For nearly a century, the Hératchian brothers’ shop has been winning hearts by importing pure bliss from the Middle East to Paris. And even if Madame Kourounis has been replaced, the souk spirit is still very much present, represented by one Sézar Gokoglu (75 years old), who you can find eating a sandwich at a corner of the bar. In the fridges, halloumi celebrates alongside feta, while on their unchanging orange shelves, you’ll find impressive jars of preserved food, including Armenian smoked eggplant purée, an explosively flavorful Armenian pomegranate wine, smoked sprats from Riga… On the floor, big buckets of olives from North Africa wait for someone to come ladle them, while fat sacks of rice, couscous, legumes and dried fruit tempt customers. If you feel a sugar craving coming on, get your hands on some of the homemade baklava, Turkish delights or halva, after pillaging the takeaway section, filled with moussaka, stuffed vine leaves and delicious taramasalata. // Renaud Fuego
Hidden gem: Thyme blossom honey from Kalymnos, with the wax still inside, which you chew like candy (€21/kg).
