La Grande Épicerie: Paris's Finest Food Hall

La Grande Épicerie de Paris is a high-end food hall belonging to the Le Bon Marché department store, though it has its own separate building. It has three levels: 1, 0 and −1. What we'd think of as the first-floor lobby is called the rez-de-chaussée in France and is labeled level 0, so keep that in mind.

The standouts are level 0, with its groceries, and the wine cellar on level −1. It is one of the most upscale food shops in France, often called a gourmet's paradise, with fine ingredients from around the world. It even sells rarities such as strawberry gochujang, a Korean chili paste.

On level 0, cheese and truffles are musts. At the cheese counter (La Fromagerie), ask for a truffle-cheese recommendation and you can taste them all; the flavor is thrilling. The truffle section has truffle oil, truffle juice, truffle salt and more, and truffle oil is the best value. Our guide suggests skipping the salt: drizzle truffle oil over ordinary salt and you've made truffle salt, and the store-bought kind can sometimes lack aroma. Also take a look at the foie gras, butter and charcuterie, plus snacks like biscuits and jams. You can easily lose a few hours browsing.

The wine cellar on level −1 is huge, with more than 2,400 wines as of 2024. It holds French wines, wines from around the world and French liqueurs. There are professional sommeliers on hand, so you don't have to agonize over what to buy on your own, and prices are better than you might expect. The range runs from grands crus of famous châteaux to rare bottles from small producers.