Markets of Paris

The authors of Markets of Paris admit that they have a love affair with les marchés, and that love shines through on every page of this appealing little book. Small enough to be a take-along guide, it manages to include some 70 open-air food markets, ten covered markets, a dozen market streets with sidewalk stalls, as well as markets for antiques and collectibles, arts and crafts, stamps, flowers, fabrics, books and paper items. This second edition (the first was published ten years ago) is arranged by arrondissement, providing all the information you need to explore the city’s marvelous markets, including Métro stops and hard-to-find opening days and hours.

Each entry is a succinct description of what the market offers, focusing on what sets it apart from the others—perhaps its architecture, or its unusual value or variety, or its location near other points of interest.

The authors strike a nice balance, making this book appropriate for both first-time visitors (sections on Practical Suggestions, Getting Along in the Food Markets) and longtime Paris residents (the Buying Organic section discusses France’s labeling regulations; About Oysters has figures on varieties and production).

They also do a good job of showing why the market experience in Paris can be fun even if you don’t buy a thing. Describing the selection of carrots at Joël Thiébault’s stand in the 16th: “…no fewer than five varieties—and none of them the standard orange. Each is identified with a sign and poetic description. Le Chantenay carrots have une forte personnalité, while Yellow Stones stand out for un doux parfum puissant, and the curvy Parmex is une parisienne toute en rondeur.” Marjorie Williams’s photographs capture all the markets’ bustle and color as well as their appealing details: bundled-up winter marketers shopping at Saxe-Breteuil, with the Eiffel Tower looming mistily in the background; a pile of glistening coquilles Saint-Jacques; galettes de pomme de terre (potato pancakes) steaming on a griddle, wine bottles spilling out of a box with a sign “No plonk here”.

Other short takes—on artisan bakers, architect Victor Baltard, the Rungis wholesale food market—provide background. Sections on the best markets to visit with limited time, markets open on Sunday, and 80 restaurants with one-line descriptions round out the book.

As with all Little Bookroom offerings, the book is a pleasure not only to read, but also to look at and handle. The paper quality, typefaces and colors, margins and borders are all carefully chosen to enhance the reader’s experience. Markets of Paris is a fine addition to any Francophile’s library, or a charming gift.

Markets of Paris, 2nd edition, by Dixon Long and Marjorie R. Williams. The Little Bookroom, 2012. 301 pages, $18.95.

Originally published in the November 2012 issue of France Today