This food hall, housed on the top floor of the Galerie Lafayette, has everything and more for the dedicated gourmand: a bakery with a dizzying array of specialty breads and pastries, a cheese counter with at least a hundred different varieties of cheese, meats and seafood, a deli, and fresh produce. There is even a section on the enormous variety of spices available. Les Comptoirs Gourmands displays the finest chocolates and luxury food items.

When my sister said that we were going to go to a department store, I thought to myself "Oh great; another mall!" You have no idea how wrong I was. Galeries Lafayette is a department store disguised as a royal palace. Everything about it makes you think you’re in some kind of French mansion; starting with the decorative glass dome. The glass dome is simply beautiful; designed by Ferdinand Chanut in 1912. If you want to see what I am talking about, view the photos attached to this journal. The easiest way to get to Galeries Lafayette is by taking the Metro and getting off at either Havre-Caumartin or Opéra. For all you men out there who are tired and don’t want to spend an entire day following a woman inside the department store, I have the solution! Galeries Lafayette has a little bit of something for everyone. For example, when I visited with my family, the males and the females split apart. All the females in the family went off looking for shoes and makeup while the male members of the family went off to the sports section. To be more specific, the stores at Galeries Lafayette stretch from Adidas to Chanel. If you want to see the complete list of stores and a map of Galeries Lafayette you can do so by going to their homepage www.galerieslafayette.com, then simply just click on the Store Guide tab located to the left of the screen.

Hungry? Get a quick bite to eat at one of the many restaurants Galeries Lafayette offers. Galeries Lafayette provides many different choices when it comes to eating; they have something as simple as a McDonald’s to as fancy as a Japanese Restaurant. Although vacations are meant for relaxation, sometimes people get stressed out about visiting every little monument in a city; that’s what Galeries Lafayette is for, relaxation. In conclusion, Galeries Lafayette is an amazing experience from the artistic style of it to the services it offers; and remember if you ever need a break from all running around in the city; Galeries Lafayette is the perfect place to unwind.

Galeries Lafayette is the most prestigious and exquisite department store in Paris. Renowned for its jaw-dropping window displays, your hopes are fulfilled before even entering its doors.

Classified as an historic monument because of its 33 metre-high glass decorated dome, tourists and locals pile up to enjoy a taste of shopping heaven.

Inside an endless succession of fashion, shoes and accessories cover 10 floors. The ground floor, is a dream world of cosmetics, jewelry and handbags. One floor up and you begin your exploration of international women’s fashion, with brand names like Gucci, Chloe, Diesel, Zara, Ralph Lauren and a distinctive emphasis on upcoming designers. The store is well-known for its support of French fashion designers like Christian Dior, Chanel, Comme des Garcon, Tara Jarmon and Jean Paul Gaultier (who has his Philippe Starck designed concept store here).

The distinctive difference with this department store is that the apparel is segmented by the customer’s personality and not their age or buying power, they are made to feel comfortable on each fashion floor (basically, by the displaying of the more expensive brands next to the more affordable). The first floor is intended to show vibrant, ready-to-wear labels. The second, a more classic feel with sportswear and urban collections. The third floor introduces seductive fashion.

Keeping the entire family in mind, you will find children’s fashion on the fifth floor (look for Baby Dior, Petit Bateau and baby Bjorn), an adjacent building houses stylish menswear and sportswear. Directly across the street "Lafayette Maison" is 10,000 square metres entirely dedicated to home decoration and gourmet delights. With 12 restaurants to choose from, including Maxim’s and Le Laurie, the appetite you work up whilst shopping will be suitably filled.

No matter when you visit, there’s always something happening at Galeries Lafayette. From daily fashion shows at "Salon Opera" (on the 7th floor), to creative exhibits, designer competitions, make-up workshops and cooking classes, it truly proves to be a shopping Mecca.

Galeries Lafayette is not a typical department store. In the center of the store, you look up to see an impressive stained glass dome at the top of the building, and the building itself is beautiful. It is easy to reach by Metro and foot.

As far as shopping goes, Galeries Lafayette is wonderful, especially in February and August, when European stores have big sales. This is the perfect place to buy the things women want to buy when visiting Paris, make-up and lingerie. The staff here is beyond helpful in French and English. Almost everyone who visits Galeries Lafayette leaves having found much more than they expected.

All the stores really only have anything on sale twice a year, so be careful when you shop if you really want a deal, though these fashions are hard to beat.