The best specialty grocery stores France

Hélice is the boutique of Karine Obriot, who has a passion for snails and whose main supplier is Maison Billot, specialists in Burgundy snails since 1796. The Helix pomatia are harvested and the parsley is prepared with butter from Normandy, pink garlic from Lautrec and salt from the Camargue. Here, they can be enjoyed fresh at any time of day: a dozen served with a glass of Chablis - enjoy! In shell, fresh, frozen, cooked, everything is excellent.

Cyril Pansard and Adrien Talbot have opened a first-of-its-kind grocery store in La Rochelle, offering only bulk products! Located just a few steps from the market, the pretty store is sure to attract the locals. The concept? Everything in bulk! The aim is clearly to limit the impact of consumption on the environment, reduce waste and packaging, and give pride of place to local producers. As you enter, let yourself be seduced by the old-fashioned charm of the place, with its large jars containing spices (sweet paprika, turmeric, cloves), organic herbal teas with evocative names (Joie de vivre) and, for those with a sweet tooth, organic chocolate, hazelnut praline, nougat and gingerbread. The products are organic or from sustainable agriculture, as evidenced by the flours: green lentils, chickpeas, spelt... You'll even find washing powder, stain remover, dishwashing liquid... And don't forget to bring your own containers so you can pour in the quantities you need. This grocery store is more than an alternative to the distribution networks, it's an attempt to change lifestyles.

Behind the new Leclerc Drive, or Hyperburo, the new address for exotic and Asian products in Le Mans is here. At attractive prices (lower than supermarket prices). Chillies, bean sprouts, flours, teas, cookies, drinks, rice, sauces, nori leaves and many other products are available on the shelves. But the most impressive is the frozen food section, with lots of fish, but also desserts, smoked meat, samousas and Reunion corks. The products come mainly from Asia, but also from Africa and the West Indies. The sales area is around 300^m2, enough to add a touch of the exotic to your dishes so that your guests won't be able to resist, and to whom you'll be happy to pass on the address. The young owner Xin Lin is very friendly and it's not uncommon to hear Ni hao, which undeniably adds to the exoticism of this store. And if the northern zone doesn't tempt you, there's the same in the city center!

Magazzino is this glass building near the Leclerc store in Beaune. An innovative concept created by Joël and Christine Bertrand. On the first floor, an Italian grocery store of 750 m² with a fast-food bar-restaurant of Italian specialties and a vast restaurant on the first floor. The shelves are full of transalpine specialties, cold cuts, cheeses, pizzas, dry products for aperitif, grocery products, wines, preserves... the best to compose a special O sole mio menu! You can also sit down at the bar for a quick lunch.

The famous Breton chef Olivier Roellinger has hung up his apron, but not his desire for exoticism. This spice enthusiast opened this Parisian shop with his wife where, as in Cancale and Saint-Malo, the two other shops, he brings to life scents and flavours from all over the world: spices, chillies, peppers, vanillies, sea flowers, oils and condiments, as well as a few sweets. The proposed mixtures sublimate the meats, fishes and vegetables to which they can be subtly associated. The website offers everything that can be found in the shop. It's absolutely fabulous, and you'll be surprised to find that combining spices is a real art of living.

The Fumoir de Saint-Cast is above all the story of a man who is passionate about cooking, but especially about smoked fish and shellfish, namely Wilfrid Quinveros. The specialty of the house? Scallops smoked with beechwood sawdust and oak chips from Scotch whisky barrels. There are also haddock smoked at low temperature, semi-cooked smoked mackerel, smoked trout from the Pyrenees, salmon from Scotland, Isigny and Cherbourg. The chef works with fishermen from the port of Saint-Cast and has his own workshop in Hénanbihen. We love it!

A friendly team welcomes you in a Zen atmosphere, which goes with the spirit of the store. If the words boulgour, brown, tofu or millet are somewhat abstract for you, do not hesitate to ask for advice from the staff, we will be happy to answer you. They are all passionate and willing to share their approach with you. Here you will find many products, always in organic version, obviously since the Bread Tree is part of the Whole network: food products (fresh, vacuum, bulk, frozen, cut), but also cosmetics, hygiene, maintenance, ecological and eco-habitat products. Don't miss the book book on organic culture… ideal for walking and learning. One corner of the store is designed for children.

Every year, the first weekend of September, the eco-biological Fair in Aurillac.

A real institution in Calvi, Annie Traiteur is the fruit of a family project born in 1992. Initially at the head of the shop, Annie and her husband passed on their know-how to their daughter to take over and transform it into a fine grocery store, neat and of quality. Thus, tourists and locals rush there to find all the flavours of the Corsican soil. In the delicatessen section, you can try the antipasti savoury tarts or the Corsican veal sauté. On the grocery side, the shop offers a wide range of carefully selected local products.

Gourmet herself, Karine opened this store dedicated to sweets only: chocolate, candied fruits, old fashioned XXL meringues, calissons, nougats, orangettes, fruit jellies and dragees from Doucet. Everything is made in the region, artisanal, even the syrups made in Mane in the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence. Depending on the season, you can be tempted by pretty chocolate creations: handbags, pumps, eggs and chickens at Easter. Karine is at your service, in winter she will offer you a coffee and an orangette if outside the weather is crazy.

Run by the bubbly Lola, the vegan boutique offers non-animal products that respect the environment: dairy-free ice creams, vegetarian sausages, chicken-style aiguillettes, pastries... In short, a range of egg- and butter-free foods that enable you to live in balance with your vegan diet. In short, a range of egg- and butter-free foods that enable you to live in balance with your vegan diet. The star product? Beyond meat, a vegan steak made from pea protein that you won't find anywhere else in Rennes. You'll also find organic, French and zero-waste cosmetics, and even vegan condoms. New: the fresh corner for quiches, buns and plant-based pastries created by local artisans, such as Kalamos cookies.

With the arrival of spring, we wanted to add some sunshine to your tastings. We discovered this new Italian delicatessen, which has awakened our taste buds. Cooking enthusiast Edgar invites you to enjoy a slice of pizza, arancini, fresh pasta or lasagne. Real homemade preparations made daily on site. A wide choice of products awaits you, including coffee beans, olive oil, sauces and wine, as well as cheese and charcuterie platters.

After spending three years in her uncle's laboratory, Laurine Serra took over the business to turn it into a reference point, dedicated to Cervione hazelnuts. Here, hazelnuts are transformed into sweet (spreads, honey and hazelnut delicacies, hazelnut cream, etc.) and savory (hazelnut flour, hazelnut oil, etc.) dishes. Salinu is the star of the store and is sold all over the island. It's a condiment made from salt (10%) and hazelnuts (90%), ideal for salads and soups. A Corsican must-have!

In the rue de la chouette is the Dijon boutique of Moutarderie Fallot. Here, you'll discover the traditional mustard-making process: the mustard seeds are ground on a stone millstone. Once or twice a month, the millstone on display in Dijon comes into operation to prepare Meursault mustard before your very eyes. At night, a hologram comes to life, showing you how the product is made. Pay a visit to the head office in Beaune. Linger at the mustard bar to discover all the flavors.

Maille mustard is in the line of these great houses known all over the world for the symbol of gastronomy they represent. The unavoidable boutique has been on the throne since 1845 and invites you to a gourmet trip with a selection of mustard in jars: truffle, Chablis, blackcurrant or Italian with parmesan and white truffle. You will choose a glass or stoneware jar that you can even come and fill once empty thanks to the pump mustard system. Many products are available in oils, vinegars and gherkins.

Mulot & Petitjean, founded in 1796, is located in the sublime historic district. Filled with orange or blackcurrant, pear-vanilla or chocolate and caramel, nonnettes are always a treat. We love the mini-nonnettes to match with cookies and Jacquelines - named after the Jaquemart in Notre-Dame church. Gourmet gingerbread, plain or with fruit, filled or with another recipe: the special toast spread with dill, mustard bran seeds, figs and walnuts. A must-have!

This delicatessen of local produce is located at the entrance to Propriano and has been run for twelve years by the Cucchi family, who will be delighted to welcome you. Marie-Blanche prepares her famous chestnut flour doughnuts, while Marcel selects and presents his best products. There's a fine selection of charcuterie from the Upper Taravo region, olive oils, honeys, jams, canistrelli, liqueurs and eaux-de-vie, artisanal terrines and fine bottles of Corsican AOC. Everything is vacuum-packed and ready to ship.