La Fontaine aux Vins
One of several wine shops along the lower part of the street, La Fontaine is a good example because the wines are of high quality, but barely more pricy than the ones you'll find in the grocery store. They offer tastings outside on the street, and delivery if you buy a case. The prices start at around 4⬠per bottle which you might note is around what you'll pay for a glass in a bar.
Gepetto & Vélos
OK, so if you are just staying for a day or two it makes no sense whatever to buy a bike, but if you are going to be around for a while having your own might just feel better than renting one from the RATP. If so, you could do a lot worse than Gepetto, where you'll find a range of real bikes rather than the usual cheap MTB you'd see at a sporting goods store. The prices start at around â¬100 for a sturdy used 3-speed city bike.
Shakespeare and Co.
Probably one of the most eccentric bookstores you will ever visit, this must-see was established in 1951 by George Whitman: three rambling floors literally crammed with books, both new and mainly second-hand. The bedding shoved amongst the shelves is for the largely American ex-pats called tumbleweeds who doss down amongst the books at night. It is also the sister store to City Lights in San Francisco.
l'Epée de Bois
The name of the store and the street it's on both translate to the "wooden sword", and you find those here along with any number of wooden toys for children ages 1 to 10. They also have books and games.