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In front of Palais de Tokyo and running almost the full length of Avenue Président-Wilson, this open air food market claims to be the largest of its kind in Paris. It may also be the most gourmet – go early on the morning to spot chefs and restaurateurs stocking up on fish, meat, fruit, vegetables, cheese and organic wine. The choice is eye-popping so take time to do several laps before you make any purchases. At odds with the strait-laced 16th arrondissement, stall owners banter with customers and call out their wares, often offering morsels to taste.
Highlights include Joel Thiébault’s long-established grocery stall, known for peddling veg so rare you may never have seen it before; JPB fishmongers with their rainbow of seafood and fish (all so fresh it’s practically still wriggling) and Maison Priolet, renowned for game and high-quality poultry. Don’t be alarmed if much of it still has feathers on – this may be in the heart of the chi-chi 16th but this is a proper slice of Parisian gastronomy – tongues, tripe and all.
Unlike many of its counterparts, it does a mean range of takeaway hot food too: Thai, Chinese, Lebanese, and Breton crepes. Carnivores: head for the butchers half way down – a stall piled high with Alsatian choucroute, vats of boeuf bourgignon, paella, pâte to suit every palate and rotisserie chicken and roast potatoes. Find a spot with a view onto the Seine and the Eiffel Tower to devour your bounty. This is market is a foodie’s wet dream and is worth putting on your list.