Food Shopping in France

While France is certainly home to the big chain grocery stores we are accustomed to in the U.S., without much effort any traveler to France will also find a wide array of store specializing in almost every ingredient. With food as a national pastime in France, it is no wonder that the country is full of shops offering wide variety of cheese, breads, pastries, meats, chocolates and more on every corner.

In fact, these specialty stores have such delightful treats and fantastic ingredients; even if you are staying in a hotel with no access to a kitchen you can easily assemble the perfect gourmet picnic style meal. Here is a guide on the types of specialty food stores you’ll see around France.

La Pâtisserie

If you are a fan of delicious, sweet and superbly flaky treats, then you’ll absolutely fall in love with the French patisseries. Hell, even if you didn’t think you had a sweet tooth, you’ll still fall in love with the French patisseries. I have written previously about the pastry-a-day addiction I supported while I was living in France, and once you bite into a buttery pain au chocolat or perfect chausson aux pommes, you’ll be hooked.

>>Droll over and learn more about French pastries.

La Boulangerie

Even the tiniest village in France is guaranteed to have at least one boulangerie with better bread than you’ll find almost anywhere in the U.S. While not all boulangeries also have pastry chefs (pastry shops are called patisseries), many boulangeries do have more than just a wide assortment of crusty and delicious breads to chose from and also offer up an array of sweet treats, cakes and savory items. To find the best boulangerie, either ask a local or look for the longest lines early in the morning before the bakery opens. They always say go where the locals do, and when it comes to finding the best boulangerie in town, this is definitely the best piece of advice to follow.

Le Torréfacteur

The only thing that can make your morning croissant even more delightful is eating it paired with a fresh cup of coffee. The torrefacteur sells fresh-ground coffee from around the world (though don’t count on finding one of these in smaller villages in France).

La Boucherie

While you probably won’t be cooking many meats if you are traveling in France and staying in hotels, it doesn’t mean any trip to France is complete with a stop by the boucherie (unless you’re a vegetarian of course). You’ll usually be able to spot the boucherie by chicken carcasses hanging in the windows. While the boucherie does sell many raw and unprepared meats, you can also find some prepared dishes ready for reheating along with an assortment of pates at some boucheries. My favorite pates have often been pate de campagne from boucheries in small towns across France.

La Charcuterie

Not unlike La Boucherie, is a butcher shop that specializes in pork. Here you will find a wide assortment of of delicious salamis and sausages (saucisson and saucisse). After a stop to get a bottle of wine, a baguette and a good piece of cheese, you should make your way to the chacuterie to pick up a fresh saucisson or pate.

Le Chocolatier

Any store that is dedicated entirely to chocolate will always rank high in my book. Here you will find delicate and exquisite chocolates sold by the gram. You’ll feel like you are in heaven as soon as you step in the door, which would only be made better by the appearance of Johnny Depp.

Le Cave à vins

Since wine is an integral part of any and every meal in France, you will certainly be making at least one stop at a cave to pick up a few bottles of wine to enjoy while you travel. Some caves also have tables in their stores and allow customers to sit and sip for a small corkage fee.

Le Fromagerie

These are among my very favorite stores in France. Along with nursing a serious pastry addiction when I lived in France, I also found myself eating inordinate amounts of cheese. With so many different delicious types to choose from, I just couldn’t help myself (thank god for cycle classes and metro stairs so I didn’t come back to the states 10 pounds heavier). At fromageries you’ll find every kind of cheese you could imagine—from fresh to aged, sheep to goat to cow, sharp to mild, hard to soft, raw to pasteurized. You can always sample cheeses before you buy (which is half the fun) and you’ll find cheese from regions all over France.

Fromageries also often carry cage-free, free-range eggs, cream, butter, yogurt and other dairy products (though strangely you’ll rarely find milk as the French tend not to be big milk drinkers).

L’Épicerie

(also primeurs, fruits et legumes)

A l’épicerie generale is a lot like a corner store, convenience store or small market in the U.S. It’s a general grocery store (that’s much smaller than a supermarche). Like convienience stores, these tend to be open later, though they have a more assorted selection of groceries than your typical 7-11.

Look for a primeur. Primeurs are stores that have fresh supplies of produce daily and often have great selections of local, seasonal and regional produce for good prices.

Le Supermarché

If you are looking for a big grocery store offering up everything under one roof, then simply visit a supermarché. Modeled after American style grocery stores, these will look much like what you are used to seeing at home–with packaged foods, meats, cheeses and more all in one spot. Monoprix’s also sometimes feature clothing, cosmetics and other items in addition to food.

La Poissonerie

My French grandmother has long complained about the totally inadequate seafood found in most places in the U.S. Growing up accustomed to poissonerie where she could find daily fresh fish in France, it is no surprise she felt this way about fish counters in many American grocery stores. These shops carry fresh fish and seafood.

La Rôtisserie

When you see a shop with chicken roasting on spits on the sidewalks or in windows, you’ve stumbled upon a rotisseries, which specializes in these types of roasted birds.

Le Traiteur

Translated as the “caterer” these shops are where you’ll find a ton of specialty items usually reserved for special occasions. This is a great place where you can pick up cans of foie gras, smoked salmon roulade, escargot and more. You can also often purchase whole meals, package products and wine here as well.

photo credits: baguettes, boulangerie, fromagerie, pastries, rotisserie, monoprix, l’epicerie, cave a vins, chocolatier, boucherie, poissonerie