Parisian Food Souvenirs

In Asia, food markets in luxury department stores are completely normal. In London, Harrods is seriously upgrading its food department. And Paris, the culinary city of cities, is not standing still either. Following Lafayette, department store Printemps has opened a new chic food department to feast on. Both for the view and for the products.

Lafayette Gourmet has been around for a while. Now, since mid-January, another of the Grands Magasins (large department stores) on Boulevard Haussmann in Paris also has a special food department like those that are completely normal in major Asian cities.

900 m2 of food

Printemps’ 900 m2 marché du goût (market of taste) is not in the basement, as it is at Lafayette and in many Chinese malls, but, just like in Tokyo’s department stores, in the attic. More precisely, on the 7th and 8th floors of the brand-new Printemps de l’Homme. In the place where the store staff once ate.

The first thing you notice, therefore, is the breathtaking view of those typically Parisian avenues, with the Eiffel Tower as the icing on the cake. But that’s not (the only reason) you come for. What you do come for is the selection of French products. The best in their category, Printemps guarantees.

Cheese bar

Every last Parisian quality producer rents a few square metres here for their cheeses, vegetables, meat, fish, bread, patisserie or chocolate. Available to buy for home, or to eat on the spot at the designy cheese bar, meat bar, fish bar, vegetable bar or bread bar with a view of the Eiffel Tower. Such as un parisien (a baguette with butter and ham) on the top floor, or a black hamburger bun from baker Gontran Cherrier. Forget the cup of coffee in a cardboard cup that you can order there for €4 and go down one floor to the seventh floor, where Parisian coffee roaster Lomi pours a lovely filter coffee or noisette (espresso with a little milk foam) into porcelain for a fraction of the price.

Take a seat at the cheese bar for a cheese lunch

Among the vendors on the two floors are La Maison du Chocolat, Le Palais de Thé, Maison Balme (truffles), Byzance (caviar and smoked salmon), La maison Dubernet (everything from the French countryside). You’ll also find shelves packed with honey, jam, crisps, oil, vinegar, mustard and other foodstuffs in chic versions.

Chefs du moment

Everything is displayed in a clean design with lots of wood and inlaid mosaic floors, where tastings, ateliers/workshops and meetings with artisanal producers also take place. Under the direction of the four French ‘chefs du moment’: Akrame Benallal, Gontran Cherrier, Laurent Dubois and Christophe Michalak.

The Japanese foodistas (the French term), selfie sticks in hand, have already discovered the departments.

Printemps du Goût, 64 Boulevard Haussmann, Paris (9th arrondissement).

Image: Marjan Ippel