Tag Archives: galeries lafayette

The Rooftop Igloos at Galeries Lafayette

15 Sunday Jan 2017

Posted by in French food and wine, French holidays, Paris guide, Paris tips, Paris Wanderings

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Paris is very cold in January and it would be unheard of to venture to the open-air top floor of a department store for tapas and a cocktail. BUT, Paris’s innovative department store, Galeries Lafayette has come up with a unique idea by plopping a few heated see-through geodesic domes over the rooftop bar.

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The concept, brilliant, the view, magnifique. They call it a “cocooning vibe where serenity and tranquility reign supreme”.  Who wouldn’t want that?

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Here’s the menu:

Champagne, cocktails
Soft drinks, fruit juices
Hot drinks
Savoury and sweet tapas
Oysters
Foie gras
Regional French products
Seasonal dish of the day

Continuous service from 11.00 am to 8.00 pm. When they will be removed to make way for spring, I’m not sure.

Galeries Lafayette Paris Haussmann, 40 boulevard Haussmann – 75009 Paris

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What to bring back from Paris

19 Wednesday Oct 2016

Posted by in Paris shopping, Paris Wanderings

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It used to be you could buy an article of clothing, accessory, delicacy or souvenir that had the label “Made in France”. I tried my best to hunt down such gifts only to find almost everything is made in China, Morrocco, Bangladesh, and India. Even the Chanel lotion I bought at the airport on my way home was made in New Jersey. And strict new rules forbid bringing back cheeses, pates, sausages, most everything edible. Wine and chocolate are okay.

I don’t go to Paris to shop. I have other things to do that are more important. BUT, when the days dwindle down to departure time, I develop guilty feelings and break down. Friends and family deserve a little something, and I mean LITTLE.

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Tea pleases most everyone and packs light. Galeries Lafayette gourmet and the Bon Marche have great selections.

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Macarons are traditional. Laduree are some of the best and there’s an outlet at DeGaulle.

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All purchased at Monoprix on the Champs Elysees.  1. Caudile hydrating cream $13; 2. LaRoche sunscreen $15; 3. Chocolate, $2-$4;  4. Eiffel Tower postcards $1.20 each; 6. Nuxe Huile Prodigeuse (the best), $20

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Paris bracelet, Galeries Lafayette, $7;  2. Traditional silver coated almonds; 3. Nuxe honey lip balm, $10; 4. Nuxe oil (again, because I like it); 5. Art postcard on thick matte paper, $1.50; 6. Melvita rose water, $15; 7. Hydrating face masks, 3-5 euros. 8. Vogue Paris accessory, $8.

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Light tote from Grand Galerie de L’Evolution (Jardin des Plantes), 4 euros) 2. No Worries Paris, one of Paris’s best walking guides; 3. hat, $12, Au Printemps; 4. paper goods, Merci, (111 boulevard Beaumarchais, 75003); 5. Necklace, Au Printemps; 6. Lait-Crème Concentré – Embryolisse, $16; 7. Petite notebook, Merci, 3 euros.

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Scarf, Galeries Lafayette, 17 euros; 2. Selection of trendy, cleverly packaged medallion bracelets ranging from 3 to 12 euros, Merci,  a must-see concept store in trendy 3rd arrondissement (with 2 restaurants).

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Alas, it will be time to depart and your leftover euros are burning a hole in your pocket. Take caution when it comes to the cosmetics vendors at the airport. Your aim was to return home with French products, non?

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I didn’t check where these were made and hoping not China or New Jersey. This is the Chanel display at DeGaulle. Irresistable. I’ll take the black pair. Put it on my Visa (just fantasizing, of course).

 

Buying Shoes In Paris: a bucket list

30 Saturday Aug 2014

Posted by in Paris guide, Paris tips, Paris Wandering

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Frenchshoes

Let your fingers do the walking online (see websites below) before you go to Paris. Good shoes start around $200 so you want to make sure you’ve honed in on just the right pair or two. Shop address in hand go in for the kill, hoping they have the right size and they fit. If you’re short on time Galeries Lafayette has almost all the big brands and make the detaxe (refunded tax) easy, a one-stop shopping experience. If shoe boutiques are more your style we have most of them listed. It’s work to plow through all the choices but if you love shoes like I do, it can be an enjoyable promenade through the brands.

Galeries Lafayette
40, Boulevard Haussmann 75009
http://www.galerieslafayette.com/c/chaussures-femme

Annabel Winship
29 rue du Dragon 75006
ww.annabelwinship-shop.com/the-real-shop.htm
Métro : Saint-Germain-des-Prés

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Roger Vivier
29 rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré 75008
http://www.rogervivier.com

Saint Laurent
5, Place Francois Premier
http://www.ysl.com/us/shop-product/women/shoes

Christian Louboutin
38 rue de Grenelle
75006 Paris (St. Germain)
http://us.christianlouboutin.com/us_en/

Comme des Chaussures
169 rue du Faubourg Saint Antoine, 11e
http://www.comme-des-chaussures-paris.com

Kabuki
25 rue Etienne Marcel, 75001
http://www.kabukiparis.tumblr.com

Repetto
51 rue des Francs-Bourgeois
75004 Paris (Marais)
http://www.repetto.fr

Mi-Prix (discount)
27 boulevard Victor,  75015
Métro : Balard ou Porte de Versailles

Garrice
26 rue Saint-Antoine 75004
Métro: Bastille, Saint Paul
http://www.garrice.com

Robert Clergerie
5, rue du Cherche-Midi
75006 Paris (St. Germain)
http://www.robertclergerie.com/en/

Dina Brice
13 rue Meslay, 3e, tel: 1 48 87 58 78

Show Sur Stock (discount)
56 bd Sébastopol, 1e
info@showsurstock.com

Corine
29 rue du Dragon, 75006

58M
58 rue Montmartre
75002  (Les Halles-Sentier)

J.B. Martin
13 rue du Cherche-Midi
75006  (St. Germain)
http://www.jbmartin.fr

Prada
18 Avenue Matignon, 75008
http://www.store.prada.com/en/FR

Mellow Yellow
13, rue des Canettes
75006 (St. Germain)
http://mellowyellow.fr

Paraboot
304 Rue Saint Honoré, 75001

If you return empty handed because of indecision or price, try Zappos Couture
http://couture.zappos.com. They carry Clergeries. For practical shoes (walking the town with your No Worries Paris guidebook), don’t be afraid to slip on your best Adidas, Nikes, Converse or Pumas. Sometimes comfort trumps fashion.

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All about the detaxe:

Spend at least €175 within one store on the same day.
The shop assistant will issue a special form known as Retail Export Form (“bordereau de détaxe”) that you need to keep with your receipt. The form should be duly signed up by you. The shop assistant will examine receipts and your purchases and then get the form stamped. If you are leaving the European Union from a French port of entry you should submit the Retail Export Form as well as the goods purchased at the airport customs desk. After reviewing everything Customs will keep a copy of the form and you will be handed back a copy, endorsed by Customs, which are required to retain in case of any possible dispute with the store. Do not forget to keep the goods with you at all times when you apply for Customs endorsement of the Retail Export Form at the point of departure from the European Union. Customs agents want to see them.

Upon arrival in your country mail the form back to the French store within three months of purchase to get the reimbursement by credit card or check.

You should receive, within a reasonable spell of time, the amount of refunded tax directly from the store, paid according to your instructions, given on the Retail Export Form (check mailed to your address, bank transfer to your checking account or to your credit card accounth Customs.The refund by the Tax Administration could take between 30 and 90 days.

If shopping is your thing: Galeries Lafayette gets 5 stars

25 Monday Aug 2014

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galeries lafayette

 After you’ve seen the sites and are ready for some serious shopping, head for Galeries Lafayette for a total experience. Not only are all the top designers represented but added value includes jeweled architecture, gourmet food and one of the best rooftop views in Paris.

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 The flagship Galeries Lafayette store was unveiled in all its glory at its inauguration in October 1912. Théophile Bader dreamed of creating a “luxury bazaar” where the sheer abundance and luxury of the merchandise on offer would wow the crowds. Golden light, filtered through the domed roof, would flood the grand hall and set the products aglow. The gamble  paid off.

Ferdinand Chanut called upon great artists from the École de Nancy to decorate this magnificent building in the style of Paris Art Nouveau. The banister of the magnificent staircase, inspired by the Paris Opera House, was designed by Louis Majorelle, who is also credited with the ironwork featured on the balconies. The dome, rising to a height of 43 metres, soon became the iconic symbol of Galeries Lafayette. Master glass-maker Jacques Gruber was responsible for designing the Neo-byzantine style stained glass windows.

  

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 The sales floor had suddenly doubled in size, but the innovations didn’t stop there. A tea room, reading room and smoking room were then added to complement the 96 existing departments. As more department stores began to appear, shopping was becoming a leisure activity. At the very top of the building, the rooftop terrace offered a panoramic view of Paris. The store began organising special events much to the delight of an entertainment-hungry clientèle, including the now famous rooftop landing by Jules Védrines in 1919. The aviator was fined for flying too low over Paris, but gained lifelong notoriety as the first ever rebel in aviation history.

The window displays have always been instrumental in setting the scene in the sales departments, with aspirational designs to tempt customers into the store. A vocation which has stood the test of time.

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 The Haussmann department store is the second top tourist attraction, after the Eiffel Tower. In the early sixties, young designers began launching their ready-to-wear lines, sitting between haute couture and traditional tailoring. Each season Galeries Lafayette would showcase these new talents by providing them with small boutiques or concessions in the store. The first designer to hit the big-time was Laura, in 1962, which later went on to become Sonia Rykiel. Then it was the turn of Daniel Hechter, Pierre Cardin, Cacharel, Yves Saint-Laurent and Dorothée Bis.

 

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 Discover over a century of history with their guided tours. These 45-minute tours are free of charge and arranged upon request, for parties of 10 to 20 people. To make a reservation contact them at:  patrimoine@galerieslafayette.com and leave your name, surname, contact details and the number of people interested in attending a tour.

Galeries Lafayette Haussmann

40, Boulevard Haussmann

75009 PARIS

Monday to Saturday: 9.30am – 8pm 

Late-night opening on Thursdays until 9pm

Special opening hours, from 10.30am to 8pm on:
Saturday 1st November / Tuesday 11th November

The Paris scene outside L’Opera Garnier

16 Friday Nov 2012

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Who wouldn’t stop for the ragtag student band in pink tutus. The drizzle doesn’t stop them, the crowd is mesmerized, all smiles. Be sure to lend your support with a few euros. When you’ve had your fill keep on truckin’ – Galeries Lafayette and Au Printemps department stores are just minutes away. Good place to duck in from the inclement November weather.

Eye Candy: Paris department store mannequins

20 Thursday Sep 2012

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The granddame of department stores, Galeries Lafayette opened in 1898. Its acres of floor space catered to the new bourgeois. The store is in two huge buildings, separated by Rue Mogador, which abuts Boulevard Haussmann. Enter the right-side building and go to the third floor to see the store’s centerpiece. A grandiose Belle Époque dome, 100 feet in diameter, is ringed by balustrades on several floors that reveal views of lavish shopping at its best. Then head to the rooftop (via an elevator to the sixth floor and an escalator near the restaurant) for one of the city’s great freebie views. Detour: After leaving Galeries Lafayette, go a block farther down Boulevard Haussmann to see this store’s older rival Au Printemps, founded in 1865. Printemps is not as splashy for tourists, but Parisians form opinions over which is best, sort of like Coke and Pepsi.

Galeries Lafayette

40, blvd Haussmann
75009 PARIS
Telephone :0142823456
Metro : Chaussée d’Antin, Opéra, Trinité
RER A : Auber
RER E : Haussmann
St. Lazare
Bus : 20-21-22-24-26
-27-29-32-43-53-66-
68-91-94-95

Printemps Paris

64, bd Haussmann
75009 Paris – France
Tel : +33(0)1 42 82 50 00
Metro : Havre Caumartin
RER A : Auber
RER E : Haussmann St-Lazare
Bus : 20, 21, 22, 24, 26, 27, 28, 29, 32, 42, 43, 53, 66, 68, 80, 81, 94, 95

View from the Pantheon: timing is everything

24 Tuesday Jul 2012

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Everyone knows about the view from the Tour Eiffel, Arc de Triomphe, Galeries Lafayette roof, Tour Montparnasse, Notre Dame, Sacre Coeur, but not many tourists realize one of the best, especially on a clear day, is from the top tier of the Pantheon. Tours leave from the ground floor at appointed hours from April to October. Small admission charge. For details, see page 42 of your No Worries Paris guidebook.