Shopping/markets
Le Bon Marché opened in 1852 as the world's first modern department store, and today remains one of the most stylish and carefully curated shopping destinations in Paris, distinct from the larger, more crowded stores near Opéra. Its adjoining food hall, La Grande Épicerie, is considered a destination in its own right.
✨ Reasons to go
💡 Good to know
⏱️ Typical visit
1h30
🕰️ Best time
morning, lunchtime, afternoon or early evening
🚶 Walking intensity
Easy pace
Hours
Booking
What people say
"Le Bon Marché has this really specific energy that’s hard to explain until you’re actually inside it. It’s luxury, but not loud about it. Everything feels calm, spacious, and really thoughtfully curated—almost like you’re walking through an elegant gallery where you just happen to be able to shop. What I like most is that it doesn’t feel overwhelming the way some department stores in Paris can. It’s modern in how everything is laid out—clean, minimal, very edited—but you still feel the history in it at the same time. Nothing feels rushed or overly trendy. You can move from fashion to beauty to home without it ever feeling chaotic, and then downstairs at La Grande Épicerie it turns into a whole other experience—beautiful food, everything perfectly packaged, very “Parisian lifestyle” in the most effortless way. And then there are these little corners that make it feel even more special. The paper store is a dream if you love stationery or design—everything is so intentional and beautiful it’s hard not to linger. And the bookstore is one of those places you don’t just browse in for a few minutes… you can easily lose hours there without realizing it. It’s really one of those places where you don’t just shop—you slow down, wander, and end up staying longer than you planned."
— Nathaly Montanez
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