Markets of Paris

Those of you who have been reading for a while or who follow me on Twitter or Instagram already know that when I am on vacation, I spend a lot of my time in markets.

It’s likely that I will have spent a lot of time researching the locations, hours and days of operation to make sure that I don’t miss out.

For me, there’s nothing more disappointing than arriving in a town or neighbourhood when the market is just packing up or when you’ve missed it by a day and you won’t be around for the following week’s.

Especially when we travel in rural France, Neil and I are very careful to map our activities around the market days in the various towns we are visiting. I think there’s no better way to get a feel for a place than to spend a morning in a market, looking at what’s on offer and checking out what people buy.

For me, the sights and sounds of a market in full swing are on par with a great exhibition or monument. But that’s just me. I could spend every single day in a market and never get bored… There really is something for everyone…

(yes, that’s a big old hunk of butter on the right…)

Shopping at the market is a deliberate act. It can take much longer than a regular trip to the supermarket. But that’s the beauty of it!

Yes at the Marché Raspail, you can get incredible English muffins that I have been lucky enough to taste!

Something you might not know is that Paris markets often house the best fast food ever. Poulet Rôti.

Those potatoes down the bottom? Um, yeah, they are cooked in the chicken drippings. Heavenly.

Don’t forget to check out the bric-a-brac markets too… You never know what you might find…

And, of course, don’t forget to stop, look around you and take it all in. Like these guys.

I’ve written about some of my favourite Paris markets for Food Network Canada but a website you might find handy if you are heading to Paris and want to plan in advance is Discover France which has a comprehensive list of outdoor and covered markets listed by arrondissement.

One offline resource I’d suggest you buy before you go and take along with you for quick reference on the fly is the fabulous “The Markets of Paris” by Dixon Long and  Marjorie Williams.

Organised, as any decent Paris guide should be, by arrondissements, this book doesn’t just cover food markets – there’s also information on antiques, crafts, books, stamps, bric-a-brac, passages couverts and much more. It’s a pocket sized book that I carried with me last summer – I referred to it constantly and lucked out finding new-to-me markets a couple of times when I found myself with a spare morning or afternoon – I checked out the book to see what was going on where and you can be sure that most days there’s something to be discovered.  My mum and my sister and many friends used the book over the past couple of years and they’ve all been pretty impressed too. It’s been well loved (and will be again next summer!).

But don’t just take my word for it – purchase Markets of Paris for yourself on Amazon or Amazon Canada. Or for free worldwide shipping, buy from The Book Depository. If you’re planning a trip to Paris (or even if you’re just dreaming of it) you’ll find this indispensable.  I’ve already started filling in my calendar for July with the market days and times in various neighbourhoods 😉

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Please note: The product links from Amazon, Amazon.ca and The Book Depository are affiliate links. If you click on these links and purchase the product I have linked to or any other product, I will receive a small percentage of the sale price.

Disclosure: I have not received compensation for writing this post. I purchased Markets of Paris because I had heard good things about it. And since I think it’s fabulous, I just wanted to share it with you!