The general standard of food shops throughout the capital is remarkably high, both in quality and presentation: a feast for the eyes quite as much as the palate. These Listings are for the specialist places, many of which are veritable palaces of gluttony and fairly expensive.Food halls to equal that of Harrods are to be found at Fauchon's, on place de la Madeleine, and the Grande Épicerie, in the Bon Marché department store – each with exhibits to rival the best of the capital's museums. In addition, there are one-product specialists for whom gourmets will cross the city: Poilâne's or Ganachaud's for bread, Barthélémy for cheese, La Maison de l'Escargot for snails. As for buying food with a view to economic eating, you will be best off shopping at the street markets or supermarkets – though save your bread-buying at least for the local boulangerie and let yourself be tempted once in a while by the apple chaussons, pains aux raisins, pains au chocolat, tartes aux fraises and countless other goodies. Useful supermarkets with branches throughout the city are Félix Potin, Prisunic and Monoprix. The cheapest supermarket chain is Ed l'Épicier; choice, inevitably, is limited, but they do some things very well – jams, for instance. Next door to the Tang Frères emporium in Chinatown is the Supermarché Paris Store, 44 av d'Ivry, 13e (M° Porte-d'Italie). Open daily 9.30am–7pm, this is one of the best Chinese supermarkets, selling everything from teacups to ampoules of royal jelly and ginseng. There's another branch at 10 bd de la Villette, 19e (M° Belleville).
Pages in section ‘Food’: Gourmet, Bread, Charcuterie, Cheese, Chocolates, Spices, Health food, Honey, Equipment, Seafood, Snails, Tea, Vegetarian, Wine.
| 