Marché d'Aligre

The Marché d'Aligre is the most unpretentious and colourful market in eastern Paris, found a short walk from the Bastille in the 12th arrondissement. It centres on the Place d'Aligre and the street of the same name, in a neighbourhood that has long been home to artisans, cabinet-makers and working families, and it has kept a character distinct from the polished markets of the western districts. Prices are among the most reasonable of any Paris market, which attracts a mixed crowd of local families, restaurant buyers, students and curious visitors.

The market has three parts. In the street and the square, open-air stalls sell fruit and vegetables, with sellers calling out their prices and bargains in the morning. In the middle of the square stands the Marché Beauvau, a covered market hall dating from the eighteenth century, which houses butchers, fishmongers, cheesemongers, bakers and delicatessens, and its iron-framed interior makes a pleasant place to shop in any weather. On the Place d'Aligre itself, a small flea market sells second-hand clothes, books, records, tools and bric-a-brac, a mix of curiosities where bargains can still be found.

The mix of cultures is part of the charm. The neighbourhood has long welcomed immigrants from North Africa, the Middle East, Asia and elsewhere, and stalls reflect this in the variety of spices, dates, nuts, dried fruit, olives and herbs on offer, alongside the classic French produce of the seasons: apricots in summer, chestnuts in autumn and winter greens. Fishmongers and butchers sell cuts that can be hard to find elsewhere, and cheese stalls offer a wide range of French cheeses. It is a good place to stock a picnic or buy ingredients for a meal.

The area around the market is a destination in itself. Rue du Faubourg Saint-Antoine, the old street of the furniture makers, runs nearby, with workshops and showrooms, and the streets around Rue Crozatier and Rue Théophile Roussel have cafés and wine bars that fill up at lunchtime and in the evening, with the market stalls often providing the ingredients for the plates on the tables. The Coulée verte René-Dumont, a green promenade on a former railway viaduct, begins close by and offers a quiet walk, and the Opéra Bastille and the Place de la Bastille are a few minutes away.

The market is open every day except Monday, with the busiest times in the mornings and at weekends, when it can be very crowded, and some stalls close in the early afternoon. Go early for the best choice and the calmest atmosphere, and carry cash and a bag. The market suits food lovers, bargain hunters and anyone who wants to see a more everyday side of Paris. The Canal Saint-Martin and the Musée Carnavalet are good companions for a day in this part of the city.