French Cookware at its best...

I first heard about E.Dehillerin from Ina Garten's Paris Cookbook and immediately put it on the top of my to-do list for my trip to France. I was intrigued by the sheer volume of cookware displayed in the pictures. I am not a minimalist when it comes to kitchen tools and gadgets and a visit to a shop of that magnitude was an opportunity of a lifetime for me.

E. Dehillerin is a shop situated on Rue Coquilliere in the first Arrondisement in Paris, selling possibly the largest selection of cookware on this planet. The sheer volume and variety is hypnotic and hours may go by before you stumble back onto the streets of Paris juggling shopping bags and a substantially lighter wallet. It is money well spent if you make the right choices. Copper pots and pans and tableware compete with the latest cookware technology, pepper mills and knives in a dazzling display. The shop reflects its age with an old world charm. Creaky wooden floorboards, quaint floor to ceiling shelving and narrow staircases that lead to a cellar-like basement crammed with more paraphernalia, all remind you that it was way back in 1820 when it began. I was helped eagerly by an enthusiastic salesman who gave me his undivided attention for the duration. The only drawback was that there were no price tags on any merchandise. I suppose that goes hand in hand with the "old world theme" but it blew my budget right out the window!

A veritable Mecca to Chefs, restaurateurs and home cooks alike; it did seem like a pilgrimage to me. A place I intend to revisit whenever the opportunity arises. Just like a trip to London is incomplete without stopping at Harrods, a trip to Paris would not be the same without a quick sojourn to Dehillerin.