Paris' Outdoor Markets

Paris is synonymous with shopping and with food.  A way to combine both of them is through the Parisian Outdoor Markets.

These markets are just a sample of the different types of markets that you can find in Paris;

Marché Daguerre 14^th Arrondissement (metro: Mouton-Duvernet / Denfert-Rochereau)

On Sunday, when many of the shops are closed, shopping in the Marche Daguerre can be a godsend, as, the Marche Daguerre is full of several open air stalls bursting with outstanding produce at very reasonable prices and several of the shops on this cobblestoned, pedestrian street are also open.

This 2 block area is full of bakeries, pharmacies, cafes, as well as a health food store, jewelry designers, perfumier and even a bon-bon shop. Here in the Marche Daguerre the proprietors do let you pick out the produce you desire and check out at the register, where they weigh it. The nearest metro, Mouton-Duvernet is three blocks south from the market and Denfert-Rochereau is a short two blocks away.

Rue Mouffetard, 5^th Arrondissement (metro: Censier-Daubenton/ Place Monge)

Milk-goats no longer wander up Rue Mouffetard, but this cobbled market street has retained much of its pre-industrial character. A dozen "old Paris" shops sell everything from wicker baskets to salt cod, olive oil, wine, cheese, bread, and chocolate, so it's an ideal place to pull together a picnic. Fruit and vegetable stalls front the Saint Médard church (where the road abuts the 13^th Arrondissement), and few Paris streets have as many good cheesemongers; try Androuet, a Parisian high-end mini-chain founded in 1909 (#134; 33-1-45-87-85-05; www.androuet.com). Stop in Boucherie Saint Médard for luscious handmade pâtés and terrines and for hot rotisserie pork roasts and chickens (#119; 33-1-45-35-14-72). Buy wine from a small grower-bottler at La Fontaine aux Vins (#107; 33-1-43-31-41-03; www.la-fontaine-aux-vins.com), and take your pick of bread from any of half a dozen bakeries nearby. Les Délices de la Casbah turns out irresistible Algerian pastries (#118; 33-1-43-31-10-13). For handmade chocolates and exquisite Berthillon ice cream, go to Nicolsen Chocolatier (#112; 33-1-43-36-78-04). The best bets for sit-down meals are Chez Marco, a neo-bistro with sidewalk tables (#127; 33-1-43-37-60-66), or the street's doyen café-restaurant, Le Mouffetard—its wraparound terrace with faux cane chairs is fun, especially at breakfast or lunch, when the neighboring shops are bustling. Don't expect gastro-fireworks, just good grub (salads, quiches, duck confit) in a likeable setting (#116; 33-1-43-31-42-50).

The Marché Biologique (Organic Market) on the Boulevard Raspail, 6^tharrondissement, is by far the best known—and trendiest—of Paris's outdoor markets. Celebrities and serious cooks alike gather under the colorful canopies that pop up every Sunday morning along this tree-lined stretch between the rue de Rennes and the rue du Cherche-Midi. (metro: Rennes/ Sevres-Bablone) Among the piles of fruits and vegetables, you'll find organic dairy products, soy in many guises, fish and seafood, and a variety of whole grains. Founded in 1994, the Marché Biologique Batignolles, held every Saturday in a leafy square in the eastern part of the 17^th arrondissement, is an offshoot of the Boulevard Raspail market. It's far quieter and less crowded here, but you'll find similar organic produce and dairy goods, wine, and prepared salads and pastries, in addition to home-pressed organic cider.

The Belleville-Ménilmontant market, on the border of the 11^th and 20^th arrondissements, (metro: Belleville/ Ménilmontant) has a different mood entirely. Catering mostly to the neighborhood's North African community, this souk-like gathering (on Tuesdays and Fridays) is much livelier, with vendors loudly hawking their wares, and the pungent smells of mint and merguez sausage hanging in the air.

Originally created in 1615 by royal war commissioners as the food hall for the newly created Marais quarter, the small, charming Marché des Enfants Rouges, 3^rdarrondissement, (metro: Arts et Metiers) takes its name from the red jackets worn by orphans to signal their charity status at a neighboring orphanage. Today, picnic tables in the market make it easy to shop and consume an impromptu picnic on the premises, since many food stalls sell prepared dishes, along with first-rate fruit, vegetables, wine, and charcuterie. (Les Enfants Rouges (9 rue Beauce, 3rd, 01-48-87-8061), a wine bar adjacent to the market, is a popular hangout for Parisian sommeliers.)

The covered Marché d'Aligre, on rue d'Aligre, 12^th arrondissement (metro: Ledru-Rollin) was built in 1779; hugely popular, it retains the working-class character of the Bastille neighborhood before it was gentrified. Among the better stands are Chez Philippe, which stocks some thousand cheeses, and those selling charcuterie (sausage, ham, etc.) from Brittany, Corsica, and the Auvergne. There are also many stalls selling produce from Africa and Asia. The popular Baron Rouge (1 rue Theophile Roussel, 12th; 01-43-43-14-32) is where shoppers pause for a glass of wine and some freshly shucked oysters.