What are your favorite markets in Paris? What draws you there? What is available there? Can you buy your gifts/souvenirs there? If so, what can you buy?

I realy liked Rue Cler until I saw and fell in love with Rue Montorgueil. These are mainly streets for buying food and sitting at cafe's enjoying the sights. Rue Di Rivoli has a lot of souvenir shops which are fun to browse in I do most of my serious souvenir and gift shopping at Galleries Lafayette and Bon Marche. Great gourmet food sections in both stores. They have lotions and candles and things that every body loves. My other favorites fro shopping are Hediard's a Fouchon's.

Another special gift I bring back is the homemade jam I get at Valentin's in the passage Jeoffrey.

My mother and I loved Rue des Belles Feuilles in the 16th arr. during our trip in late April. We didn't eat in any restaurants -- would just run to the market each afternoon to stop by the individual shops for gorgeous fresh produce, fresh bread, pastries, cheese, roti chicken, fresh seafood, etc. The locals shop at MONOPRIX grocery stores (you'll see them everywhere) where you can buy all the fancy name brand foods as souvenirs/gifts. Have fun!

I like the markets because they are not something I see much at home, they are very colorful and picturesque, and it is fun to see the customers and dealers interact. I see food, especially fish and some vegetables, that I've never seen or heard of before.

Here is a nice article about several of them:
http://travel.independent.co.uk/low_...t=2&dir=36

Marche Allegre by the Bastille - tres animated! But mainly food.

I love REAL markets! Aligre ,Monge, Montorgueil are great but my very favorites are Richar Lenoir on sundays an d Saxe-Breteuil on saturdays...vendors from all parts of France come in and set up..not like Cler or Buci where it is just the shops setting up stands outside.

I just like the ambiance , gifts and souvenirs, if I even buy them, I buy elsewhere..to me marketd are for FOOD!

Check Amazon or eBay for a copy of Paris in a Basket..wonderful guide, and recipes!! I've recognized and spoken with some of the vendors featured!

Mouffetard! I walked there ever[y morning foru frsh strwberries and raspberries, cheeses and bread. The vendors were so much fun to chat with, and they suggested all kinds of walks I could take. I didn't care as much four Monge, but if you want fresh fish, it looks like the place to go- and there is a marvelous basket and wicker shop across from the market.

While going to Notre Dame on Sunday I stumbled into the bird market which is an every-Sunday event. It was quite the spectacle.

I passed thru the Monge market 3 times last week, I was always on my way to the Metro so I didnt buy anything. But it looked interesting.

Rue Cler didn't really impress me, considering the way Rick Steves made it seem like it was the be-all and end-all of markets. I liked the Montorgueil and Mouffetard markets a lot more. I also came upon a market in Montparnasse on Blvd. Edgar Quinet on my way to the cemetery. There were vendors selling clothes and crafty stuff in addition to the food vendors. It's worth a look.

The Rue Mouffetard is a street of small markets on the Left Bank, south of the Pantheon. On Sunday mornings at the bottom of the street, a group of people get together to sing French folksongs. Everyone is welcome and songsheets are available. There are lovely bakeries, fruit and vegetable markets, cheese shops, meat markets, prepared foods etc, as well as a very good health food store. Souvenir and gift shops, interesting jewelrey shops and boutiques abound. There are lots outdoor cafes. Restaurants too, but they tend to be overpriced. We stayed in the Rue Mouffetard neighbourhood for 3 weeks this April and for the month of Sept, 2003. It's a wonderful place to be!

We like Pl. Monge on Sundays best. Since we stay near rue Cler we also go there a lot. For a good flea market don't forget Vanves on the weekends.

Can someone list which arrondissement these are in or any sites that are close to them or metro stops...Thanks

Poppys: Do you know what time the singing takes place? Thanks.

For the Rue Mouffetard market, it is in the 5th Arrondissement; the closest metro is Censier and Dubenton (one stop south of Place Monge) on the #7 line. The singers on Sunday morning are there around 10 and they continue til at least 12.

I stayed in a great apartment on rue Mouffetard all last week. Cute street, so many places to eat, drink, shop. Place de la Contrascarpe was hopping into the wee hours every night.

There are actually two kinds of "markets" in Paris: the permanent ones, which are more or less pedestrian streets with shops whose stalls are displayed on the sidewalk (rues de Buci, Mouffetard, Cler, de Lévis, Poncelet, du Ruisseau, Dejean, etc. ) and actual street markets that take place two or three times a week, from 8h00 to 13h00. Their full list, time and location are available on www.paris.fr under "marchés".

As supermarkets, I used to shop at the local Monoprix. They sell everything! I wouldn't recommend trying their fruits or vegetables (they aren't that fresh). I also liked the farmers market on Fridays on the Boulevard Raspail (metro: Rennes or Saint Placide). If you want to get good meats at a decent price, I would recommend Chevy (not the Tex-Mex restaurant chain...), which is on Avenue du General Leclerc at Alésia metro stop. You can probably find postcards and souvenirs at any "tabac" or tabacco shops. Suzanne2, I agree with you that the Rue de Rivoli has a lot of souvenir shops. If you want the best bread, try a "retrodor" bread from the Boulangerie Maillard at 42 rue Jacob in the 6th (Metro Saint Germain des Prés; intersection of Rue Saint Benoît and Rue Jacob). We used to have fresh bread from that bakery every day, and since I've moved back to the States, I really miss it...

I love Paris markets. Try to start each day I'm there (except Monday when there are no markets) at a market somewhere. That way I get into new neighborhoods and explore things I might not see otherwise. My favorite book is a hardcover coffee table type (but only $20) book called Paris in a Basket. It provides pictures, history and stories about the markets and the people who sell in them in all the arrondissements of Paris.

Inbetween, I have done my homework and fished out the actual URL of the Paris city hall site that lists all street markets, their days and hours of business:

http://www.paris.fr/portail/marches_parisiens/ then, click on the "fruits et légumes" link (unless you also want to have a look at the "marché aux puces" ones! )

I couldn't get that link to work but this one did:

http://www.paris.fr/portail/marches_...ches_parisiens

Thank you , Art, for the info. Very nice list.

One time I was in Paris and came across on market that also had French Frabics from Provence. It was near Le Halles, on a square. Have to see if I can figure out which one it was.