Marché Poncelet

The Marché on Rue Poncelet is the quintessential Parisian marché, an authentic street market offering the best fruits, vegetables, meats, seafood, bread, wines, cheeses, German coffee, pastries, and even a handy little hardware store.

It’s just a couple of blocks away from our apartment and is open every day of the week, which is rare in Paris, so this is where we get our croissants on Sunday mornings. It’s right across the street from our Monoprix, where we do our day-to-day grocery shopping, but when we want to do the more typical French thing, or get a fresh roasted chicken or fresh anything, then a visit to this market is warranted.

The first time you go it's a bit intimidating; everyone is so friendly and eager to help that you don't know where to stop first. Before buying produce, for example, they'll ask you when you're going to eat it. Want avocado for tomorrow? No problem, they'll sell you the right one. And everything looks so good that you end up "eating with your eyes" and buying more than you should. And it's not cheap.

Our all-time favorite is Comtesse du Barry, a store specialized in foie gras, patés, and terrines, and matching wines. The name Comtesse du Barry was created in reference to the owners' name (the Dubarry family) and that of the comtesse du Barry (Jeanne Bécu), the mistress of Louis XV.