Looking for the perfect gift for the Francophile in your life? This post includes over 30 French gifts for her. Here is a selection of my favorite French, or French inspired, gifts that will bring joy at all price points. From $10 to $300, there is something here for the chic women in your life, including yourself!
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From luscious French chocolates, Parisienne gift cards and French cuisine books to my favorite marinière shirt and trench coat that has become a weekend uniform for me you are sure to find the perfect gift for her!
This gift guide is supposed to help you find the perfect gift for someone you love that loves France, particularly the South, and all the beauty that it offers. My hope is that this guide helps you in finding the ideal gift for a loved one, not just for the holidays, but for Mother's Day or any time you want to show someone love with the ideal gift.
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30 French Gifts for her
1. Miniquiers Modern from Saint James: Light and versatile, the Breton striped shirt or marinière MINQUIERS MODERNE embodies a French state of mind. Saint James embodies the quintessential sailor look making it the iconic French look. I wear these every weekend, they have become my uniform for whenever I do cooking demonstrations - they are chic yet incredibly comfortable.
2.Jacques Pepin Menus & Memories: This book is the perfect gift for anyone who likes to entertain or host dinner parties. I had the incredible experience of having dinner with Jacques Pepin a few years back (my husband cooked for us!) and he told me about this special book that he hand illustrated which invites you to write the menu whenever you have guests over and they can also leave you little notes. Each page is different and the entire book is truly a work of art. Looking back on past dinners with dear friends is so special. Highly recommend!
3. A chic beret like this cute wool one with an embroidered red heart from French Wink. The quality is exceptional and I have been wearing mine all winter.
A French icon
4.Longchamp Le Pliage Bag: This iconic and world-famous bag is the ideal travel bag for traveling or going to the park with its well-recognized flap. I have several colors and sizes and love them for travel.
5. Spring in Provence Gift Set. Delicious scents of orange and lavender to lift the winter blues.
6.Emily in Paris bracelet. I wear this bracelet every.single.day. It is cute and chic with a subtle nod to the "bleu blanc rouge".
7.Sur La Table Cheese Knives Set Beautiful Laguiole cheese knives set to accompany your French cheese boards.
8.French Illustration by Anne Vuitton. I love her chic, modern style of illustrations.
French Gifts that are beautiful and functional
9.Le Creuset 10qt Stock Pot. How wonderful would it be if your everyday pot was as beautiful as it is functional? My dear friend Louise gifted this pot to me for my birthday a few years ago and I think of her everytime I use it (which is a lot!).
10.Thé Mariage Frères: This Provence Earl Gray with lavender buds is a special treat.
11.Diptyque candle: I love Sapin for Christmas and my husband and I buy one for each other every year to bring the Christmas tree scent into our home (we use a synthetic tree). I also love the Figues scent - smells just like fresh figs.
12. Savon de Marseille: Marseille Soap Gift Set
Francophile foodie Kitchen Essentials
13.French Kitchen Towel : Bleu Blanc Rouge
14.Le Creuset Coffee Mugs: I have them in plain Marseille Blue (they last forever! I bought mine 8 years ago and use them daily) but now I really want these ones with the olive branches embossed in them
15.Calissons D'Aix: Delicious almond paste cookies from Aix en Provence.
16.Maman necklace: French Wink. So cute!
17.Le Bouquin: French for Beginners: A digital book. A modern guide to learning French by Cecilia Jourdan of HelloFrenchNYC. Her account is so much fun! She makes learning French easy and relevant to today's conversations.
Some of my favorite books for francophiles
18. Chocolat - French chocolate cakes by Aleksandra Crapanzano. I loved her book Gâteau, and this is the follow up in the series, all about chocolate! So much fun to bake with my kids
19. German Home Cooking - Not French, obviously, but a beautiful book filled with nostalgic German recipes that will bring warmth and comfort to your home. Written by my friend Sophie Sadler who recently cooked in my kitchen. The pretzel recipe is amazing!
20. These ABC's Belong to Me written by my dear friend, Alicia McKenzie. I love this book so much and know that you will too. A great book for empowering young kids and the importance of language used.
21.Niçoise by Rosa Jackson. A truly authentic and beautiful cookbook on Niçois cooking. I had the opportunity to meet Rosa when she visited Washington DC and I really love her book.
22.My long time Instagram friend, Jane Bertch, of La Cuisine Paris Cooking school in Paris wrote The French Ingredient about her journey to create a new life and run a cooking school in Paris. A must read for francophiles!
23.Bake Until Golden Brown by Britney Brown-Chamberlain . Not exactly a French cookbook (though I recommend her Macaron recipe!), Britney is a dear friend and I am so proud of her for writing and photographing this beautiful book!
24.Claris the Mouse Bonjour Riviera: My daughter absolutely loves the Claris the Mouse series by famed illustrator Megan Hess. Bonjour Riviera brings me right back to La Côte d'Azur every time I read it to her.
For the hostess with the mostess
25.Handpainted ceramic blue & white plates from Back Country Mercantile. I love my custom handpainted ones with "Le Chef's Wife" written on them. Such a special addition to any table.
26.Joie: A Parisian's Guide to Celebrating the Good Life: "More than being a terrific guide to the city, it's a thoroughly comprehensive guide to better living."-Chioma Nnadi, editor of Vogue online.
27.La Maison du Chocolat: Christmas Gesture Gift box includes delicious high quality chocolates, perfect for a hostess gift.
French chic
28.Sezane Trench Coat . I wear this coat every day. I throw it over leggings for school bus pick up and feel immediately put together or slide it over my shoulders to go to the ballet with my daughter. It is one of my favorite pieces in my closet.
29.Gift this Baguette Pan to the French bread lover in your life - they will be so grateful! It helps to make beautifully crisp, well shaped baguettes.
30.These Eiffel Tower thank you cards are the cutest thing in the world and a great inexpensive gift. I love having Thank you cards on hand to write to friends and family.
31. Le Creuset Pâté Terrine, 2qt., is a beautifully crafted piece that every home cook will adore - effortlessly elegant, endlessly versatile, and made with that signature French craftsmanship that makes even simple dishes feel special.
32. Mostly French: Recipes from a Kitchen in Provence - The cookbook written by Makenna Held, the owner of Julia Child's former home in the South of France and the creator of the Courageous Cooking School. It is on my bucket list to cook with her in Provence one day!
33. The New French Kitchen by Geraldine Leverd. A Beautiful guide to modern French cooking. I love Géraldine's videos on instagram and how she shows traditional French cooking with a modern twist.
FAQ
Oui - absolutely. Although the list was shared during holiday season, each of these French-inspired treasures is perfect for birthdays, anniversaries, "just because" moments, or as a token of appreciation. The joy of gifting is timeless.
Add a handwritten note in French or wrap your present in a pretty linen napkin or silk scarf. A simple gesture of care and presentation makes any gift feel très chic.
There are lovely options for every price point, from charming candles to elegant accessories. The French way of gifting is about intention and beauty, not extravagance - it's the thought that counts.
Yes - for example, avoid gifting flowers in certain numbers (in France, odd numbers are preferred; 13 is unlucky) and be mindful of presenting something thoughtfully wrapped.
I hope you enjoyed this list of my favorite 30 French gifts for her. What else would you add to this list?
Wishing you a wonderful holiday season.
Joyeuses fêtes,
Le Chef's Wife
ABOUT LE CHEF'S WIFE
Bonjour! I am Anina Belle. I translate the fancy cooking of my Michelin-star trained French Chef Husband, Le Chef, into easy to make dishes that busy people with no culinary training (like me!) can make at home. We have two young kids (8 and 5) and I run a marketing company and a non-profit in addition to this blog. I strongly believe that even busy people deserve to eat well at home.
Look inside our Kitchen with this Washington Post Article. We were featured on the TODAY SHOW for our recipes of French Onion Soup Gratinée and Moelleux au Chocolat. You can watch our full segment below.
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