Things to Buy in Paris: Your 10-Item Souvenir Bucket List

Here’s the hard truth about Paris souvenirs: most of them are mass-produced garbage destined for a drawer. The miniature Eiffel Towers, the “I ❤️ Paris” t-shirts, the berets that fit no one—they’re not memories; they’re clutter. After a decade of returning from Paris with bags full of regret, I finally learned where the real treasures hide.

This isn’t a shopping list. It’s a curation of the best things to buy in paris that actually belong in your life, not just your suitcase. These are the good souvenirs from paris that carry the city’s soul with them.

1. A Handmade Beret from Laulhère

Let’s address the beret issue. Yes, it’s cliché—if you buy the cheap, stiff one from a street vendor. But the genuine article? That’s different. Laulhère has been making berets in the French Pyrenees since 1840, and they are the last remaining manufacturer of authentic Basque berets.

Walking into their boutique at 18 Rue des Saints-Pères feels like entering a atelier, not a souvenir shop. The wool is impossibly soft, the fit is customized to your head size, and the color range goes far beyond black (deep burgundy, slate grey, forest green).

Why it belongs in your suitcase:

Unlike the tourist version, you’ll actually wear this one. It’s warm, rain-resistant, and somehow makes every outfit look intentional. Years later, mine still holds its shape.

Where: Laulhère, 18 Rue des Saints-Pères, 6th Arrondissement
Price: €80-120

They can embroider your initials inside. It takes ten minutes and costs nothing.

Insider Tip

2. Vintage Postcards from the Marché aux Puces de Saint-Ouen

Anyone can buy new postcards. The real collector finds them here, at the largest antique market in the world. At Marché aux Puces de Saint-Ouen, specifically the stalls of Marché Dauphine or Marché Paul Bert, you’ll find wooden boxes overflowing with postcards from 1900-1960.

Handwritten messages in elegant cursive, sepia-toned views of the Eiffel Tower under construction, Art Nouveau advertising cards—each one is a fragment of someone else’s Paris.

Why it’s one of the cool things to buy in paris:

You’re not buying a souvenir; you’re rescuing a story. Frame a set of four, or mail one to yourself. The stamps and postmark become part of the art.

Where: Marché aux Puces, Porte de Clignancourt, 18th Arrondissement (Metro: Porte de Clignancourt)
Price: €2-10 each

Go on Monday morning. It’s the quietest day, and vendors are more willing to negotiate.

Insider Tip

Navigate the sprawling Marché aux Puces like a pro. Book a guided vintage shopping tour to find the best stalls.

3. Jean-Vier Forged Carbon Steel Knife

Ask any Parisian chef where their favorite knife comes from, and they’ll say E. Dehillerin. This legendary cookware shop near Les Halles has looked exactly the same since 1820—dusty, chaotic, and absolutely magical.

Their house brand, Jean-Vier, produces forged carbon steel knives that develop a beautiful patina with use. Unlike stainless steel, carbon steel takes an edge so sharp you’ll feel guilty using it on anything softer than a tomato.

Why it’s a must buy souvenir in paris:

It’s utilitarian poetry. Every time you slice an onion at home, you’ll remember the cluttered aisles of Dehillerin and the gruff salesman who showed you how to care for it. It’s an heirloom disguised as a tool.

Where: E. Dehillerin, 18-20 Rue Coquillière, 1st Arrondissement
Price: €50-150 depending on size and model

Bring cash. They prefer it and sometimes offer a small discount. Also, buy the matching carbon steel knife sharpener (fusil). It’s essential.

Insider Tip

To transport it safely, you’ll need a quality knife guard. This universal blade guard fits in checked luggage and protects both the blade and your clothes.

4. Astier de Villatte Ceramics

If you’ve seen those imperfect, creamy-white ceramic pieces with black rims gracing the tables of fashionable restaurants, you’ve seen Astier de Villatte. Each piece is handmade in their Bastille workshop using traditional 18th-century techniques, fired twice, and glazed to a finish that somehow feels both ancient and modern.

The signature texture—tiny bubbles and uneven edges—isn’t a flaw; it’s proof of human hands.

Why it’s a good souvenir from paris:

It’s the opposite of mass production. A single espresso cup or small vase carries the weight of centuries of Parisian craftsmanship. It’s fragile, expensive, and utterly irreplaceable.

Where: Astier de Villatte, 173 Rue Saint-Honoré, 1st Arrondissement
Price: €50-300+

The Rue Saint-Honoré boutique is beautiful but crowded. Their workshop shop at 7 Rue Saint-Sébastien (11th) is quieter and occasionally has seconds at a discount.

Insider Tip

5. A Custom-Formulated Perfume from Nose

Perfume is Parisian currency, but buying a designer bottle at the airport is the easy way. The real things to buy in paris france for scent lovers happen at Nose, a boutique that treats fragrance like a bespoke suit.

Their “Parfum Sur Mesure” experience begins with a 90-minute consultation where an expert analyzes your scent preferences, memories, and even your skin chemistry. Weeks later, a bottle arrives at your home with your name on it and a formula that exists nowhere else on earth.

Why it’s unforgettable:

Because it’s yours. Not the scent someone in marketing decided you should want—yours.

Where: Nose, 20 Rue Bachaumont, 2nd Arrondissement
Price: Consultation and custom fragrance from €190

Book the appointment at least two weeks in advance. The waiting list is long for good reason.

Insider Tip

Create a scent that’s uniquely yours. Book a perfume workshop or consultation in Paris.

6. Antique Silver Spoons from Village Saint-Paul

Tucked between the Seine and the Marais, the Village Saint-Paul is a maze of connected courtyards housing over 80 antique dealers. This is where Parisians come to furnish their apartments, not where tourists come to browse.

The real treasure here is the antique silver. Look for vendors specializing in orfèvrerie and hunt for a single, beautifully worn spoon or fork. The handles are often engraved with monograms of families you’ll never know, the bowls slightly softened from decades of use.

Why it’s special:

A full set of silver is expensive and cumbersome. One perfect spoon is neither. It costs less than a nice dinner, slides easily into your carry-on, and adds instant history to your morning coffee ritual.

Where: Village Saint-Paul, between Rue Saint-Paul and Rue Charlemagne, 4th Arrondissement
Price: €20-60 per piece
Not all silver is marked. Look for the Minerve hallmarks (a woman’s profile) to confirm French silver content.

7. Buly 1803 Combs and Brushes

Officine Universelle Buly is not a store; it’s a theatrical production. The 19th-century cabinetry, the marble counters, the sales associates in white lab coats—it feels like stepping into an apothecary from another century.

Their wooden combs and brushes are carved from a single piece of boxwood or pear wood, polished until they feel like silk against your hair. Unlike plastic, they don’t create static, and they develop a warm patina over years of use.

Why it’s a must buy souvenir in paris:

It’s a daily ritual object. Every morning, you’ll touch something made by hand in a small French workshop, and that’s the opposite of disposable culture.

Where: Buly 1803, 6 Rue Bonaparte, 6th Arrondissement (also at 45 Rue de Richelieu, 1st)
Price: Combs from €25, brushes from €80

They’ll engrave your name or a short message into the wood for free while you wait. Have a coffee next door and it’s ready.

Insider Tip

8. A Single Vintage Champagne Saber

Hear me out. You don’t need a full saber collection, but one vintage example from the Marché aux Puces or a reputable antique dealer in Le Marais is the ultimate conversation piece.

These sabers, often from the late 19th or early 20th century, were used by Napoleon’s cavalry officers to open champagne bottles with dramatic flair. The blades are usually etched with floral motifs or military insignia, and they slide into a checked bag surprisingly easily.

Why it’s among the cool things to buy in paris:

Because it’s ridiculous and magnificent. You’ll never actually use it for its intended purpose (though you could, and your friends will insist). It’s a tangible connection to French military history and hospitality.

Where: Antique dealers in Le Marais or Saint-Ouen. Try Jean-Michel Foisy at 12 Rue des Francs Bourgeois.
Price: €150-400 depending on age and condition

It must go in checked luggage, obviously. Wrap it in clothing and declare it at customs if asked—it’s an antique, not a weapon.

Insider Tip

9. Maison Plisson Pantry Goods

Skip the overpriced macaron boxes at the airport. Instead, go to Maison Plisson in the Haut Marais and shop like a Parisian preparing for the weekend. This is a grocery store as art gallery, curating the best small-production food items from across France.

The tinned sardines from Brittany are packed in exceptional olive oil, the sea salt from Guérande comes in a ceramic pot you’ll keep forever, and the chestnut cream from Ardèche will ruin supermarket jam for you.

Why it’s a practical thing to buy in paris:

Food souvenirs get used. They’re consumed and remembered, not stored in a drawer. Plus, they’re lightweight and pack flat.

Where: Maison Plisson, 93 Boulevard Beaumarchais, 3rd Arrondissement
Price: €5-30 per item
Their house-brand dark chocolate bars with candied orange peel are addictive. Buy three. You’ll eat one before you leave.

10. A Hand-Painted Limoges Porcelain Trinket Box

The name Limoges has meant the pinnacle of French porcelain since the 18th century. A genuine, hand-painted Limoges box—no larger than your palm—is the definition of a luxury souvenir.

Unlike mass-produced versions, authentic Limoges is heavy, brilliantly white, and decorated by artists who trained for years. The hinged lid fits perfectly, and the tiny brass clasp clicks shut with satisfying precision.

Why it’s the ultimate good souvenir from paris:

It’s tiny, precious, and utterly French. You’ll keep your rings in it, or your cufflinks, or nothing at all—just display it as a monument to the trip.

Every time you see it, you’ll remember not just Paris, but the specific weight of it in your hand when you decided to buy something beautiful for no practical reason.

Where: Porcelaine de Paris at 26 Rue de Paradis, 10th Arrondissement. This street is the heart of Parisian porcelain, with dozens of showrooms.
Price: €50-200 for small boxes
Rue de Paradis is a wholesale district. Ask if there’s a “déstockage” (clearance) section. You can find incredible deals on pieces with minor imperfections invisible to anyone but the artist.

How to Actually Get It All Home

You have ten items, some fragile, some heavy, all precious. Here’s the strategy:

1. Pack a foldable duffel in your suitcase for the return journey. This one packs into its own pocket and expands to hold your haul.
2. Ship porcelain and glass via Mondial Relay or Colissimo from a post office. It’s surprisingly affordable and insured.
3. Wear your beret home on the plane. It counts as a personal item and arrives perfectly shaped.

The VAT Refund Cheat Sheet

You’re entitled to a 12-20% refund on purchases over €100 at participating stores. Here’s how to not mess it up:

• Ask for “détaxe” at the register before paying. Show your passport.
• Scan your forms at the automated kiosks at CDG airport before check-in.
• Don’t pack the items in checked luggage if you need to show them to customs (rare, but possible).
• Allow 30 extra minutes at the airport for the scanning process. The queues at the kiosks are real.

The One Souvenir You Should Never Buy

A “vintage” Hermès scarf from a street vendor near Sacré-Cœur. It’s fake. The silk is synthetic, the edges are glued not hand-rolled, and the “Hermès Paris” stamp is crooked. You’ll know it’s fake, your friends will know it’s fake, and you’ll have paid €40 for something worth €4. Save for the real thing, or skip it entirely.

Frequently Asked Questions

The best things to buy in paris aren’t souvenirs at all. They’re future heirlooms, daily rituals, and objects that carry the weight of French craftsmanship. They’re the opposite of disposable. A forged knife that will outlive you. A ceramic cup that held your morning coffee for decades. A scent that exists only in your memory and a small glass bottle.

Don’t buy things to prove you went to Paris. Buy things that prove Paris came home with you.

Save this guide, bookmark the addresses, and pack an empty bag.