Though the Latin Quarter is not best known for its shopping, you’ll still find a few stores worth checking out, some with some unique products others with historical value. You’ll also find a few locations of popular brands or chains in the city, stores with quality product and perhaps less of a crowd than their other locations, such as Diptyque, Maje and Claudie Pierlot.

Shakespeare & Co.

One of the most famous bookstores in all of Paris and it caters to an English speaking crowd – what’s not to love? The current location, right along the Seine and facing the Notre-Dame, has been in operation since 1951 but the original store opened in 1919 on Rue de l’Odéon. It was created as a place for the expats who had made Paris there home in the early 20th cenutry, including literary greats like Ernest Hemingway, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Gertrude Stein, and James Joyce. The rebirth of the shop in 1951 aimed to revive what the original store once was, catering to the next era of writers who ran away to Paris, now including Anaïs Nin, Allen Ginsberg, Henry Miller, and countless more.

While originally just a bookstore, the fame and legacy of Shakespeare & Co. has extended to now include a publishing division and an annual writers contest called the Paris Literary Prize. It has also reached mainstream levels of fame after featuring in countless movies filmed in Paris, solidifying it’s permanent place in Parisian culture.

Address: 51 Rue Censier
Closest métro station: Censier Daubenton (M7)

La Tuile a Loup

While France is known for its lovely pottery, ceramics and glassware, after a while they can start to look mass produce or like something you’ve seen before. This is not me disparaging the style or quality, I’d still recommend French pottery any day of the week – some of my favourite brands would be included in the aforementioned description. But when travelling, sometimes you want to bring back a unique or one-of-a-kind piece that really stands out, reminding you of your trip each and every time you see it.

La Tuile a Loup is the place to go for statement pieces or colourful mugs, crafted locally and reminiscent of the artisan work you’d find at a little fair or specialty market. And while some items may feel a little to whimsical for your taste, they have a great selection of pieces that are still unique but feel upscale and posh. Check out their Instagram account to get a feel for the styles and items offered.

Address: 35 rue Daubenton
Métro: Censier-Daubenton (M7)

NICOLAÏ

A family run company, NICOLAÏ is a small artisan perfumery with fragrance in the blood; one of the co-founders, Patricia, descends from Pierre Guerlain – the man who made the fragrance and cosmetic brand a household name today. With her own qualifications and education, Patricia and her husband launched their own independent fragrance brand, one that now has international recognition despite only having storefronts in Paris and London. Explore the many fragrances and candles, finding your own signature scent that you’re unlikely to share with anyone back home. The staff are great at helping you find your perfect choice, making recommendations based on scents you already like and wear.

Address: 240 rue Saint-Jacques
Closest métro station(s): Luxembourg (RER B)

Atelier Choux

If you’re looking for a charming and quaint children’s boutique, Atelier Choux is a great shop to check out – whether you’re looking for your own children or as a souvenir for someone back home. While pricey for children’s clothing, you’ll find adorable clothing that embraces the spirit of Paris – especially the Belle Epoque period. Here you can buy onesies and playsuits with drawings of hot air balloons or caricatures from Versailles, or elegant reversible quilts that will bring a soft pastel and subtle aesthetic to a child’s room. This store – though predominantly targeted to baby girls – is a great stop to find the perfect gift for the expecting mother, something timeless and special or something whimsical that will encourage future travel.

Address: 3 rue Hautefeuille
Closest métro station(s): Odéon (M4 or M10) and Saint-Michel (M4 and RER C)

CHEYMA

If you’re looking for fun eccentric fashion pieces to spruce up your closet, this is the boutique for you. While not cheap, you can find haute-couture inspired clothing at contemporary brand prices. Ruffled skirts and frilly dresses to bring out your inner Carrie Bradshaw or oversized silk blazers in bold colours to grab attention and respect. Here you’ll find very unique and stand-out pieces that you’d only expect to find on TV. If on a tight budget or looking for versatile pieces you can wear time and again, this is not the store for you. But if looking to make a statement, this is a treasure trove of fun flamboyant pieces that almost border impracticality and yet can be easily worn with anything you’ll have in your closet at home … you just need to be willing to try.

Address: 3 rue Hautefeuille
Closest métro station(s): Odéon (M4 or M10) and Saint-Michel (M4 and RER C)

Avanti la Musica

This little store is a trip to another time, specializing in household items we hardly see today, especially music boxes. If you’re looking for something singular and special, you will definitely find it here. Whether you drop by just to check out the shockingly large collection of music boxes, or you want to find the perfect gift for someone (specificall children or expecting parents), this store should not be overlooked as it’s whimsical products and antiques will transport you to a simpler and more elegant time. You’ll find music boxes, wooden toys, pll boxes, marionette dolls, and more. Everything you need to turn a child’s room into 1890’s Paris.

Address: 73 Quai de la Tournelle
Closest métro station(s): Maubert-Mutualité (M10)

Marché Rue Mouffetard

While Rue Mouffetard is a popular street in the Latin Quarter, full of little shops and boulangeries, it is most commonly known for it’s outdoor market that fills up the street with stalls during the day. Locals and tourists alike flock here to buy fresh produce, artisanal bread, local cheeses and charcuterie, and pastries that offer a home-cooked feel. If there’s any doubt to the quality of this market, put away those worries – this was Julia Child’s favourite market, with her frequenting it regularly.

Vendors typically open between 9 and 10am, but close for lunch, reopening roughly around 2pm. For the best and freshest options, it’s best to go in the morning - perhaps grab your breakfast from one of the many vendors. Sunday mornings the market is at its finest, but also its busiest, and when it closes for lunch, it doesn’t reopen until Tuesday. The Marché rue Mouffetard is closed Sunday afternoons and Mondays.

Closest métro station(s): Censier Daubenton (M7)
Opening Hours/Days: Open from Tuesday-Sunday, from approximately 9:30am – 4pm (hours are subjective, not official). Closes early on Sundays. Closed Mondays.

Marché Monge

A small outdoor food market with stalls offerings fresh produce, cheese, meat, fish, wine and flowers – everything fresh one needs to dive into the art of French cooking. It’s been running since 1921, earning it quite the reputation for both quality and prices. As in the quality is great, but it is a tad more expensive than you’d expect for an outdoor market. Perhaps that’s because a lot of the vendors are also the farmers, bakers, butchers, fishermen, etc. So if you’re looking for high quality fresh food, come here and find it, or relax with a bottle of wine from one of the many vendors. Wednesday and Friday mornings from 7am-2:30pm, or on Sundays from 7am-3pm.

Closest métro station(s): Place Monge (M7)
Opening Hours/Days: Open Wednesday and Friday mornings from 7am-2:30pm, and on Sundays from 7am-3p