74 90 00

The third floor of this department store in the Marais, has an excellent cookware department. Hardware fans should stop in the basement and those looking to expand their cookbook collections should visit the book department.

Carrefour

France’s mega-chain stores sell food as well as cookware and other kitchen tools. They’ve recently opened smaller grocery stores in Paris, but a close hypermarket is at Porte de Montreuil (M: Porte de Montreuil).

Galeries Lafayette

Large department store, with several locations in Paris boasting extensive cookware departments. Be sure to check out the gourmet food hall at the Galeries Lafayette on Boulevard Haussmann.

Le Bon Marché
38, rue de Sèvres (7th)
Tél: 01 44 39 80 00

The only department store on the Left Bank of Paris. The name of the store means “good deal” in French. Known for their amazing La Grand Épicerie food hall next door, the main store stocks cookware.

Metro

This membership-only store has huge aisles filled with foods, including French cheeses, specialty butters (for pastry-making), and bakery-size boxes of chocolate and sugars. Half of the store is devoted to professional cookware. (Use their store finder to locate the nearest address. There are two in Paris.) You’ll need to find a friend with a card to go. And to get a card, one needs to prove they have a business. (Pro tip: Don’t go if you’re not with someone who has a membership card and you won’t be able to shop there.)

Printemps

The main store, 64 boulevard Haussmann, has a nearby ‘Maison’ store filled with cookware and housewares.

e.dehillerin

Lastly, for those who are really adventurous, there’s Bravo Brocante, a cavernous restaurant supply depot, specializing in used restaurant equipment. Located just outside of Paris, it’s a bit of a journey on public transit (check Google Maps for directions to their address: 145 route de Saint-Leu, Epinay Sur Seine) but you can take a taxi or Uber there. Bravo is a hangar-like place filled with everything from old restaurant booths to used oyster platters. It’s a jumble of stuff and you may have to ask for prices, but it’s an interesting place to explore.

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Related Posts and Links

La Trésorerie (Contemporary and classic French cookware and housewares)

How to Find Foods and Other Items Mentioned on the Site

Paris’ Oldest Kitchen Equipment Shop (FX Cuisine)

Paris Culinaire (Hard-to-Find Items, in Paris)

G. Detou

Goumanyat

Cooking Schools, Classes, and Wine Tastings in Paris

Barbes Market

Hedley’s Humpers (Overseas Shipping)

Will My KitchenAid Mixer Work in Europe?

Bouquinistes Who Sell Cookbooks (Cadran Hôtel)

Antiquing Outside of Paris

Rue Montorgueil-Les Halles

 

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71 comments

    • Kristin

    oh the copper!! I love it! I want it all!

    • My Kitchen in the Rockies

    I’ve heard before that it is often cheaper to purchase some items here instead abroad. There could be a big price difference. I would still love to go and shop. The question would be: How will we get it home? Renting a container?
    Thank you for the wonderful information.

    • JB in San Diego

    I think that if you have the store ship it for you, you can still get the VAT refunded at the airport. That may be the cheapest and most convenient way to get it home.

    • Susan

    Carrefour has a big store at Porte Molitor. Not vast like the Auchan at Vezelay2 but certainly the biggest supermarket I’ve seen in Paris. Prices are usually good but not always: e.g. Carrefour charges almost twice as much as G. Detou for a small jar of Piment d’Espelette. But seasonal promotions can be interesting: in December they sold disposable gold serving dishes for the specialites de saison, including oyster plates. The foie gras was quite reasonable as well. Regular kitchenware seems overpriced, however.

    My mother always shopped for kitchen stuff on her annual trip to visit her family in Paris, so I’ve inherited so many kitchen gadgets there isn’t room for them all, let alone the new colorful wares I lust after. Anyone need a fish poacher?

    • Lynanne

    I was on my own personal cookstore walk-about today, but much to my horror Mora was having an extended lunch break. Hmpfh! So off I went and found an “everything” store on rue Montergueil and voi-la found one of the items I was after. Thanks for the long, long list of other places I’ve yet to discover. Very curious about La Verrierie and can’t wait to find some good ‘beer’ glassware there.

    • David

    Lynanne: Most of the stores no longer close for lunchtime. Some used to be closed on Mondays as well.

    Susan: Carrefour shops in Paris are not much cheaper (as you mentioned, if at all) than other places. Outside of Paris, however, the prices are better. Even outside the peripherique. (And I think a lot of people probably have copper cannelé molds they might trade for that fish poacher!)

    My Kitchen in the Rockies: That’s why I advise people to check prices at home before heading out shopping. Cookware stores like Sur La Table and online sites like Amazon often yield better deals.

    • Grapefruit

    Oh darn, I read this a couple of hours too late (no idea when you put this up). Just got back from 5.5 feet-blistering hours of walking and now it’s 6:36 p.m and everything will be closed, so too late to go back to Les Halles (I leave tomorrow).
    I did go to Kitchen bazaar yesterday & totally *love* it there + recommend it highly!
    Thanks so much for this exhaustive list – will be sure to use it for reference next time.

    • Nick (Macheesmo)

    Really fantastic resource david. Thanks for the info and links. I definitely wouldn’t have known about all the taxes and receipts and stuff.

    Now I just have to get myself to Paris! :)

    • krysalia

    I would strongly advise against buying some heavy kitchen items like “le creuset” or other “enameled cast iron pots” at Auchan. I’ve made that mistake several times and it happened that the enamel got off in little chips from the bottom of the cooking surface inside my pots, during the first month of use :[. Looks like auchan doesn’t buy the “prime quality” stocks from the famous brands, so the bargain you can get there isn’t worth it. But david is right, Auchan is pretty cool for all the “light” kitchen items, such as little tools for slicing, peeling, or even specialised tools like parisian spoons or other french kitchen gadgets. They have some choice and the quality of those items is premium, at least.

    • Erin

    thanks for a nother fantastic list, david! adding it to my ‘next time in paris’ folder. by the way, you are right – mora has SO many molds and specialty items that make a baker (ehhhem, me) think she’s died and gone to pastry heavan. :)

    • BrideXIII

    All that lovely glowing copper!!!
    I wish.. is it wrong of me to prefer my carefully collected stainless steel collection, with glass lids? the only non-stick pan I own is an omelette pan, the rest are ALL stainless steel. I find nothing more satisfying than giving the pans a good scrub after a great meal ( the kids have to do the rest of it though).

    • Georgia Pellegrini

    What a wonderful resource, thanks so much David! I’m particularly addicted to kitchen equipment… it’s bad.

    • starman1695

    I love the cookware shops in France. I don’t much love the prices.

    • Diane@2stews

    David, this is a wonderfully extensive list. I tend to buy only things that I cannot get in the US, and yes, have even gotten that Eiffel Tower cheese grater at Pylone for a gift. It is just too fun! Dehillerin is great for crepe pans in all sizes, just try and go when it is not packed elbow to elbow! Like anywhere, it is always good to know your prices so you know a bargain when you see one. I also love La Vaissellerie. Samie on General le Clerc is a great source for white porcelain. And, LOVE the BHV!

    Thanks for all of the other sources. It is great to find new places.

    • Sylvie

    There is also La Carpe, Rue Tronchet. http://www.la-carpe.com/

    Thanks Sylvie, that’s already in the list! -dl

    • Janet

    Whenever I am in Paris I shop at these stores for my culinary tools, each time finding more items that I realize I cannot live without. I don’t bring home Le Creuset, I buy that here in Canada. I treasure my heavy copper saucepan, however, that I purchased at E Dehilleron, invaluable for caramel making and reducing sauces. At G Detou I always find pastry supplies to pack in my luggage – great almond and pistachio paste,etc. And I am addicted to white porcelain and bistro ware. Over in the 4th I even found wonderful old silverplate service ware and place settings from old bistros that had the name of the hotel or restaurant engraved on them. I use these pieces everyday and love the look of them. The forks and spoons are so heavy, my husband calls them shovels. It is a bit romantic folly, I suppose, but for chefs and enthusiastic cooks, nowhere satisfies like Paris for exploring and finding culinary goods.

    • Laura

    A slightly trivial note: the bathrooms at the top of the Galleries Lafayette Maison on Boulevard Haussmann are FREE (that’s where I’d go if I shopped at Printemps)!
    Also, the cookware department in that store is pretty cool.

    Thanks for the restroom tip. At Printemps on Boulevard Haussmann, they’ve contracted out their bathrooms and now it costs €1-€1.5 to use them! I don’t mind if there is an attendant leaving a few coins, but that’s pretty audacious, and a very bad business decision, I think. -dl

    • Bill

    When commodity prices were much cheaper, and the dollar was stronger, I went a little crazy in Mora and Dehillerin. I bought the sort of copper you cannot get in the States. I use it frequently and love it more than life itself.

    I don’t think it’s worthwhile buying Creusetware in Paris, unless it’s vastly cheaper than in the States. But both the copper and the Creuset are highly necessary for serious cooks (not to mention that they use less energy as well), and should last several lifetimes…

    • Cooking in Mexico

    For a cook, living in Paris must be like living in a toy store. If I only needed one reason to visit Paris, shopping for cookware would be it.

    Kathleen

    • Trish

    Delighted to see Detou have opened a small branch in Rue du Plat, Lyon.

    • Hannah

    Oh, big mighty bollocks! I didn’t know about that 20% discount at Galeries Lafayette and Le Printemps! Gosh balderdashery, I was so ridiculously abstemious with my purchases there, and I definitely could have justified more…

    • kamran siddiqi

    You are very mean to be teasing me with such a great post to keep for reference if I ever (will be a LONG time from now!) make my way to Paris! Great post, David! :)

    • Amanda

    Jealous, jealous, jealous! :))
    When I was in Paris 18 months ago I spent quite some time with my nose pathetically pressed against the windows of some of these shops – gripped with desire, but paralyzed by the knowledge that the freight back here to Oz was totally prohibitive.

    • Rachel

    Thanks for the great list – I’ll look forward to checking out a few more places on my next trip to Paris. (The tip about the bouquiniste is especially intriguing!)

    I agree with most of the comments above about the folly of buying Le Creuset and the like in France. One thing I will say I have consistently found to be a better deal in France than in the States (not to mention easier to fit in one’s luggage) is bakeware. I’ve picked up madeleine and financier moulds at Mora for a fraction of US prices (even with the less-than-great exchange rate and with the VAT slapped on), and cannele and mini-savarin moulds are next on my list…

    • Elise

    Hi,
    I enjoy ready your blog. I just wanted to note that Le Bon Marche was NOT the only department store on the left bank! Off the top of my head, there is a Printemps in the 13th arrondissement (place d’Italie) and other department stores in the Montparnasse area.

    • Diana

    I knew of most of the shops near Les Halles as students get discounts (I think 10%) on supplies at Mora and E. Dehillerin. But can you explain to me why in gods name do they never ever have any of the prices on things at E. Dehillerin?! It drives me crazy having to ask how much every thing costs or riffling through their price book!

    Thanks for the post though, now I know how I’m going to spend this afternoon… perusing mismatched plates and bowls in the Marais. :)

    • Emily (Pookie and Pierre)

    A couple of years ago, on one of my first trips to Paris, one of my goals of the trip was to shop at E Dehillerin. I dragged my then boyfriend there with me and we had so much fun squeezing through the aisles looking at all of the yummy goods.

    I ended up with the most gorgeous copper pot. Mind you, I wasn’t concerned with prices or thinking about the extreme pain it would be to lug this back to the US. What I wanted was something that I could have at home that would provide me with a lifetime of memories from that trip. Every single time I use that pot, everything comes rushing back. Thanks for the lovely recap!

    • Elizabeth

    Dehillerin? yeah, I’m a stockholder! I did manage to resist the temptation of buying my husband an oyster shucking glove (too many near trips to the hospital on Christmas Eve) for 280 euros (yikes), but my resistance paid off becuase I found the same glove on a site in the US selling wood carving materials for $89!
    I don’t know how i lived in Paris without hearing about Detou. And their prices for things like pecans are SO much better than in Rome. It is always first stop on my list in Paris.
    At La Verrerie years ago I found 12 lovely white pots de creme that I still treasure.
    Thanks for the great list!!!

    • jim Cuvelier

    Love this! You have hit my ‘soft spot’. Could shop for pots all day long! Thanks.

    • Nathalie (spacedlaw-spacedlawyer)

    I quite like Bodum design and they have a shop in Les Halles (and most likely other places in Paris too, but it is there that I stumbled upon their shop).

    • ITALIAN COOKING ADVENTURES

    Thank you David for this precious post,I’m leaving for paris tonight!

    • Cooking with Kait

    I am bookmarking this page so I can look at it again when I go to Paris. So many shops to visit and places to explore. Thank you for this wonderful post.

    • Edward

    Great great entry, loved it, I would like to make a WARNING about DEHILLERIN, I bought a big copper pan , when I got home after traveling, it arrived dented, they wouldn’t hold the warranty because they only have a two day notice policy ( I was still on my trip). The guys at DEHILLERIN where very rude, they did not take any responsiblity nor did they offer any solution. PLUS, THEY ARE MUCH MORE EXPENSIVE THAN ON THE US… ( i realized later)

    • Sarah Galvin (All Our Fingers in the Pie)

    I wish I had this info when I was in Paris. Makes me want to return.

    • Althea

    What an informative post, and thanks for making the contact info handy.

    I would, someday, love to go to Paris and dine Parisian style.

    • Sandra

    With the drop in the Euro against the dollar, it must be a pretty good time to shop there, taxes aside. My only question is about getting stuff home. Cookware can be large, heavy etc–not to mention the aggravation of customs, etc in airports. Any UPS or other places around Paris for the rest of your readers that you can suggest?

    • Georgette

    I have been trying to buy a gift certificate for a friend in Paris as a wedding present. I e-mailed E Dehilleron, a store I know and love, off their site but never received an answer (in French, so language should not have been an issue). Do you have any suggestions of who might have a gift certificate for cookware and who might be interested in responding?

    Thanks!

    • Vickie

    Thanks for this amazing list, David. We are in Paris this week, and, unfortunately, cannot walk a step more today. We leave on Sunday, and tomorrow is the day in Reims, so I am hopeful we can make it to Detou on Saturday. This afternoon, we took a two-hour pastry class at La Cuisine Paris, which was taught in English. The class was excellent, and the chef highly recommended Detou, as well. You are so lucky to live in this incredible city!

    • clbtx

    @Sandra ~ there are UPS stores in Paris, I think there is even on on the Rue Reaumur, which is just north of the Les Halles area. If you Google ” UPS Paris” a few locations pop up.

    • Sheila

    Sounds like another reason for a return trip! I bookmarked this post!

    • Jeff In Berkeley

    Hi David – do you know if the Matfer Bourgeat cookwares are highly rated or recommended in France?

    • tom | tall clover

    One of my dear friends shared the story of how he stopped in Paris first on his European backpacking trek (in the eighties). Great city, bad move; he couldn’t resist a set of copper pans, a set that enjoyed his European trek as well. He uses them to this day and tells me he wouldn’t have changed a thing (except some recurring back problems).

    My only Parisian copper pan is worth its weight in gold. This gift, a small confectioner’s pan with a pour spout is used mostly for carmelizing sugar. (It pays to make your friends a lot of flan.)

    • Luc Kojio

    I went into Dehillerin a couple of years ago; the sales associate got mad because I wasn’t there to buy anything specific. He actually followed me to the lower level to complain.

    • Anne

    Great post and I’ve written a big shout out on my blog for newcomers to Paris: http://postedinparis.wordpress.com. I especially appreciate your advice for those of us on a budget. Thank you.

    • deeba

    Oh I love exploring new places, and these are just too intriguing. Look at that copper! I think you need a trip down the dusty bylanes of Old Delhi one day! I love the charm different cities have to offer to our wonderful foodie community! This is a great post!

    • Marlene

    Great resources! I remember feeling the proverbial ‘kid in a candy store’ as I browsed at Dehillerin years ago. Too many temptations! And then there was the shipping. I returned home and ordered from Williams Sonoma or Bridge & Co. in NYC.

    What caught my eye in this post. The photos. You have a great eye for composition and capture the essence of each feature. But, I have to say..this time, the pictures are exceptional. Photographing toward glass is always extremely tricky. But, you achieved clarity. Sharp detail. No flashback. And the hint of background buildings in the Dehillerin image is delightful added bonus. Practically a studio shot! Wow!

    • David

    Diana: I think they don’t put prices on things at Dehillerin because when they want to change prices, they can simply print out a new list rather than re-tagging everything in the store.

    Marlene: Thanks! I shot these pics with my point & shoot!

    Luc: They’re not always very easy to work with. One trick is to go first thing in the morning, before things get too hectic in there. Like, right when they open.

    • Karen Brown

    Oh! How this post brings back memories. i had a wonderful day on my first trip to Paris, spent hours browsing in Dehillerin, and as soon as I explained to the rather dour salesman that although I spoke English, that I wasn’t English, but a New Zealander, he could not have been more charming. i have no idea why he was so enamoured of the idea of a Kiwi in his store, but he basically became my personal shopper for the next couple of hours. He even offered to pack and ship everything, pointing out that I would avoid the sales tax that way.I was suprised that you suggested that people might like to exchange their canele moulds for a fish poacher! I love my little moulds, and canelle are the easiest thing in the world to make. Crunchy, creamy and that hint of rum, yum and double yum. I guess it helps that my neighbours keep bees in their backyard, so I have a ready supply of beeswax to coat the moulds with. If you ever try this, just know that you can kiss that pastry brush goodbye. I saw that you listed Pylones as a place to get cute gifts. On my most recent trip I picked up a little whisk shaped like a squid, just because I have a thing about cephalapods; turns out to be one of the most useful little tools in my kitchen arsenal. Got back to NZ to find that Pylones has opened a store here. so I’ve stocked up on 1/2 dozen of the little sucker. Cheers from the Antipodes Karen Brown..Wellington..New Zealand

    • Jan Hendrik van der Westhuizen

    Great post David. Just moved into our new apartment in Paris, and the week coming is shopping for cookware!!! You should consider doing cookware tours. :-)
    Will invite you for the first dish cooked in the new pot set!

    Jan.H

    • Angie

    the mind explodes when you get to those shops near Les Halles, last time I bought a whole ream of linen for making bread and it was easy to pack and reallly really cheap. of course then i had a quick stopover at the farmer’s market near the Bastille and bought a kilo of grey salt, forgetting how fun it is to carry a kilo of anything when you are travelling!

    • Jenn

    I love all your suggestions and was so excited to add these to my list of things to do until I realized my visit to Paris is in August. I know it’s the month when most everything closes. Do you think more places would be open if I were to go the 3rd or 4th week in July rather than mid August? Sorry if this is a repetitive question. I think there should be a blog dedicated to Paris in August so us visiting foodies won’t freak out.

    • Vidya

    Thrilled to see La Vaissellerie on the list – I thought one of the pictures looked a little more than familiar. It’s one of my favourite stores – I love the rue de Rennes store in particular, the manager is warm and friendly and the guys who work there are just…hunky. And extremely helpful. The Saint-Lazare people seemed to be a bit crabby. But maybe they were just having a bad day. Or many bad days.

    • Sara

    J’adore the idea of visiting a place with food at the top of mind. I say skip the monuments and scale back on the museums, so that there is plenty of time to visit the markets and shops. Lovely post (and thorough listing), thank you.

    • michelle

    David, where did you go? Din the french telecomm finally got hold of your IP address? :)
    Miss your smart post and your humor

    • michelle

    bah, I sounded like an illiterate on previous entry; just ignore it..

    • Ana Sofia

    This is wonderful. I’m planning a trip in September and was excited/intimidated about visiting cookware stores. I’ll definitely put this guide to use!

    • Will

    What a great site and great book, David. I look forward to following your blog.

    • anon

    It’s not like I own stock in the company or anything, but I’ve always had pleasant experiences at Dehillerin. In fact, even at several years’ distance I can recall that the salesmen are named Franck and Kim. Between a friend and I we purchased over 20 pieces there one day (back when the dollar was mightier), and quite a few more during the intervening years. This is not to say no one can ever have had a bad time there, of course. The worst I’ve ever done was to save 20% over the contemporaneous U.S. price for the same item and, when the dollar was stronger, things were essentially half price. Getting an item home in checked baggage has never presented an issue.

    Why on earth would A. Simon be closing, unless it’s because they want to? That’s a very nice store.

    • mary h

    Where are you,are you o k? When will we get a new post?

    • David

    I bought a large amount of copper there twenty years ago and paid around the equivalent of $75US for a very heavy copper roasting pan, which (of course) was a great price. I was going to ship all my copper at the time, but that nearly doubled the price, so I chose to bring it back myself, which wasn’t a problem. Except it was incredibly heavy to carry back to my hotel, then to the airport.. : )

    However nowadays airlines aren’t so generous and often make you pay to check an second bag (Air France charges €50 for a second bag, for example, at the time of this writing) and they are strict about weight limits. I’ve gone into Dehillerin lately to pick things up and have had to resist being talked into something that is much more expensive than what I really need so I advise people to buy items that they really do want. And to check prices at home before leaving.

    I don’t know why A. Simon is closing; perhaps it is rising rent, or they aren’t selling enough items to make it work. It’s a shame, because I liked their pastry equipment shop, which was often less-expensive than the others nearby, for the same items.

    • Chez Us

    David, great post! We have been in Paris since the beginning of June and have another 2 1/2 weeks – doing a little shopping is on the list. Hoping to scour the flea markets for some copper baking ware.

    But, I would love to know where the photo of the tart rings was taken? What store? That is another must buy …… :)

    Merci!

    Denise

    • David

    The tart rings are from E. Dehillerin. They sell them in lots of different sizes.

    • bjorgk

    Thanks for this incredible list! I came across it while googling “cookware shops in Paris” and not expecting too many results as the French have seemed to be very slow to embrace the internet and too attached to the minitel. But maybe the minitel is finally ancient history?!? Twenty years ago, while taking a summer course in french, I was too selfconscious of my limited vocabulary and too intimitated by bad tempered Parisian salespeople to venture into E. Dehillerin. But I remember the display window well. This time I will definitely pay them a visit, nevermind my bad french, and hopefully find the copper saucepans I’ve been dreaming about. Your photo from La Vaissellerie reminded me of favourite coffee bowls, bought from their shop in Rue de Rennes, which were cheap enough for my student budget.
    I checked the websites of some of the shops on your list but very few have any detailed information about their products. Have you anywhere come across cast iron braisers by a company called Chasseur (Invicta)? It’s a french company but I’ve only found it on english cookware websites.

    • Emmas Kök

    Wow! I will print this post and take it with me on my next trip to paris! I love this stuff.

    • Nancy (n.o.e.)

    David, I’m in Paris now and we visited the cookware shops yesterday. We had a wonderful experience at Dehillerin – it was quite late in the day, in the sweltering heat, and Kim cheerfully helped us with our choices. I found the perfect small copper saucier, and followed your tip and bought Dehilleron logo pastry scrapers for gifts.

    I didn’t see a comment form on your “My Paris” post, but I want to thank you for your restaurant recommendations. We have tried 4 places on your list (so far) and loved every one of them. It was so hot in L’Atlas on Wednesday that when our tagines arrived I was tempted to ask the waiter to plate it and take away the tagine pot which was radiating heat!

    • Phil

    Nice article, I’ve always wandered is Le Creuset as popular in France as it is in the UK. Very much a premium cook ware brand here, but is this more of an export product in france?

    • Eileen @ Passions to Pastry

    My absolute-favorite thing-to-do ever; wandering through Paris searching out cookware. I have been pulled over in customs practically every time because of something untoward (I once packed a French rolling pin in my daughter’s duffel bag and she was pulled over for a concealed weapon). But you’re right; it’s not always a deal purchasing French in France. I found a Mauviel copper wine bucket at TJ Maxx in the U.S. for $16.00. At Dehillerin in Paris it was 138 euros!

    • Pat Brandt

    You forgot BELLYNCK ET FILS, 194 Ave. Jean Jaurès, in the 19th arrondissement near rue Eugene Jumin, “Au paradis de la cuisine” as they say on their website at
    http://www.bellyncketfils.fr/
    Visiting them also allows you to have steak frites at Au Boeuf Couronné, 188 Av. Jean-Jaurès nearby.

    • John King

    Thanks for sharing, a well written piece. It must have taken you forever, It took me ages to read through. I was considering visiting Paris early next year so I’ll bear this in mind. Like all boys and their toys, I love cooking and I like to have the best tools available… It sounds like these stores you mention are ideal.

    Again, many thanks for sharing.
    John.

    • Heather

    LOVE E. Dehillerin!! I was lucky that i have an understanding husband who didn’t give me a limit when i went in, he was the one who did the research and found this place! What ever i could fit in my suitcase was what i was allowed to get!

    • Alex

    My husband and I just visited La Vaissellerie and loved it! I could have stayed in there all day but the shop on Rue de Rennes is so small I was bound to bump into something. I bought some great bowls for 2 euros, a gorgeous glass wine stopper, while he bought a silver finish clock that would probably cost us $40 but we bought it for 12 euros! There was so much stuff, it was hard to pull away. Thank you for the recommendation!

A

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