Ovale
40, Bld Haussman, 75007 Paris 21, rue Marbeuf, 75008 Paris
Ultra-upmarket children’s clothing, mostly in subdued shades of ivory and beige, along with solid-silver rattles and gold jewelry for tiny tots. Well known for giant plush polar bears in the window displays.L’Echoppe
47 rue des Martyrs Paris 9th Métro: Saint-Georges/Pigalle
A gourmet boutique on the chic rue des Martyrs that will assemble just the right beautifully wrapped gustatory gift for any special occasion. Owner Sabine de Soyres, a dedicated gourmande, has scoured France to find the best regional delicacies in four categories: wines and champagnes, flowers, gourmet groceries, and sweets and chocolate. Each of the 50 or so wines available in the store hover around the €10 mark, but Soyres caters to any budget.Surface to Air
108 rue Vieille du Temple Paris 75003
Cutting-edge womenswear in luxurious materials, and quality tailoring at a modest price. Founded as a creative agency by a group of young Paris-based designers over a decade ago, the label's minimalist aesthetic blends fashion with art, overlapping into film, photography and design. The ultimate in street-chic.Bernard Steinitz
77, rue du Faubourg-Saint-Honoré Paris 75008
Founded in 1968 by Bernard Steinitz, who now works together with his son Benjamin, one of the city’s best known galleries for top-level 17th- and 18th-century furniture and objets d’art, including exceptional carved wood panelling.Franck et Fils
80 rue de Passy Paris 75016
A department store with a concept store feel, specializing in the symbiosis of fashion and art.Galerie-Musée Baccarat
11 pl des Etats-Unis Paris 75016 Métro: Boissière
This museum is intended to dazzle. Set up in the former home of the socialite Vicomtesse Marie-Laure de Noailles, this is the flagship of the Baccarat crystal manufacturer, also housing three boutiques and an upscale restaurant. One section of the museum showcases special commissions for Baccarat's most prestigious clients—the Prince of Wales, the Emperor of Japan, the Shah of Iran, King Farouk of Egypt, Josephine Baker, Coco Chanel, Aristotle Onassis, even Pope John Paul II. Closed Sun and Tues.Cinquième Sens
18 rue Monttessuy Paris 75007
Custom-made perfumes can be created in this perfumers’ workshop formerly reserved only for professionals.Musée du Louvre
75058 Paris Métro: Palais Royal
The museum’s comprehensive collections cover the history of art from Egyptian, Greek and Roman antiquities to mid-19th-century European painting and sculpture, including Oriental, Islamic and primitive art and the monumental medieval remains of the Louvre itself.; information English/Spanish 01.40.20.53.17. Closed Tues.La Maison des Trois Thés
1 rue Saint Médard Paris 75005
A chic architect-designed boutique and tea shop run by Chinese tea master Madame Yu Hui Tseng. Very expensive, often rare teas for the tasting.Galeries Lafayette
40 blvd Haussmann Paris 75009
Galeries Lafayette spreads through three buildings on Boulevard Haussmann: The main Coupole building is the store’s fashion central, with affordable designs alongside upscale goods—and free fashion shows every Friday afternoon—as well as an enormous children’s concept store. Home decor is in Lafayette Maison and menswear in Lafayette Homme.Alléosse
13 rue Poncelet Paris 75017
One of the city’s prettiest cheese shops, this family-owned operation on a busy market street, with separate aging cellars, offers a wide selection and a helpful staff.Assouline
35 rue Bonaparte Paris 75006
A lovely bookshop decorated like a private apartment, with polished parquet floors and comfy sofas for browsers, run by the Paris publisher of photography, art, fashion and design books, some of them beautiful coffee-table tomes wrapped in silk or packaged in Goyard trunks. The gift selection includes cashmere throws and scented candles, including one with the aroma of leather bindings and bookshelves.