Market shopping in France
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Food Market
Pack a picnic basket from the 40-plus outlets filling Les Halles' food market.
reviewed
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B
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Forum des Halles
Les Halles, the city’s main wholesale food market, occupied the area just south of the Église St-Eustache from the early 12th century until 1969, when it was moved to the southern suburb of Rungis. In its place, the unspeakably ugly Forum des Halles, a huge underground shopping centre, was constructed in the glass-and-chrome style of the early 1970s. At last it’s slated to be gutted and rebuilt by 2012, and topped with an architecturally stunning ‘canopy’.
Atop the Forum des Halles is a popular rooftop garden. During the warmer months, street musicians, fire-eaters and other performers display their talents throughout the area, especially at place du Jean du Bell…
reviewed
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D
Marché aux Puces de St-Ouen
Founded in the late 19th century and said to be Europe’s largest.
reviewed
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Marché Saint-Michel
The popular and multi-ethnic market is held every Tuesday and Saturday morning alongside the Saint Michel Cathedral. It features stalls selling fresh fruits and vegetables, foodstuffs, and used clothing, as well as second-hand dealers, whose shops are set up around the Place to the south. It is a lively place that should not be missed.
reviewed
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F
Marché aux Puces
Marseille's premier market has to be seen to be believed. You can spend ages perusing the many indoor and outdoor stalls and if you start to get hungry, live chickens are killed to order, although there are less violent alternatives too. African carved animals and Marseille sweaters are among the colourful sights you can enjoy.
reviewed
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G
Fresh Fish Market
The small but enthralling fish market is a daily fixture at the Vieux Port docks. Cours Julien hosts a Wednesday-morning organic fruit and vegetable market and an Aladdin's cave bric-a-brac market every second Sunday of the month (running from 08:00 to 19:00; metro Notre Dame du Mont-Cours Julien).
reviewed
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Place des Lices Market
The massive place des Lices Market is a jam-packed kaleidoscope of everything from fruit and veg to antique mirrors and slippers. It's truly legendary (as the horrendous traffic coming into town on these days attests!). It is studded with plane trees, cafés and (when the market's not on) pétanque players.
reviewed
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Ste-Claire Market
Load up with market-fresh fruit and flowers plus the makings of a slap-up lunch from the boulangeries (bakeries) and charcuteries (delicatessens) at les Halles Ste-Claire, Grenoble's lovely old covered market since 1874. Or simply admire the elegant, glass-fronted facade and fountain.
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Marché Couvert
The city's main covered market is usually just referred to as Les Halles. There's an open-air market on Wednesday and Saturday mornings around the covered market and on place Jean-Jacques Chapou. Nearby, food shops can be found around place des Halles and along rue de la Préfecture.
reviewed
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Marché aux Puces d’Aligre
Smaller but more central (and, punters say, more trustworthy) than Paris’ other flea markets, this is one of the best places to rummage through boxes of clothes and accessories worn decades ago by those fashionable (and not-so-fashionable) Parisians, as well as their bric-a-brac.
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U Maggiu
The wonderful stalls positioned in front of the cute granite façade are designed to tempt the devil in you. And they do. Especially if you add the rows of lovingly homemade jams displayed on the shelves. And honey. And charcuterie. And liqueurs. You can see the problem.
reviewed
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Marché aux Puces de la Porte de Vanves
The smallest and, some say, friendliest of the big three markets. Av Georges Lafenestre has lots of ‘curios’ that aren’t quite old (or curious) enough to qualify as antiques.
reviewed
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Marché aux Puces de Montreuil
This19th century established, 500-stall marché aux puces (flea market), is particularly known for its second-hand clothing, designer seconds, engravings, jewellery, linen, crockery, old furniture and appliances.
reviewed
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O
Prado Market
This daily market stretches from the Castellane metro station along av du Prado to the Périer metro station, with a staggering array of clothes, fruit and speciality items. Flower market Friday morning.
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Flower Market
Cours Saleya is split between its famous flower market selling bucketfuls of blooms in the western half, and a magnificent food market at the eastern end.
reviewed
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Wazemmes Food Market
About 1.2km southwest of the centre in Wazemmes, a populaire (working class) neighbourhood that's slowly being gentrified, you'll find Lille's most beloved Wazemmes food market.
reviewed
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Place du Palais de Justice
On Saturday, browse place du Palais de Justice for antique books (1st & 4th Sat of month), art (1st, 3rd & 4th Sat) or old stamps, coins & postcards (1st, 2nd & 3rd Sat).
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Fish Market
Pack the ultimate picnic hamper from cours Saleya's fruit and vegetable market (part of the food market), and pick up freshly caught fish from the fish market .
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Farmer's Market
The Square Campinchi farmer's market, on weekends, is full to the brim with stalls selling clothing and crafts, fruit, vegetables, and Corsican cheeses and meat products.
reviewed
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Covered Market
Albi’s landmark turn-of-the-century covered market is a foodie delight. You can even fill up your water bottle with wine (€1.10 a litre).
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Marché Belleville
Fascinating entry into the large, vibrant communities of the eastern neighbourhoods, home to artists, students and immigrants from Africa, Asia and the Middle East.
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Covered Market
There are a lot of food shops surrounding the covered market, just off rue des Changes south of the cathedral. The market itself dates from the early 20th century.
reviewed
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Covered Market
The covered market sits on the riverfront. There are a number of tempting food shops and delicatessens along rue Port Neuf and rue d’Espagne.
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Y
Cours Julien
Cours Julien hosts various morning markets: fresh flowers on Wednesday and Saturday, antique books alternate Saturdays, and stamps or antique books on Sunday.
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