Food shopping in Paris is a great way to save money, and embracing the “hunt and gather” mindset will have you enjoying this usually mundane task while exploring your temporary home.

 

Shortly after you arrive, you’re going to need to do a bit of food shopping in Paris. No it’s not the glamorous part of your vacation you imagined, but you’ll quickly learn why it’s best to have some snacks around your hotel room, supplies for a picnic and maybe even an expertly selected bottle of wine. So of course this will drive you to do a bit of drink and food shopping in Paris.

But fear not! This normally mundane ritual can easily become one of your favorite parts of traveling while saving you money and giving you a great chance to do some exploring.

Embrace the hunt and gather mindset for food shopping in Paris

My wife used the phrase “hunt and gather” for my nearly nightly (and usually daily) journeys to do a bit of food shopping in Paris. Venturing into the neighborhood while she was either sleeping in or relaxing before we’d head out for the night  became a common ritual.

Hunt and gather means more than just food shopping in Paris

Yes, the goal was to “gather” some snacks for the apartment, a quick breakfast or our nightly bottle of champagne but in reality, the “hunt” portion of the hunt and gather was more important to me. I was free to explore at my own pace a bit and with no particular heading in mind other than “bring back snacks”.

I was able to feel the energy of an awakening city while waiting in line for a hot morning baguette, or dilly-dally my way through a hidden square on the way to get a personal recommendation at a wine shop from the owner. I was food shopping in Paris, but more importantly I was using this as an excuse to get a bit lost.

A stocked apartment or hotel feels more like home

Food shopping in Paris not only means you’re getting supplies, it means you’re doing a bit of nesting in your temporary home! I’ve detailed before how one of my favorite things is the late afternoon/early evening bottle of champagne in our Paris apartment. Beyond that, having some choice snacks on hand to pair with the beverages make it feel much like we’re sitting in our own home prepping for a fun night out. Little touches like this make you feel at ease and like you belong in the place you’re visiting. You’re making it your own, even if it’s only temporary

 

What to look for when Food Shopping in Paris

Use food shopping in Paris as an excuse to explore your neighborhood

The cool, late afternoon breeze blows through my hair as I exited our apartment in Saint-Germain. Turning my feet towards a usual stop, the Carrefour market up the street, I decided to detour and walk through Place Furstenberg.

This pretty little almost hidden square is host to a few small businesses as well as the former working home of the celebrated French artist Eugene De LaCroix. Taking a moment to linger, I appreciate the fact I can see such a place while simply running out to do a bit of food shopping in Paris.

Hidden sights reveal themselves when you take the time to look

Taking the opportunity to explore when you’re heading out to buy a baguette can lead to some surprising and memorable instances in your travels. A good way to approach it is to know your destination, be it a grocery store or smaller shop, then commit yourself to getting to it in a different way than you have previously.

Or, if it’s your first time visiting a certain location, make a commitment to get there efficiently but then have a look around the surrounding neighborhood and aim to take a new way back to where you came from.

A great example of this is stopping at joints like Chez Papa in the 6th Arrondisement as they’re getting ready to open. On one trip out for snacks, I took a longer path so that I could investigate this excellent jazz venue and see what was on the card for that evening’s performance.

As luck would have it, the manager was just starting to open and I was able to greet him with a friendly bonjour and get a chance to talk jazz and if he was a fan of the night’s artist. Little moments like this don’t pop up if you hurry from place to place, so give yourself the chance to meander a bit on your food shopping in Paris journeys.

 

Getting to know your neighborhood through food shopping in Paris

When researching where you want to stay in Paris, you’ll likely be checking for proximity to the major sights on your itinerary as well as mass transit (and if you need more help you can download my notion travel template with tips here). These are excellent things to consider, but I’d also throw out proximity to the highly rated stops for wine, bread and other groceries.

You’re in France buddy, you’re gonna want good wine and good bread so may as well make it part of your search for where to stay!

Aim for a good mix of grocery stores, markets and specialty shops when food shopping in Paris.

You’ll be in a grocery store at least once, so it pays to know the closest to you. Carrefour is common, as is Franprix. These major chains are great for the necessities, quick snacks to stock up your hotel or apartment and solid prices on popular alcoholic beverages. Especially when it comes to champagne, you’ll find excellent prices on the shelves of these small supermarkets. 

You found the nearest grocery store, now let’s find the smaller shops for a more intimate experience.

While the larger chains are convenient, Specialty shops are best for bread and pastries plus other goods like cheese and meats. Knowing where the good boulangerie is around your temporary home is critical, because the chance to wake up and grab a fresh baguette or croissant should never be missed. Patisseries are more geared to sweets and worth knowing as well.

A quick search in your arrondissement will yield several options, especially if you’re staying in the city center. Read a few reviews (and look for more French reviews than English if possible) to find the spots that seem more popular with locals.

Specialty stores don’t stop at food shopping in Paris alone, head to small wine shops for the best experience.

Wine shops are great as the price won’t be far off from the grocery stores, and you can get a chance to talk and interact with an expert who will know what to recommend to your tastes. What’s more is many of these shops have relationships with independent wineries in France that you won’t find in the larger stores.

Plus, if you’re aiming to take a bottle of wine or Champagne out for a picnic, many of these shops will also have cups for you to take along with you. If they’re paper cups, however, pour your champagne extra slowly or you’ll wind up with a fizzy mess.

Don’t ask how I know just trust me on this one and save your bubbles.

Finally, head for the outdoor markets when food shopping in Paris

Market streets are fantastic destinations in Paris, with Rue Mouffetard and Rue Cler being two of the largest that are ideal for a destination visit. Parisian apartments are not large, so residents tend to shop daily for fresh food instead of stocking up for the week like we do in America.

Now you likely won’t be cooking a meal, but these markets are an amazing people watching opportunity and to get a slice of daily life while food shopping in Paris. Use it as a chance to buy fresh fruit for a picnic or just do some browsing. Keep in mind that smaller local markets also pop up, just search for your arrondissement and shop like a local when they’re open and available.

Above all, getting out and doing your own food shopping in Paris will save you some money and make you feel more at home

If you’re looking for cheaper meal options, and in all honesty it’s going to happen no matter your budget in Paris, going on the hunt and gather for a picnic or meal in your lodging is one of the best ways to do so. Challenge yourself to some food shopping in Paris like a Parisian, popping into specialty shops, grocery stores and markets alike to gather your items. Not only is this leading you to a tasty and cost effective meal, but it’s getting you involved in the local scene and there’s few better ways to feel more embedded in Paris than this.

I can think of a few specific moments in Paris that I felt truly at home, and naturally most of those involve food and drink! In particular I recall walking into the La Dernière Goutte wine shop and greeting the staff with a friendly bonjour, only to find I was speaking to a fellow American! She was incredibly kind and able to not only direct us on some Champagne they just got in stock, but also when to return to speak with the owner who would be able to give us even more detail on their excellent selection (Patty, if you read this, thanks for the help!). This is a moment I wouldn’t get in a large store, but instead found because we did a little bit of research for wine stores near our apartment and then made the effort to see it for ourselves. 

When Food Shopping in Paris, embrace the hunt and gather mindset.

Hunt and gather as often as you can, for the foods and drinks you came all the way to France to enjoy. When you treat food shopping in Paris as less of a chore (like it can be at home) and more as a chance to ingrain yourself in the local culture and daily life you’ll find it becoming an indelible part of your journey. My daily trips out for supplies are among my favorite little moments when traveling and I always look forward to them as a chance to get out and explore while food shopping in Paris. The moment in Paris where you feel like you belong is easier to come by when you’re participating in the local scene, and what better way than with a full belly and a sip of something good to drink.

Do you hunt and gather on your trips already? What are some of your favorite tips and memories when heading out for supplies? Let me know in the comments.