{"id":422,"date":"2025-06-07T07:06:04","date_gmt":"2025-06-06T23:06:04","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/gagner-des-cadeaux.org\/index.php\/2025\/03\/07\/grocery-store-tourism-shop-for-food-like-a-local-in-france\/"},"modified":"2025-11-23T09:56:03","modified_gmt":"2025-11-23T01:56:03","slug":"grocery-store-tourism-shop-for-food-like-a-local-in-france","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/gagner-des-cadeaux.org\/?p=422","title":{"rendered":"Grocery store tourism: shop for food like a local in France"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Going to a supermarket while traveling turns what is usually a fairly mundane activity at home into a new cultural experience and a deep insight into another country. From eyeing up fruits we\u2019ve never seen before to sampling regional specialties, trying local foods is one of the best ways to get to know a place.<\/p>\n

Food grabs your attention in France, one of gastronomic capitals of the world and home to the crispy baguette, many prestigious wines, and a ton of Michelin stars. But while fine dining can sometimes be out of reach, we can all browse the aisles of our local supermarket to get a taste of France. Here good food is revered every day, from picking up freshly baked croissants in the morning to browsing cheese and wines on a Saturday afternoon for a weekend ap\u00e9ro<\/em> (ap\u00e9ritif) with friends.<\/p>\n

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Here we show you how to get the most out of grocery shopping in France, from what to when and where to buy it.<\/p>\n

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Supermarkets will have the basics, go to France’s specialty shops for the good stuff. Will Salter\/Lonely Planet<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Types of French supermarkets and grocery shops<\/h2>\n

Supermarkets are, of course, where pretty much all French people do their daily shopping. Big chains include Carrefour and Franprix, but you’ll find the highest quality food selection (plus a popular selection of clothes and homeware) at Monoprix. For organic, seasonal produce go to Bio C Bon (mainly in Paris), Naturalia, or Biocoop (the supermarkets do sell organic produce but you\u2019ll find a better quality in the list here).<\/p>\n

It’s still the norm in France to go to a specialty shop for certain products, particularly if you’re hosting an event like a birthday or dinner party. Some places you\u2019re sure to spot are the boucherie <\/em>or butcher (they\u2019ll probably sell charcuterie too, but if not, look for a boucherie charcuterie<\/em>), poissonnerie<\/em> (fishmongers), fromagerie<\/em> (cheesemonger), cave<\/em> (wine shop), boulangerie<\/em> (bakery selling bread, pastries, and sometimes cakes and desserts), p\u00e2tisserie<\/em> (bakery selling fancier desserts) and chocolaterie<\/em> (shop selling chocolate and maybe other sweet treats such as caramels, hot chocolate or chocolate desserts).<\/p>\n

For specialty products like teas, jams and preserves, canned fish and pasta, look for an \u00e9picerie<\/em> or \u00e9picerie fine. <\/em>The fine<\/em> indicates that higher quality, artisan items are available, but you can sometimes get these at an \u00e9picerie too.<\/p>\n

Markets are a huge part of French life all around the country. They\u2019re great for picking up fruit and veg, buying local specialities and just generally immersing yourself in this part of French culture.<\/p>\n

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You can also buy fresh produce from a primeur<\/em> (greengrocer), and while they usually have a great selection, they can be more expensive than the supermarket.<\/p>\n

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Markets are the lifeblood of France, culturally and culinarily. Bruno De Hogues\/Getty Images<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Shopping in season<\/h2>\n

Traditionally, the French have shopped according to what was available: if it wasn\u2019t the season for strawberries, then you couldn\u2019t find a strawberry. This has changed somewhat in the big supermarket chains where you can now get most things most of the time, but the organic supermarkets still respect seasonality.<\/p>\n

The products you can’t leave France without buying (and what to ask for)<\/h2>\n

Cheese and dairy products<\/h3>\n

Have you even been to France if you haven\u2019t eaten fromage<\/em>? Charles de Gaulle famously wondered \u201chow can anyone govern a country with 246 varieties of cheese?\u201d but in fact the French president had seriously underestimated just how much cheese his country was producing: experts put the number around 1,000 to 1,200 different varieties. You\u2019ll only find a small selection of global brands in the supermarket, and while they might satisfy your cheese cravings, it\u2019s best to head to a fromagerie<\/em> (cheesemonger) where they’ll guide you to your perfect cheese match. Some popular options beyond the obvious Roquefort and Brie are Comt\u00e9, Cantal and Mimolette (all hard cheeses matured to different ages); Bleu d’Auvergne, a delicious alternative blue option; Mont d’Or (try melting this in winter instead of Camembert); Pont-l’\u00c9v\u00eaque and Livarot, if you like soft cheese; and the creamy Brillat-Savarin.<\/p>\n

Bread and pastries<\/h3>\n

If there is one thing to definitely avoid in a French supermarket, it\u2019s bread and pastries. They will be of a lower, industrial quality, so it really is worth looking for a good boulangerie or p\u00e2tisserie. Sourdough bread (pain au levain)<\/em> is growing in popularity in Paris and bakers will often slice it for you if you want it for a picnic. If you want a classic baguette, ask for a baguette tradition<\/em>, which is made with only four ingredients: flour, yeast, salt and water. If you ask for a baguette without the tradition,<\/em> then the same rules don\u2019t apply. When picking a croissant, make sure to choose the straight-shaped croissant au beurre<\/em> made with butter, as it’s flakier and full of flavor; the croissant ordinaire\/nature<\/em> is made with margarine and can be spotted by its crescent shape. Other pastries to look out for include pains au chocolat<\/em>, pains aux raisins<\/em>, pains Suisses<\/em>, and chaussons aux pommes<\/em>. Financiers and madeleines are also French classics.<\/p>\n

Wine and spirits<\/h3>\n

Wine can be intimidating, especially in a country famous for it. Supermarkets can have a pretty good selection, but for a more authentic experience, head to a cave to ask the experts. They can also introduce you to options you probably haven\u2019t tried before: swap a bottle of big brand champagne for a smaller grower-producer (the term given to artisan producers who grow their own grapes) or skip the Bordeaux and Burgundy in favor of an up and coming wine region such as Jura, Cahors or Languedoc.<\/p>\n

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Head to a cave for expert insight into France’s prolific wine scene. Krzysztof Dydynski\/Lonely Planet<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Tips for shopping in French supermarkets<\/h2>\n

Shopping etiquette<\/h3>\n

In some French supermarkets you\u2019ll be expected to weigh fresh produce yourself and take it to the cashier with a barcode ready to scan; look around for scales with a touch screen and other shoppers weighing their fruit and veg.<\/p>\n

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Shops that don\u2019t expect you to weigh your own produce sometimes still have a scale so you can check how much you\u2019re buying. If they don\u2019t and you need to know how many grams you\u2019ve got, then you can always ask a staff member to weigh it for you by saying \u201cpouvez-vous peser cela s\u2019il vous pla\u00eet?\u201d<\/p>\n

French supermarkets often have paper bags and sturdier multi-use shopping bags for sale at the check out, but you\u2019ll see many French people taking their own bags to be more eco-friendly.<\/p>\n

In specialist stores, the staff really are the experts. The French respect their knowledge and it’s generally expected that you listen to their recommendations. If you really don\u2019t like something they choose, that\u2019s ok \u2013 just tell them so they lead you in the right direction. But if they tell you why these cheeses pair well together on a platter or why that wine would be great with your dessert, they expect that you\u2019ll go with their advice. If you\u2019re unsure about what you might like, ask to try some samples.<\/p>\n

In Paris you\u2019ll find most people in food shops and markets speak English, although it\u2019s always polite \u2013 and appreciated \u2013 to make an effort in French. Department stores also have excellent food halls and a lot of English-speaking staff: try Galeries Lafayette Le Gourmet and La Cave, La Grande \u00c9picerie, the fantastic (although expensive) food hall belonging to the ultra-luxe Le Bon March\u00e9, or the two floors of Printemps du Go\u00fbt at Printemps Haussmann.<\/p>\n

Best times to shop<\/h3>\n

Although it\u2019s becoming more common for big supermarket chains to open on a Sunday in Paris, you\u2019re more likely to find that everywhere is closed outside of the capital. For independent shops, Sunday openings vary. If you\u2019re heading to the supermarket from around 6pm and onwards, expect to stand in a queue as people will be popping in after work to pick up dinner. Of course Saturdays are another busy period.<\/p>\n

Markets usually set up shop one or two days a week from early morning to early afternoon. March\u00e9 Bastille in Paris, for example, is open from 7am until 1:30pm on Thursdays and from 7am until 2:30pm on Saturdays. Go early to see the market in full swing and get the best choice of produce. If you get there just before closing time, some stalls might\u2019ve already sold out or closed up completely, although some sellers may offer an end-of-day bargain price to get rid of leftover produce.<\/p>\n

Payment methods<\/h3>\n

Most shops accept contactless card payments, although there might be a minimum spend of one or five euros. But when visiting a market it\u2019s handy to take both card and cash (including small change or notes for small purchases) as some vendors have a preference, and some don\u2019t take card payments at all.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Going to a supermarket wh<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":423,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-422","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-france-travel-stories"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/gagner-des-cadeaux.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/422","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/gagner-des-cadeaux.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/gagner-des-cadeaux.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gagner-des-cadeaux.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gagner-des-cadeaux.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=422"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/gagner-des-cadeaux.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/422\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1185,"href":"https:\/\/gagner-des-cadeaux.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/422\/revisions\/1185"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gagner-des-cadeaux.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/423"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/gagner-des-cadeaux.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=422"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gagner-des-cadeaux.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=422"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gagner-des-cadeaux.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=422"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}