Which is your favourite open air market in Paris?
 

I love the markets in Paris, Rue Mouffetard and Rue de Buci for example but which of all the markets is your favourite? I also found myself in an antique street market once by accident but cannot remember exactly where, does anyone know which it could be? Or are there quite a few, it was west of the Olympia theatre area. Yes, I have the books and the internet but would like some first hand recent experiences from the forum, thanks.

The antiques market you passed was quite likely one of the brocante markets that appear here and there irregularly throughout Paris. Watch for signs announcing them as you walk through the city.

Not on the main tourist trail, I liked the organic market on Saturday mornings at the Boulevard des Batignolles near Place de Clichy.

We like Richard Lenoir and pl. Monge.

Place d'Aligre

http://www.flickr.com/photos/mksfca/...57623299527007

I like most that I've seen, but Richard Lenoir and Avenue President Wilson are favorites.

YOu are talking about different things on this thread. The OP was talking about permanent stores that happen to be on a market street (pedestrian) and many of them may have some part open to the street or stands out front. Those are completely different than periodic roving markets where vendors come and set up once or twice a week (eg, Richard Lenoir).

The main ones that I know of that are like Buci and Mouffetard are rue Cler, rue Daguerre in the 14th, rue de l'Assomption in the 16th, rue des Martyrs in the 9th and rue Montorgueil, rue de Lepic, rue Levis in the 17th, and maybe rue de Bretagne. There are probably some other ones I don't know or am forgetting.

I'd skip the stores on market street anytime for the bi-weekly street markets my favorites and the Richard Lenoir a
at Place bas
tille on Thus and Sundays and Saxe-Breutil on Thus and Saturdays. Farmers and produr
cers conme from as for away as Britta
any to selltheor products. The antiques market may have been pORTE DE vANVES My favorite

<i>Farmers and produrcers conme from as for away as Brittany to sell theor products.</i>

There may be some truck farmers at the Paris markets, but for the most part the vendors buy the produce they sell at a central distribution point.

We rented an apartment about a block from Rue Poncelet and it was my daily market for a couple of weeks, so I have a soft spot in my heart for this relatively unassuming choice. A solid, daily market.

Lat time I was in Paris I stayed on Richard Lenoir. The market was a disappointment compared to what is available in Paris. My favorite market in Europe is La Boqueria in Barcelona and if that was a ten, this was a four.

As a Parisian, I don't have a favourite street market, because my experience has shown me that all markets of the same category are generally identical. For example the really big ones like Convention or Richard Lenoir are pretty much indistinguishable, as are the medium-sized markets that fill a square like Place Monge or Place de Joinville. Naturally, there are a few exceptions -- the huge Barbès market is fascinating because you feel as though you are in North Africa (with unbeatable prices) and the compact market on avenue du Président Wilson is just as amazing because it is so high end that you feel as though the fruits and vegetables on display have all been chosen individually, with prices to match. The only thing missing there is a caviar vendor.

In any case the markets are everywhere on varying days and times, but the municipal website lists them all: http://marches.equipements.paris.fr/ (zoom in on the map for details)

Market streets are another matter and another source of delight. They operate Tuesday through Sunday, although on Sunday they close down by 13:00 or 13:30.

Two years ago we rented an apartment near the Rome metro and found the shops spilling out onto rue Levis to be a good source of most of what we wanted.

<i>As a Parisian, I don't have a favourite street market, because my experience has shown me that all markets of the same category are generally identical.</i>

I am surprised that as a Parisian you do not have a favorite market. The size or similarity to others is not the issue. But when I go to the market in San Francisco (for 30 years plus) or some of the markets in the Dordogne where I go for about three weeks every spring/summer, I know the vendors and they know me. I know who has which fruit better than the other (not all peaches are equal, or strawberries, or lettuce, etc.). I would think that as a resident you would also have found the vendors that you like, and not necessarily all at the same market.

"As a Parisian" I go to my local market -- I would never cross the city to go to another one. I see no reason to walk more than 3 blocks with a bag of produce and meat. It is the whole reason that there are so many markets in Paris. We kind of like convenience.

I should add that of course I know who sells the best products at my local market -- in any case there is no lack of choice since there are more than a dozen produce vendors, just as many butchers, and half a dozen each of fishmongers and cheese shops, just for a start. Absolutely no need to go even one metro station away -- and in any case, since I live in a poor neighbourhood, most of the products I buy cost 30-40% less than the markets like Richard Lenoir or Montorgueil. One of the biggest shocks for me is the fact that rotisserie chickens cost 4.50€ at my market but they are often more than 10€ in other parts of the city.

Count yourself lucky,kerouac. The last time we purchased a rotisserie chicken in the Dordogne at the St-Cyprien market, it was 19.5 euro!! And we had to cut the head off (not a big deal, but for that price, a bit much).

I love Barbès, and Belleville as well (though not even sure they have much food there - it's mostly trinkets and clothing and CDs and such - I just love the atmosphere of bedlam).

I don't usually go to food markets in Paris, except if I wander across one and feel like having a piece of fruit or something, but the Marché Aligre always looks good to me.

I know that the Marché Aligre is great, but it is about just as far from where I live as is possible within the Paris city limits, so I would never consider going there unless I had some other business in the area -- and certainly not to shop for food.

<i>The last time we purchased a rotisserie chicken in the Dordogne at the St-Cyprien market, it was 19.5 euro!! And we had to cut the head off (not a big deal, but for that price, a bit much).</i>

But you probably could have found out the name of the person who raised the chicken--that happened to us at the butcher's in Monpazier; we were joking and he was not.

You probably even could have found out the chicken's name. <i>"Oh, that's little Roussette -- she never got along with Grisette who is on the spit next to her -- always pecking at each other! But now those problems are solved!"</i>

We love the antique-brocante market Porte de Vanves....metro is Porte de Vanves It is on Saturday and Sunday mornings. Lots of neat things...old and French. some have indicated this is expensive but we go regularly and find things in every price range. i collect hand-tinted French postcards and find many very nice ones for 1euro.You can barter there some....go early. There is a very nice cafe right where you come up from the metro if you get tired and want a drink, sandwich etc.The people in the cafe are very nice.You can sit outside also. My husband likes to spend more time browsing than I do so often I find a little table have a cold drink and pastry and look over my postcards and other finds.They have many items for all tastes in the market...