Paris is less overt about its gay shops than Berlin or Amsterdam. You will not find a block-long stretch of leather stores and neon-lit sex shops. What you will find, if you know where to look, is a cluster of useful shops in and around Le Marais, ranging from an important gay bookshop to sex shops to gear stores.


The signage is often understated. A few of the shops look from the outside like they could sell anything. Walking past without knowing what they are is easy. This is a very Parisian approach to retail: the goods are there, the welcome is real, but it is not shouted at you from the street.

Les Mots a la Bouche

The most historically significant shop in the district is Les Mots a la Bouche on rue Sainte-Croix-de-la-Bretonnerie. It is France's oldest and best-known gay bookshop, open since 1980. The stock covers LGBTQ+ literature, theory, biography, and fiction in French and English. It is worth going in even if you are not buying — it has been a fixture of the Parisian gay community for over four decades.

Sex shops and gear

Several sex shops operate in Le Marais. They stock the usual range: toys, restraints, underwear, poppers (legal in France), lubes, and some leather and rubber accessories. The gear shops lean more fetish and carry harnesses, leather goods, and branded gear from European manufacturers. Most are on or within a block of rue Sainte-Croix-de-la-Bretonnerie and rue des Archives.

The shops

Opening hours

Most shops open around 11am and close by 8 or 9pm. The bookshop has slightly reduced Sunday hours. Sex shops often stay open later into the evening. It is worth checking specific hours if you are making a dedicated trip, since French retail hours can vary more than you expect, especially around public holidays.

Back to the main guide: Gay Paris Guide.