Food Stores

Food stores in France are numerous, well stocked and enticing. When passing in front of a window display, you will be tempted to sample some of the articles offered. Even if you do not have access to a kitchen to cook most of the products, you could pack an appetizing lunch for when you will be strolling through the streets of an ancient city, relaxing on an old stone parapet, or by sitting by the road side during a bicycle excursion. Below is a list of products you can expect to find in the following stores:

Boucherie - meat, mostly beef, veal and poultry.

Boulangerie - many types of breads, croissants and brioches.

Boulangerie-patisserie - breads, croissants, brioches and pastries.

Caviste - wines, brandies and liqueurs.

Charcuterie - ham, sausages, pork products and some prepared foods.

Chocolaterie - chocolates.

Confiserie - candies.

Crémerie - milk, cream, eggs and cheeses.

Fromagerie - cheeses. There are more types of cheese in France than days in the year. You will need a lot of time to sample them all...

Fruits et légumes - fresh produces.

Glacier - serving ice-creams and sorbets for consumption on the premises or to take home.

Marché - weekly or semi-weekly market set in designated streets. All types of food can be found at the marché including very seasonnal products such as wild mushrooms. Prices are usually attractive, the quality high and the variety of products impressive.

Pâtisserie - pastries and desserts. Sometimes ice cream is also served.

Poissonnerie - fish and seafood.

Traiteur - prepared foods, pasta, wines. An indispensable stop when you don't feel like cooking but have determined that you wanted to eat well at home or were going to pack a lunch.

Triperie - innards such as tripes, kidneys and liver.

Supermarché - supermarket where you will find all of the above.

Hypermarché - large supermarket, mall-type, where you will find more than all of the above and where independent retailers are also established.