Unique and Unusual Shops to Discover in Paris

Paris may be known for its high fashion and world-renowned art museums, but it’s also a place where you can stumble on the wonderfully weird and eccentric in any number of unassuming side streets. Sometimes, odd emporiums even stand in plain sight on major streets, but too many pass by without noticing.

Unlike many global capitals, where “weird” tends to rhyme with hipster irony and willful kitschiness, Paris’ oddest shops– from curiosity cabinets to rat catchers’ and bookshops– seem to genuinely hail from a different era, being earnestly unaware of their potential for cool.

This collection of shops – some old, some new – represents the city’s quirkier side and will surely add some originality to your visit. While those well-known monuments like the Louvre Museum and the Eiffel Tower deserve your time, these eclectic spots promise to inspire awe, evoke some disgust, and perhaps even provoke a few giggles. If you’re looking for strange and eccentric details in Paris, they’re well worth your time.

A word of warning: many of these shops feature items like taxidermied animals, so if you’re squeamish or sensitive about such things, you might want to avoid some of the places on this list. Read on to find out which shops made the cut for what the French like to call les bizarreries.

1. Deyrolle: Serving Up Strange Since 1831

Founded in 1831, this shop on the west edge of the chic St-Germain-des-Prés area epitomizes the cabinet of curiosities trend from a bygone era– but its weird appeal endures. Featuring objects of natural history like insects, animals, rocks, and minerals, this store offers up a bizarre spectacle. In every nook and cranny, you’ll find interesting (if slightly disturbing) objects, including stuffed kangaroos, warthogs, coral, shark teeth, elaborate butterfly and beetle collections, stuffed birds, and much more. Many items are available for purchase, making it the perfect place to find something bizarre to enhance your living room and spark conversation among guests.

Address: 46 rue du Bac, 7th arrondissement
Metro: Rue du Bac
Tel: +33 (0)1 42 22 30 07

Visit the official website

2. L’Objet qui parle: Paris’ Weirdest Vintage Shop?

This vintage store/cabinet of curiosity can feel overwhelming to anyone who’s clutter-shy. Jam-packed with items ranging from antique bottles, colorful flags, chandeliers, and kitschy figurines, this pint-sized shop in Montmartre offers a delightful browsing experience. Unfortunately, the items don’t come cheap; however, everything here is “authentically French” and high-quality, giving the impression of one-of-a-kind treasures. The shop specializes in religious paraphernalia, and the owner is happy to assist visitors in their search for specific items. It is definitely worth a detour after an afternoon of explorations in this artistic neighborhood.

Address: 86 rue des Martyrs, 18th arrondissement
Metro: Pigalle or Abbesses
Tel: +33 (0)6 09 67 05 30
Open: Monday-Saturday 1:00pm-7:30pm

3. Aurouze Deratisation: Grotesque Displays Since 1925

What could be more unsettling than seeing a rat scurry across the platform as you wait for the metro in Paris? Not much. Except, of course, a rat in your home or establishment. Paris unfortunately harbors a multitude of rats and rodents, prompting local businesses to take action.

Exterminator shops can be found throughout the city, but Aurouze Deratisation, open since 1925 in the area known as Les Halles, is the most famous, credited with a memorable appearance in Disney’s animated film Ratatouille. Since the film’s release, the shop has become even more of a tourist attraction. The displays alone are worth a visit; stuffed rats, mice, and other rodents are placed in windowsills in whimsical poses (like dancing or nibbling cheese), looking so lifelike they seem poised to leap out at you. Even if you’re not battling any rodent issues during your stay, this shop is definitely worth a look – simply for the pure “ick factor”.

Address: 8 rue des Halles, 1st arrondissement
Metro: Les Halles or Chatelet

4. Hygiene Premium: Old-Fashioned Exterminator

If you can’t get enough of quirky exterminator shops, a lesser-known establishment is located in the northeastern heights of the 19th arrondissement, close to the ultramodern Parc de la Villette. While it might not demand your full attention, it’s worth a quick glance, offering a testimony to Paris’s long tradition of independent, quirky commerce in one of the city’s last non-gentrified areas.

Address: 22 avenue de Flandre, 19th arrondissement
Metro: Stalingrad
Tel: +33 (0)1 42 40 76 68

5. Comptoir General: Bar, Curiosity Cabinet, and More

This hidden gem nestled in a courtyard right off of Canal St Martin embodies the kind of multifunctional and arty communal space you might expect to see in Berlin rather than Paris. Serving as a bar, concert space, community center, thrift store, and cabinet of curiosities, it is not easily spotted due to the lack of signage. Inside, you’ll discover tall trees and plants galore, comfortable leather couches and retro kitchen tables, where you can enjoy a mint tea or tropical cocktail. Beyond the two main bar areas, the Comptoir is segmented into several rooms, including one designed like a 1950s classroom, complete with vintage furnishings from that era, another with second-hand books, records, and clothing, as well as a cabinet of curiosities featuring animal skulls, gemstones, magnifying glasses, and other fascinating or slightly disturbing objects. In the evening, Le Comptoir General’s small restaurant offers simple Indian dishes like samosas.

Address: 80 Quai de Jemmapes, 10th arrondissement
Tel: +33 (0)1 44 88 20 45
Open: Daily 11am-1am

6. Nature et Passion: Butterflies and Beetles, Oh My!

Bug collectors, unite! This unassuming shop is a wonder to admire: fluorescent blue-winged butterflies and bright green beetles comprise the simple yet captivating insect collection. Watch the self-trained entomologist at work, identifying bugs of all sizes and pinning them to foam boards. The insects can be viewed or purchased in the store or online. Though it requires a bit of a trek to reach the hilly Gambetta neighborhood, the effort is worthwhile for appassionato insects enthusiasts, or for those visiting the stately Père-Lachaise cemetery.

Address: 2 rue Dupont de l’Eure, 20th arrondissement
Metro: Gambetta
Tel: +33 (0)1 40 31 50 01
Visit the website
Open: Wednesday-Friday 12-6:30pm, Saturday 10am-6pm

7. Shakespeare and Company: Bohemian Dreams of Old

This much-beloved bookstore, overlooking Notre Dame Cathedral in the center of the St-Michel quarter, is every book lover’s dream. The iconic spot was opened in 1951 by the late George Whitman, a notable figure in Parisian literature, and it remains largely unchanged since then. Stacks of old and new reads fill the high shelves, all packed into the small space, making it hard to believe so many visitors can fit. Yet they do. The fairytale-like bookshop has garnered immense popularity, often leading visitors to vie for the last copy of “Tropic of Cancer”. However, enduring the crowds is worth it. Upstairs, you may find someone playing the resident piano, and spot the beds of young writers, or “tumbleweeds,” who trade work in the shop for free lodging. Resident cats, often seen lounging around dusty volumes, add to the charm, where staff utilize every available moment to read.

Address: 37 rue de la Bûcherie, 5th arrondissement
Metro: Saint Michel
Tel: +33 (0) 1 43 25 40 93
Visit the website
Open: Monday-Saturday 10am-11pm, Sunday 11am-11pm.

8. Perusing the Puces de Clignancourt (Flea Market)

Located just over the northern border of Paris at the Porte de Clignancourt metro stop, the Puces de Clignancourt, the city’s oldest and most popular flea market, offers thousands of items ranging from old books and records to knick-knacks, furniture, and home decor items. Many of these eclectic objects hail from eras long gone, waiting to be discovered. While sifting through the stalls to find hidden gems can be exhausting, the experience is enchanting, especially if you’re on a tight budget and enjoy the hunt. Nonetheless, be particularly wary of pickpockets while browsing the unruly stalls.

Elsewhere on the Web: For more quirky finds, see Manning Krull’s Cool Stuff in Paris– highly recommended for anything related to the weird, wacky, or creepy in the City of Light.