Le Foodist Paris Cooking Class



Paris Food Markets by Day of the Week: A Guide

Read more about our Paris Food Tours here

Paris is home to many culinary markets that are set up throughout the week that you can travel to.

Here you'll find various things like pastries, fruits, and vegetables that can be used to make fresh meals. You'll also be able to interact with local farmers and ask more behind the ingredients and how they're grown or raised which can make it easier for you to discover more behind where your ingredients are from.

However, it can be difficult to plan ahead when there are so many options available and Paris gourmet food walking tour.  

Paris food markets by day of week

Types of Markets

Read more about our Paris Food Tours here

When it comes to searching for these in France you'll find two main types: outdoor and covered. In Paris, there are over 13 covered ones and 69 outdoor ones.

One thing to keep in mind is that the covered ones are almost always opened on every day of the week while outdoor ones are opened for only a few throughout it. Many also offer delicious street meals you can try while browsing for ingredients. 

The Week's Parisian Timetable

Read more about our Paris Food Tours here

Monday

Most are closed on Mondays, but there are a few that still operate during this day. 

  •  Marché Couvert Saint-Didier

This covered spot is located in Paris's 16th arrondissement and offers a wide variety of ingredients you can buy. You'll find fresh fruit and vegetables, artisan breads, and fish here. There's even a pizzeria you can stop in at to buy some fresh pizza. You'll also be able to stop by their flower and linen store to buy some decorations to grace your dinner table. 

  • Marché d'Aligre

This outdoor market is located in the 12th arrondissement and offers a large selection of oysters, dairy products, spices, and fresh croissants. It's open for a few hours in the morning and then opens back up in the evening for another few hours. 

Tuesday
  • Marché Bourse

Located near the Palais Brongniart, Marché Bourse is one of the only markets in this city that is opened in the afternoon. While a little on the small side, it offers a great selection of fresh meat, fruits, vegetables, and freshly ground spices. This market is also opened on Friday. 

  • Les Enfants Rouges

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As one of the oldest covered ones in Paris, the Les Enfants Rouges is a market all should take a quick stop to. It offers freshly brewed coffee, jams, dairy products, fruit juices, and seafood, like oysters. You'll also find a few restaurants you can dine at. 

  • Port-Royal

This organic market is known for being a very friendly spot to buy organic ingredients and fruits/vegetables. Situated next to the Hôpital du Val-de-Grâce, it opens very early in the morning (7 AM) so you can quickly buy your needed ingredients for your meals. This large market is also open on Thursday and Saturday. 

Wednesday
  • Saint-Honoré

Lining the exterior of a massive office building, this market has been around for over 200 years. It's known for its wide selection of fruits, vegetables, baked goods, and even pre-made dishes. Some highlights here are the fresh strawberries and local wine selections. 

  • Charonne

Charonne is ideal for those who are looking for fresh fish and meat to venture to. You'll find a large selection of these products here. 

  • Marché Bercy

If you're looking for fresh organic fruits and vegetables this is the place you'll want to shop at. 

Thursday
  • Point du Jour

Located in Paris's 16th arrondissement, Point du Jour offers a wide selection of fresh milk and other dairy products, meats, fish, fruits, and vegetables. However, keep in mind this tends to be a little crowded with people so it's best to arrive early. 

  • Rue Cler Market Street

If you're looking for a unique shopping experience you'll want to venture out to this open-air market. You'll be able to walk down cobblestone streets while stopping at various types of shops for dairy products, pastries, and meats. You might even find some flowers to decorate your dining table with to add a beautiful floral flair to your meals. 

  • Maubert

This small market first opened during the 1920s. It's located near the historic Notre Dame Cathedral and is known for its selection of fruits. This market opens very early in the morning (7 AM).

Friday
  • Monge

Monge is known for being situated in a picturesque setting with fountains lining the square it's located in. While expensive, the products here are known for their high-quality and freshness. Monge is also opened on Wednesday and Sunday. 

  • Raspail

This market offers everything organic. You'll find delicious fruits and vegetables, handmade breads, and local honey you can use in your dishes.

Saturday
  • Baudoyer

As one of the first covered afternoon ones to open in the city, Baudoyer offers over 15 different stalls that sell everything from vegetables, fish, and meats. It's especially known for its selection of olives, oysters, and catering services. 

  • Saxe-Breteuil

This chic market is known for its pricey products that are very fresh. You'll find freshly caught oysters and local cheese stalls you can browse through. 

Sunday
  • Saint-Germain

This small covered market offers pre-made meals, fruits, juices, meats, fish, and cheeses. It has a large cheese selection where you'll be able to find almost every type of this dairy item imaginable. 

  • Bastille

Bastille is a great way for shoppers to meet local farmers to learn more about the items being sold. It's known for its offering of olives, sausages, and artichokes and is ideal for those trying to make the ultimate picnic to visit. 


With this guide, you'll be able to discover some of the best shops in the world for pre-made dishes and fresh ingredients. They all are quite unique from each other so you'll be able to find something new in each of them which can help you to explore more behind the French cuisine

For more information, please refer to the following pages:

gastronomy pic

More About Our Baguettes Classes

Getting a bit technical during our Baguette Class in Paris

The French baguette, actually probably better known as the Parisian baguette has beome a true symbol of French popular gastronomy. A true icon of French life even - look around and you will see the Parisians strolling back home with their baguettes under their arm. But if you are French why would you learn how to do this? You can buy a baguette at any corner of Paris for about one Euro a piece.  But in our Baguette Class in Paris  you will learn how do this from scratch. It is somewhat technical, but also full of tips and tricks. But when you leave, it will have not secret left for you. From the original mix to the famous "scarification" through adding water to your oven through baking, you will see and do it all.

Learning more during your Baguette class in Paris: Croque Monsieur Bread and Brioche

This class is like all our other baking or cooking classes: totally hands-on. So you get to practice from beginning to end - and to taste at the end. But not only will you learn how to make Baguette, but you will also learn to make two more types of bread: the French Croque Monsieur bread. The basis for the classic French bistrot appetizer. And in your Baguette class in Paris you will also learn how to make your own Brioche. Probably the most indulgent bread you will find in France - if not the lightest ...

And you might learn some history during your Baguette Class in Paris

While you will learn the techniques to create - and get to taste - three classic types of French breads, you will also learn some of the stories on the origin of the baguette. Just beware it is still being quite hotly debated. What is for sure though is that the Baguette is absolutely part of today Parisian's life. A classic you will be able to take back home with you.

More About Our Wine and Cheese Lunch in Paris

Cheese and Wine in Paris

The pleasures we can derive from French cuisine can seem endless.  However two of the best known and loved French gastronomic heroes are French cheese and wine. Whether we talk about a Brie which actually comes from very close to Paris, to a creamy Camembert from Normandy, or a Comté from the Alps, French cheese has a delight for all palates. And of course, French wines are even better known whether from Bordeaux great wines or Burgundy sophisticated whites – all of which enthral wine lovers.  Well, at our course on cheese and wine in Paris you will come to appreciate that although each is delicious on its own, properly matched cheese and wine together can make the experience of each even more enjoyable and an absolute delight.

How to pair French cheese and wine

Because not all pairings are actually what people expect, at Le Foodist we have decided to call these experiences 'Daring Pairings'. Maybe because we like to step out of the ordinary to challenge our taste buds, but really all we try to do is give you the perfect match fo cheese and wine in Paris.  So not only will you learn how to select the best wine to go with your cheese, but you will also learn what are the big cheese families in France – there are actually only five, and this is one of the keys to great pairing. In discovering all these pairings of cheese with wine you will be convinced that indeed two things together can be better than the sum of their parts.

It is important to have fun with pairing cheese and wine in Paris

Beyond the tastings though, we have found that the best way to help our clients remember and re-use their experience is to vary the way to approach both wine and cheese.  That is why during our courses on cheese and wine in Paris we share sensory games and many an anecdote to bring the produce to life in your mind as well as on your palate. Overall we will feature four excellent wines, one Champagne and demonstrate to you how best each combines with cheese, letting your taste guide you along with our teaching.

Understanding cheese and wine pairing while in Paris

While for many top Parisian wine stores and restaurant wine lists can be confusing and even intimidating, we believe that after our lunch learning how to pair cheese and wine in Paris, you will feel much more comfortable navigating all of those.  And we sincerely hope your knowledge will help you unlock a door to a whole new world of enjoyment of French wine and cheese pairing.  At every step of the way our sommelier will also share unique tips and tricks to understand wines better and how culture and wine are so related in France; hopefully enriching your own experience as well.

And they do not have to do with what you will find in those markets. They have to do with when you can go shopping there. Open Air markets are only open in the morning. Typically from 8:30 am to 1:30 pm. And they are not open every day. As a matter of fact for the vast majority they are open either open every other day (Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday or Wednesday, Friday, Sunday), or sometimes only twice a week. 

This is the case of the Bastille Market (Metro Bastille and Metro Bréguet Sabin )which is open only on Thursday and Sunday morning. We like to send people there because it is a very big market with over one hundred vendors. And it has a nice stand of Crêperie in the middle. Here you get a video of a lady preparing a crêpe there; and you can get that crêpe for only 3 Euros!
There is only one Open Air market open every day of the week, it is called Marché Aligre (Metro Ledru Rollin or Metro Faidherbe Chaligny) which happens on the eponymous street. It is an interesting market because you find all kinds of quality in that market – the good, the bad and the ugly. There is also a nice covered market in the middle of it called Marché Beauveau – sometimes called Marché Beauveau Aligre. On the contrary, Covered Markets are open every day, and not just in the morning, but also in the late afternoon. Typically from 4:30 pm to 8:00 pm.

We are blessed with two markets close to where Le Foodist is located, so we can walk to a market every morning – sometimes it is the Maubert market, and sometimes it is the Monge market. Both nice with their own specififies. Last but not least, none of these markets is open on Monday. Do not sign-up for a Market Tour on Monday, you might never see that money again …

Choosing Ingredients in Paris

While all markets are different, they also have some things in common. First they work on specific schedules as explained before. But also you will find always at a minimum the following vendors: a Maraîcher – this is the name we give to people selling fruits and vegetables, a butcher, a fishmonger, a cheesemonger and a baker. Normally you will find several of each, with different levels of quality, organic or non-organic, local or not local (but mostly not local unfortunately).
And we explain how to recognize each of those of course during our Market Visits and Cooking Classes in Paris. But choosing ingredients can be daunting at first, because of the variety that is on display. A typical fishmonger will carry 20 different types of fishes, and as many shrimp and shelf fish varieties. A good cheese monger will easily carry up to 100 different types of cheese and obviously you could get over 100 different cuts of meat at a butcher (from the type of meat to the cut itself). And a normal Maraicher will carry between 50 and 100 fruits and vegetables as well.
This is what makes these markets so exciting – the variety of products, the beauty of their display, and the exchange you can have with most of the vendors. We give you tips though on how to make sure that exchange with the vendors go well – a few magic words, and everything will be fine!

Cooking in Paris

Obviously going to markets is nice, but actually knowing that you are going to cook what you find there is even more exciting. It is not uncommon for Parisians to buy a little bit too much food because they get so excited at the idea of cooking it all! But as most of us have hardly any space where we live, that can limit the enthusiasm sometimes. Because of the lack of space, Cooking in Paris can be quite different from cooking in the rest of France. And there are also dishes that are typically associated with regions which the Parisian will not cook at home – but taste when they visit friends or families in the various regions of France. However our kitchen has plenty of space, so we can cook traditional French dishes without a problem – whether they come from Paris or any region. And the most important part for us is to ensure that we share techniques much more than just recipes. As a matter of fact, we love to share a bit of the science behind what we do so people can better remember the “what” by understanding the “why”.

Sharing Stories

In November 2010, some experts from the UN cultural organisation, decided tha France’s multi-course gastronomic meal, with its rites and its presentation, fulfilled the conditions for featuring on the “world intangible list” of the UNESCO.
In this list you can find all kinds of cultural practices, including Mexico Day of the Dead festival for example. Importantly this is not suggesting French cuisine is better than other cuisines (even though we the French tend to believe that …). It is only saying that the gastronomic meal and what it entails is a very vivid cultural practice which people in France partake into on a very regular basis. That is why the same experts indicated that the French gastronomic meal is a “social custom aimed at celebrating the most important moments in the lives of individuals and groups”. And in that social custom, there are many parts: the attention we pay to the way we choose ingredients, how we pair wine with food, how many dishes we will present to our guests, how we lay the table, etc… But one big part of the cultural practice is that commensality (the fact of sharing the food) is always accompanied by sharing stories about …. Well, you would have guessed it, Food of course!
To us it is THE perfect example of how Food and Culture come together – actually we decide to share food is a considered a cultural practice. I would argue that it is true of all countries, regions, etc… As the way we relate to Food is such a big part of anybody’s identity. But as a result and to make sure you have the most genuine experience of French culture, after the a coking class in Paris at Le Foodist, you will share a gastronomic meal at a common table with your Chef and fellow participants to the class.

French Wine and Food Pairing

As mentioned above, one of the big cultural practices in France is choosing how to pair Wine and Food in general and Wine and Cheese in particular. We actually have a class which focuses specifically on this. As it is so important though, we always make sure we share white and red wines during our meals, chosen to pair well in our opinion with the food we cook. And being at the table together is a good opportunity to discuss about wine as well, with concepts such as “terroir” (to simplify, terroir means “what you do depends on where you are”) which are essential to grasp the way the French think about Food.
And all this will always go with a cheering “Santé” – which quite simply means, to your good health!

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