巴黎 的最佳 同志商店

On a Sunday afternoon in the Marais, rue Sainte-Croix-de-la-Bretonnerie fills with shopping bags: the smell of falafel drifts up from rue des Rosiers, a rainbow flag hangs over a bar terrace, and behind a plain shopfront the leather jackets hang in rows. Across town in the 11th, a bookshop that has sold queer books since 1980 keeps its shelves of French and English titles. In short: Paris has a small, specialised set of gay shops in 2026 rather than a shopping street full of them. The core is one gay fetish shop, a men's underwear store and a latex boutique in and around the Marais, a sex shop with a cruising basement by Les Halles, and two LGBTQ+ bookshops that have moved east to the 11th. A few well-known names have closed, so older guides will send you to empty doorways.

Legal in one line: France decriminalised homosexuality during the Revolution, introduced civil partnerships (PACS) in 1999 and opened marriage to same-sex couples in 2013; sex shops are legal and licensed, adults (18+) only.

The Marais: rue Sainte-Croix-de-la-Bretonnerie and around

The gay Marais sits in the 4th arrondissement, between Hôtel de Ville and rue des Archives. Its shops are within a few minutes' walk of each other and of the bars, so shopping and an apéro fit easily into one afternoon.

IEM Le Marais · 16 rue Sainte-Croix-de-la-Bretonnerie, 4th

The Marais's dedicated gay fetish and sex shop, right on the main gay street. IEM sells leather, latex, neoprene and textile gear, BDSM equipment, toys, underwear, lubricants and care products, according to Out x Out, which says the brand has traded since 1980 under the slogan fournisseur de fantasmes (supplier of fantasies) and also sells online. Hours (as listed by Travel Gay and misterb&b): Monday to Thursday 12:00–20:00, Friday and Saturday 12:00–21:00, Sunday 14:00–20:00; other listings show longer hours, so check before a late visit. Phone 01 42 74 01 61. The clientele is mostly men, and a July 2026 review on misterb&b was enthusiastic. Métro: Hôtel de Ville or Saint-Paul.

Les Dessous d'Apollon (Inderwear) · 8 rue de Moussy, 4th

A men's underwear store run by a gay owner and open since 2005, according to misterb&b: about 300 m² over two floors, with underwear, swimwear, sportswear and loungewear from many brands, spacious fitting rooms and staff who know their stock. It is also the shop front of the Inderwear online catalogue. Reviews from August 2026 are positive about the choice and the help. The shop does not publish its hours on any channel we could find; expect typical Marais shop hours, roughly late morning to early evening. A French business directory updated in September 2026 lists Monday to Saturday 11:00–20:00 and Sunday 14:00–20:00, but check before you go. It is a couple of minutes from the bars on rue des Archives and rue Sainte-Croix-de-la-Bretonnerie.

Métamorph'Ose (Phyléa) · 49 rue Quincampoix, 4th

A fetish fashion boutique between Beaubourg and the Marais, under stone vaults: latex, leather and vinyl clothing, lingerie, corsets, shoes and BDSM accessories. The clientele is mixed, straight and queer, and Time Out notes clothes in a wide range of sizes, with erotic art exhibitions and book signings from time to time. Reviewers often mention the staff's help with sizing, which matters for latex. Hours: Le Bonbon (updated October 2026) lists it as open daily 13:00–19:30; older listings say Monday to Saturday, so check for Sundays. Métro: Châtelet or Rambuteau.

Also on rue Sainte-Croix-de-la-Bretonnerie, at number 23, is a branch of Passage du Désir, a mainstream erotic boutique chain with toys, lingerie and wellbeing products that Le Bonbon recommends for beginners. It is not a gay shop, but it is on the same street.

Les Halles: Boxxman

Boxxman · 2 rue de la Cossonnerie, 1st

A small gay sex shop a few steps from Châtelet–Les Halles, selling jockstraps, toys, magazines and DVDs on the shop floor, with a cruising area for men in the basement, as described by Travel Gay and misterb&b. It is adults only. Travel Gay lists it as open Monday to Friday 10:30–23:00, Saturday 10:30–00:00 and Sunday 12:00–22:00, and says it is busiest from about 15:00 to 18:00. Reviews from January 2025 and October 2026 confirm it is still trading. Métro: Châtelet or Les Halles (RER and lines 1, 4, 7, 11 and 14 at Châtelet).

In a cruising basement: keep your phone and wallet on you or leave them at home, and don't accept drinks or substances from strangers. Consent applies in every corner: you can say no, move away or leave at any time. In an emergency call 112 (police: 17).

Books, a café and the 11th

The queer bookshops have moved east, to the streets between République, Oberkampf and Père-Lachaise. Two of them and a gay sex shop are close enough to visit on one walk.

Les Mots à la Bouche · 37 rue Saint-Ambroise, 11th

The Paris tourist office calls it the city's oldest gay bookshop. It opened in 1980 on rue Simart in the 18th, moved to the Marais in 1983 and left rue Sainte-Croix-de-la-Bretonnerie in 2019 for a new home on rue Saint-Ambroise, opened in February 2020, with 80 m² on the ground floor and a 50 m² basement, according to ActuaLitté. Expect French and English queer fiction, essays, history, art and photography books, comics and magazines, plus exhibitions and author events. Hours: open seven days a week; the Paris tourist office lists 11:00–20:00 daily. Phone 01 42 78 88 30.

In May 2026 the co-managers made a public appeal for help: rent and charges had climbed to almost €6,000 a month, and the landlord granted a three-month rent holiday for June to August. Livres Hebdo reported strong support from readers, authors and publishers, and the shop remains open. The best way to help is to buy your books there. Métro: Rue Saint-Maur (line 3) or Saint-Ambroise (line 9).

Violette and Co · 52 rue Jean-Pierre-Timbaud, 11th

A feminist, lesbian and LGBTQIA+ bookshop that left its old home on rue de Charonne and reopened here in October 2023 as a cooperative run by three former regulars, according to Time Out Paris. The new shop is about 150 m² over two levels, with a café-restaurant, comics, manga and children's sections, books in English and Spanish, and readings and screenings. At the reopening it was open Tuesday to Saturday, 10:30–19:30; check its own channels for current hours. Métro: Parmentier (line 3) or Couronnes (line 2).

New Millenium · 37 rue Jean-Pierre-Timbaud, 11th

A gay sex shop a few doors down from Violette and Co. Le Bonbon (updated October 2026) describes a large collection of Hankey's Toys dildos, other toys, lubricants and poppers, with erotic art in a designed space; Travel Gay calls it one of the more affordable gay shops in the city. Travel Gay lists it as open Monday to Saturday 14:00–21:00 and closed on Sundays. Phone 01 40 21 30 23.

Closed or moved: RoB Paris, the leather and fetish shop at 8 square Sainte-Croix-de-la-Bretonnerie, is listed as closed by Travel Gay, and recent reviews of the address describe a women's clothes shop. Men by Men (MBM Paris) at 22 rue du Temple is marked closed by misterb&b. IEM's other Paris branches have closed, according to Out x Out; only the Marais shop remains. Les Mots à la Bouche is no longer at 6 rue Sainte-Croix-de-la-Bretonnerie, and Violette and Co is no longer at 102 rue de Charonne: both have moved within the 11th (see above), but older guides still give the old addresses.

A Marais shopping afternoon

Start late, as Parisians do on a Sunday: a café crème on a terrace around noon, then a falafel eaten standing up on rue des Rosiers, where the queues are part of the ritual. Look in on Legay Choc at 33 rue Rambuteau, the bakery that the Paris tourist office says has been in the Marais since 2001 and that is known for its cheeky-shaped pastries and loaves alongside ordinary bread; a misterb&b review from August 2026 shows it still baking them, though older guides give its earlier address on rue Sainte-Croix-de-la-Bretonnerie. Then shop: leather and gear at IEM, underwear and swimwear at Les Dessous d'Apollon on rue de Moussy, latex at Métamorph'Ose on rue Quincampoix, all while the shops are open. Around 19:00 the apéro begins, with Le Cox's crowd spilling onto the pavement on rue des Archives. Save the bookshops for another day, and combine them with a walk to Père-Lachaise or a drink on rue Oberkampf.

Practical tips

• Sunday opening: the Marais has been a zone touristique internationale since September 2015. Shops there may open on Sundays and in the evening until midnight, but only with staff agreements and volunteers, so not every shop does. Sunday hours are often shorter, so check each shop.
• VAT refund (détaxe): if you live outside the EU, are 16 or over and are staying in France for less than six months, you can reclaim VAT when you spend more than €100 including tax in the same shop on the same day. Bring your passport, ask for the PABLO tax-free form (bordereau de détaxe) before you pay, and keep the goods with you. On your way out of the EU, before you check in your luggage, scan the form's barcode at a PABLO kiosk, which French customs (douane.gouv.fr) says stands near the customs desk at international airports and ports; the message "OK bordereau validé" counts as the customs stamp. Do it before the end of the third month after the month of purchase. The refund then comes from the seller or its refund operator, not from customs; if the kiosk does not recognise your form, contact that operator. Not every small shop offers détaxe, so ask first.
• Métro: for the Marais, use Hôtel de Ville (lines 1 and 11), Saint-Paul (line 1) or Rambuteau (line 11); for Boxxman and Métamorph'Ose, Châtelet–Les Halles; for the 11th, Rue Saint-Maur, Parmentier (line 3), Saint-Ambroise (line 9) or Couronnes (line 2). Trains run until about 01:15, and until about 02:15 on Friday and Saturday nights, according to the RATP; Noctilien night buses cover the rest of the night.
• Payment: cards are accepted almost everywhere, including contactless. Carry a little cash for small purchases and cloakrooms.
• ID and age: sex shops are for adults only, and a shop can ask for ID. You will also need your passport for détaxe.
• Discretion: ask for a plain bag (un sac discret) if you want one, and remember airline liquid limits for lubricants in hand luggage.
• Sexual health: sex shops sell condoms and lube. PEP is available through hospital emergency departments (urgences).



Paris Pride (Marche des Fiertés)

Paris Pride normally fills the city in late June, and the Marais shops get their busiest weekend of the year. In 2026, the march planned for Saturday 27 June was cancelled at the last minute during a heatwave, with temperatures near 40 °C, at the request of the Préfecture de police. The Inter-LGBT rescheduled it for Saturday 3 October 2026, on a shorter route from Place d'Italie via boulevard Saint-Germain to Place de la Bastille, with a free concert at the finish. AFP reported several tens of thousands of marchers. The 2027 date had not been announced at the time of writing; check the Inter-LGBT.

A few words of French

• Bonjour – hello (say it when you walk into any shop; it matters here). Merci, au revoir – thank you, goodbye.
• Je regarde, merci – I'm just looking, thanks.
• Vous avez ça en M / en L ? – do you have this in a medium / large?
• Je peux l'essayer ? – can I try it on? La cabine d'essayage – the fitting room.
• C'est combien ? – how much is it? Par carte – by card.
• La détaxe – the tax refund. Le bordereau – the tax-free form.
• Un sac discret, s'il vous plaît – a plain bag, please.
• Une librairie – a bookshop (a bibliothèque is a library).
• Ouvert le dimanche ? – open on Sunday?

At a glance

Frequently asked questions

Is there an LGBTQ+ bookshop in Paris?

Yes. Les Mots à la Bouche, founded in 1980, has been at 37 rue Saint-Ambroise in the 11th since February 2020, after more than 36 years in the Marais, and opens seven days a week. Violette and Co, a feminist, lesbian and LGBTQIA+ bookshop with a café, is at 52 rue Jean-Pierre-Timbaud, also in the 11th.

Where can I buy leather and fetish gear in Paris?

IEM Le Marais, at 16 rue Sainte-Croix-de-la-Bretonnerie, is the Marais's dedicated gay fetish shop, selling leather, latex, neoprene, toys and underwear. Métamorph'Ose, at 49 rue Quincampoix, sells latex, leather and lingerie to a mixed clientele. RoB Paris, on the square Sainte-Croix-de-la-Bretonnerie, has closed.

Are shops in the Marais open on Sunday?

Many are. The Marais has been an international tourist zone (zone touristique internationale) since 2015, which allows shops to open on Sundays and in the evening until midnight, provided staff agreements are in place. Sunday hours can be shorter, so check each shop before you go.

Can tourists get a VAT refund on shopping in Paris?

Yes, if you live outside the EU, are 16 or over and spend more than €100 including tax in one shop on one day. Ask the shop for a PABLO form and scan it at a PABLO kiosk at the airport before you check in your luggage, by the end of the third month after the month of purchase. The refund comes from the shop or its refund operator, not from customs.

When is Paris Pride?

Usually in late June. In 2026 a heatwave forced the 27 June march to be called off, and it went ahead on Saturday 3 October instead, from Place d'Italie to Place de la Bastille. Check the Inter-LGBT for the 2027 date.

Part of the GayOut shops series. See the full gay Paris guide for bars, saunas, cruise clubs, hotels and events.