Directory

Retail Directory 2009 

Mariage Freres

Paris

Home to historic fine food specialists Fauchon and Hédiard, Place de la Madeleine now welcomes Mariage Frères. If all three claim to sell the best tea selection, the later has the privilege of age: founded in 1854, Mariage Frères is France’s oldest teahouse. Set in a narrow space that opens, in the middle, onto an interior courtyard, the new Tea Counter boasts a selection of 600 different varieties and blends, as well as tea-scented products, pots and cups for tea preparation. Decorated in an “imperial style”, the first space is the only one visible from the street: dedicated to the art of tea, it welcomes dark lacquered furniture, red-coloured lanterns and ancient Chinese sketches and works of art on the walls. Narrowing down to a tight corridor, the boutique opens on the left hand side onto a small patio; aligned on the opposite eggplant-coloured wall, a wide array of tea tins and products is staged like a collection. Laid out in an apothecary style, the third space hosts, at the back of the store, 600 black tea jars enhanced with golden letters: caged in wooden shelving, they recall the atmosphere of old tea counters. A real travel for the senses.

17 place de la Madeleine
Paris 8e
33.1 42 68 18 54

www.mariagefreres.com

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