I'm going to Paris - where should I look?

[mippy]

Not going for serious shopping (I'm a 16 so I believe it would be tricky anyway) but I would like to know your secret haunts. Is Sephora worth a look or does it stock mainly what I can get in UK stores? Any great places for quirky, vintagey stuff for less than tourist prices (is there a French equivalent of Oxfam)? Any recommended fabric shops? Where do you like to get presents for people? And what's the equivalent of Tesco MEtro so we can eat cheap during the day and have a gorgeous meal at night?

It is my birthday on the first night there so I may treat myself to something.

We had a week in Paris last autumn, it was bliss. I didn't have a lot of shopping time, but spent a few sneaky hours in Le Bon Marche, and really everything you could possibly want is there and it's not overwhelming like Galleries Lafayette.

Montmartre has lots of fabric shops, just by Sacre Coeur, but I came across this haberdashery in the Marais, I could have spent a fortune there. Le Bon Marche has a great haberdashery on the top floor.

Monoprix is a nice supermarket, but there are swoon-worthy patisseries and creperies on every street corner.

Have a lovely time

The Babyccino Kids blog entry for today has a list of material shop - in Paris!
here

I went to Samaritaine the last time I went, nearly 10 years ago, but only remember buying a bottle of honey with a bee head stopper.

I speak almost no French, which makes me feel a bit intimidated even if with Paris being such a tourist mecca I'm unlikely to get lost.

Sorry - didnt read the blog properly - its for online shops! Oops.

I would stock up on Sephora cosmetics, there lipsticks are amazing!

OP, La Samaritaine has closed down now...went there recently and was gutted about that.

i dont really shop there

Oh really? Boooo. I was looking forward to assembling a picnic from the foodhall.

Second Bon Marché - and you could get a great picnic from La grande Epicerie, their food hall. Monoprix food halls also OK.

Used to love going to Sephora ages ago, pre Euro, because all the French brands were cheaper so I stocked up. Cost the same as in London now, but perhaps Sephora still worth a browse for their own label stuff which is quite cute and cheap. I also used to make pilgrimages to Diptyque and By Terry, but you can get those in Space NK now!

Expect MN Paris residents know the places to go not yet 'discovered', though.