I am Anthony, a French chef, and founder at Pastreez, the most authentic & best macaron delivery online store in the US according to Le Cordon Bleu.
In addition to my store, I love to share my thoughts and insights about French culture.
Christmas – Noël in French – is coming, and if you have a Francophile friend, you’re probably looking for the perfect gift.
Well, look no further! Sit back, relax, and scroll down to discover some of the best gifts France has to offer!
1 – French cookbook
First, a French cookbook is always a great gift. For the amateur cook, I recommend Julia Child’s Mastering the Art of French Cooking – a proven classic. If your friend already has many French cookbook, this pastry book is among my favorites: Everyone Can Bake: Simple Recipes to Master and Mix, by Dominique Ansel.
Cookbooks, especially with French recipes, are amazing French dishes are usually challenging. What I like about Julia Child’s cookbook is that it gives lots of details to start from scratch.
Another good thing about cookbooks is: They do not age. The recipes are always going to be there for you to challenge yourself, or simply remind you of a recipe.
They are also a great way to cook and share with your kids.
2 – Chanel perfume
If your friend is into fashion, a classic Chanel perfume is always a luxurious and timeless gift. My personal favorite for women is “Coco Mademoiselle”.
Not only it smells like Paris, but it also has this unique sweet signature that lasts on your skin.
But there are so many amazing French perfumes to choose from, it depends on your friend’s taste.
Did you know? The first “parfum” was invented by Aimé Guerlain in France. Back in 1889, he came up with this perfume from synthetic elements called Vanillin and Coumarin.
Guerlain is still a French perfume brand to this date.
3 – French wine club
Another great gift idea for the Francophile in your life is a subscription to a French wine club.
This way, they can enjoy a delicious bottle of French wine every month. My favorite one is called Sommailier. You can order 3 to 12 bottles and select your shipping frequency.
I love a glass of red wine after a long day at the bakery. In France, red wines are spread by region. One of the most famous is Bordeaux or Beaujolais. Bordeaux wines are usually stronger and ideal for meat lovers.
4 – French Bulldog Mugs, Aprons, Tote Bags…
Who doesn’t love a cute French bulldog? Claude, the new mascot of French Today is sassy, with a French “je ne sais quoi” which is right on spot: check out his expression on the “I don’t give a crêpe” drawing! Chose among the many original designs – exclusively available on French Today merchandising store.

The plus: the tote bags and aprons are made from organic fabric, the items are high quality and can usually ship from various locations for faster worldwide delivery, the checkout process is fast and easy. This is a smart store!
My favorite is the one with the macarons of course! But I’m bias…
5 – Macaron of the month club
What is a macaron exactly? I get this question a lot!
It is a delicate French cookie made of almond flour, sugar, and egg whites. Two shells and a filling in the middle. It sounds simple but their baking is very precise and technic and they are a real challenge to make properly.
Macarons can be found in many different flavors such as chocolate, raspberry, pistachio, or even lavender. They are filled with either ganache or buttercream.
And since we’re into subscriptions, the macaron of the month club is a must for this Christmas. It is our best-seller gift at Pastreez!
It contains handcrafted macarons by French chefs (either my wife or I), and ships fresh to your door, wherever you are in the United States.
The concept is simple: Select either 3, 6, or 12 months, and a box of 12 seasonal macarons will ship each month for the selected frequency. That’s it!
6 – French cheese subscription
Still in the food topic, if your friend is a foodie, they will love a gourmet French cheese board.
The guys at igourmet made it possible. This company is focused on French delicacies like cheese, ham, salami, and all kinds of charcuterie.
Just like every subscription mentioned earlier, prepay for 3, 6, or 12 months and gift French cheese to your friends and family for Christmas.
Cheese is, with macarons and wine, the most iconic French gift in my opinion. It is recognized worldwide and will surely be a hit as a gift for Christmas.
7 – French English Bilingual Audiobooks
Wether your friend already speaks some French or would like to learn French, you’re sure to find an suitable French audiobook in the French Today catalogue.
From easy bilingual audio novels to complete French learning method and subject specific audiobooks (numbers, politeness, phrasebook etc…), the French today audiobooks can be used on the go (no need to be connected to the internet), and are available for all devices (mobiles and desktop).

An audio novel for all levels. Explore Paris with modern, lively and realistic dialogues
You don’t have to choose the audiobook yourself: just get your friend a French Today gift card!
8 – French magazines
Another great travel gift for the Francophile is a subscription to a French lifestyle magazine.
This way, they can keep up with all the latest news and trends from their favorite country. Some of our favorites include France Today or Elle France.
What I like about this Christmas gift idea, is that you can get a magazine in French to practice your French, or get a magazine in English about France and French fashion, travel, decor… You’ll be amazed how many people are into French culture.
I arrived in the US in 2017. On my journey to build Pastreez, I met a lot of Americans that are learning the French language. Since French is not a language you “need” in the US (as opposed to English or Spanish), people get to learn it out of pure curiosity. I think it’s great!
9 – A Unique Illustrated Children Book
Do you know Éloïse in Paris? I grew up with this book, one of my family’s favorite. I was delighted to find out that Hilary Knight’s drawing inspired so many younger artists.
Lately, I discovered the Earful Tower podcast and Oliver Gee, the talented man behind it and his lovely wife Lina Nordin Gee. And what would you know? They’ve produced a series of illustrated books for children – and adults alike!
Lina is an extremely gifted illustrator and is very much inspired by Hilary Knight. The books are mostly available on the Earful Tower store : they certainly would make a unique and exceptional Christmas gift.
10 – Canvas of French arts
Finally, if your friend is into art, a great gift idea would be to get them a print of their favorite French artist. For example, my wife loves Claude Monet, so I got her a print of his painting “Water Lilies.”
An easy way to gift it is with icanvas. You can easily pick your favorite painting and select a canvas size. Then, simply have it delivered to your door!
At the bakery, I printed a huge canvas of us baking macarons. It was professionally done and it really stands out!
I hope you enjoyed this blog post, and that it gave you some great ideas for gifts for your Francophile friend.
Merci beaucoup et Joyeux Noël in advance!
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