Shopping on the Left Bank

If you’re looking for a stylish and sophisticated shopping experience in Paris, head to the Left Bank. This historic district on the south side of the Seine River is home to some of the city’s most iconic boutiques, designer stores, and chic department stores.

Let’s start with Le Bon Marché, the oldest department store in Paris. Located right next to the Lutetia Paris, this magnificent store is a destination in itself. The building is truly beautiful, with glass ceilings and a stunning central staircase. Inside, you’ll find a mix of luxury fashion, beauty products, and home goods from designers including Celine, Diptyque, and many more. La Grande Epicerie de Paris, which offers a unique range of quality food products from the French regions and the four corners of the world, is right across the street, and even connected to Le Bon Marché by an air bridge!

Just a stone’s throw from Le Bon Marché Rive Gauche and La Grande Epicerie de Paris, the two-kilometer-long Rue Grenelle is home to a concept store known to fashionistas the world over, the boutique of the Parisian par excellence, Inès de la Fressange. Former muse of the Chanel house, this great lady of fashion, star of the catwalk in the 80’s, continues to stamp her incomparable style between casual chic and mutinous elegance.

If you’re looking for luxury fashion, head to Rue de Sèvres. This street is home to several iconic luxury brands, including Hermès, Lanvin, Prada and Saint Laurent. It’s worth a visit for a nice shopping session or just to see the beautiful window displays and stores, and with Brasserie Lutetia on the corner of this glittering street, you’ll have the perfect finish to a day of shopping!

For a more relaxed and bohemian vibe, head even deeper into the Saint-Germain-des-Prés neighborhood. Here you’ll find a mix of vintage shops, independent boutiques, and artisanal food markets. Don’t miss Le Marché Saint-Germain, a popular indoor market that’s filled with gourmet food vendors and artisanal producers.

Located in the very chic Rue du Bac, the store of the undisputed star of British design, Sir Terence Conran, is a must for lovers of contemporary decor. A former student of the prestigious Central Saint Martin’s in London, Sir Conran is responsible for the famous Habitat brand, created in 1964. His eponymous boutique in Sèvres-Babylone is even more sophisticated, with furniture, tableware, lighting and decorative objects.

If you’re a book lover, don’t miss Shakespeare and Company, a legendary English-language bookstore that’s been a fixture on the Left Bank since the 1920s. The shop has a cozy, inviting atmosphere, with shelves packed full of books and plenty of nooks and crannies to curl up with a good read. From there, you can admire the most beautiful view over Notre-Dame-de-Paris.

Shopping on the Left Bank is an experience that’s not to be missed. Whether you’re looking for high-end fashion, trendy streetwear, or artisanal products, this historic district has something for everyone.