Maison Empereur

Very cool blast-into-the-past, all-in-one shop which also feels like a museum 😍 Was not expecting to spend more than an hour just walking around this large multi-storey shop that seems to sell everything! Cute items like an apple parer, beautiful pots and plates, exhibits about the history of Maison Empereur etc., and entry is free! Definitely worth checking out if you're in the area 😚

Loved visiting this store, which became a lengthy shopping and exploring experience. The store puts you in a mind of the history of cooking and hardware instruments, toys, clothing, and home goods. Climbing the museum-like section added to the appreciation of the store. Found this description online: Set aside a few hours to wander around Maison Empereur. The city’s iconic hardware shop, the oldest one in France, sells pretty much everything from paint and DIY tools to French baking equipment and gorgeous homeware. Most of the products feel charmingly old fashioned, particularly the traditional children’s toys, and even the cleaning products can be beautifully packaged. Be sure to stop by the soaps to pick up chunky blocks of Savon de Marseille (they make great gifts).

Incredible selection of all sorts of hardware, kichenware toys. No junk, no cheap plastic,. Spent two hours here discovering old-wares that I thought had long disappeared of production lines.

This historic family owned hardware store is unlike any place I've been before. Take an hour to explore and find a treasure or two

I had the great pleasure of discovering Maison Empereur in Marseille, an address I highly recommend! From the moment you enter, you are immediately charmed by its unique atmosphere!

Returned here again having visited in 2022 - it’s no longer the same value and the staff were quite rude. My partner was told off by a saleswoman for letting our two year old play with a spinning top in the toy shop. The gentleman staff member had encouraged them to play and then two minutes later an older female staff member told them off, quite rudely and condescendingly. Shortly after while my partner was breast feeding she was encouraged to do so in a private area and not on the floor. Again, in the toy shop. For babies and toddlers. Not a nice environment for either, despite being a toy shop. It was really disappointing as the first visit was so positive but we left feeling quite unwelcome it was a really unpleasant experience. I had been quite excited to return again having enjoyed it in 2022. Just shows how important it is for a business to have the right team working and engaging with their customers and the damage that can be done by staff with a poor attitude. Also everything was considerably more expensive, which also removed the charm and authenticity I’d felt on the first visit. It now feels like tourist trap intent on ripping you off with no care or respect for their customers. Especially those with children. So why have a toy shop??

This historic home goods store was an absolutely eye-opening experience! It’s a treasure trove stocked with everything you could possibly need, from an extensive range of kitchenware to artisan soaps, luxurious linens, unique crafts, and even hardware appliances, all curated with a rustic yet elegant charm. As you venture deeper, the store continues to unveil new delights, making it easy to spend hours exploring. The only drawback? If you’re traveling, limited luggage space means you can’t take everything home, though you’ll want to! A must-visit for anyone seeking quality and variety!

What a truly wonderful place! Such an interesting story behind the shop and location, with a very interesting museum. All the staff were very attentive, approachable, and knowledgeable. Products were clearly well chosen, with so much choice and interest. Many thanks, we had a wonderful visit.

Amazing provençial home store in the neighborhood. They have everything from tools-cleaning products to french linens and vintage children toys.

Spotted on the way back to our Airbnb from mono prix. Had seen this place listed in frommers or fodors and stopped in. Very cool kitchen store, with five or six interconnected sections, including a vintage style toy store that I only noticed on our way out. Imagine an old general store with hardware, knives, kitchenwares including the stuff you REALLY WANT (Opinel, le crueset etc). And those you had no idea existed but now you want (German shopping trolleys, massive paella pans) Fantastic. Wish we had this at home! Great friendly knowledgable service beautiful store.