PARIS FOR FOODIES   live like a Parisian ......

But you do not have to lunch or dine in a Michelin 3 star to experience the French attitude towards food and cooking - it's all around you in Paris, in the markets, in the specialist food shops, in the smart cafés, in the family run bistros.

This guide mainly covers selected Paris food markets, but also includes a selection of English speaking cooking classes suitable for short-stay Paris visitors and couple of suggestions for a meal cooked by a professional in your own apartment.

MARKETS
Paris has some 65 open-air and 13 covered markets. Here you will find high quality fresh products and a level of professionalism that is often handed down from father to son. In the supermarket-world that most of us inhabit, shops like this are a distant memory.

To enjoy this most delightful and essential part of Paris, even if you are not going to indulge in major cooking, you need to have at least some form of food preparation area and space to sit down and enjoy eating what you have purchased. If you are staying in a hotel you can only sadly walk on by.

A vacation rental should therefore be the preferred choice of any food lover wanting to make the most of this wonderful city, and we have added the reference letters of our nearby properties at the end of each market section.

Note: If you struggle with French and would like help with your shopping, for a modest fee we can arrange someone to accompany you and help you with your purchasing.

RUE MONTORGUEIL and surrounding area
The rue Montorgueil has a reputation amongst Parisians for its large selection of specialist food shops, greengrocers and delicatessens. Ever since Les Halles, once the largest market in Paris, moved to the suburbs, rue Montorgueil has become a focal point for foodies looking for the best produce. Not to be missed .....

RUE MOUFFETARD
One of the oldest streets in Paris, the narrow rue Mouffetard used to run all the way to Rome! It has now become the heart of a vibrant neighbourhood with a myriad of speciality food shops. At the bottom end of this charming street you will find a fruit and vegetable market selling top quality fresh produce and open everyday. Not to be missed .....

MARCHÉ RICHARD LENOIR
Every Thursday and Sunday morning this market stretches along the tree-lined boulevard that separates the Marais from the Bastille. Sunday is the best day, when locals come to socialize as well as shop for foods such as fish, meat, bread and cheese. Some stalls sell North African and other international fare. Not to be missed .....

RUE DES MARTYRS
Spanning the 9^th and 18^th arrondissements, the rue des Martyrs is loaded with excellent food shops. It starts at the Notre-Dame-de-Lorette church and ends near the Place des Abbesses. The busy boulevard de Rochechouart slices the street in two at the Pigalle Métro, and divides it between the two arrndissements. Both parts blend the cosiness of a village frozen in time with the vitality of a neighbourhood described as "bobo," or bourgeois bohemian! Not to be missed .....

RUE LEPIC
Located in Montmartre, the rue Lepic is a classic Parisian market street with a truly village atmosphere. Local artists and musicians all buy their food here and the street has an amazing selection of good boucheries, boulangeries, pâtisseries, fromagerie and poissonniers (butchers, bakers, pastry makers, cheesemongers and fishmongers). Food lovers have been drawn here way before the success of 'Amelie' where much of the film was shot. Not to be missed .....

RUE DU POTEAU / RUE DAMRÉMONT
Nestled away in the back streets of Montmartre this buzzing daily market (except Mondays) is a tourist free zone. Indeed it is one of the few markets that has retained a truly local feel and the price of the produce reflects this. Stall holders compete to sell their products and you will find everything - fish, meat, fruit and veg, all of the highest quality. Not far away you will also find the rue Damrémont an 'up and coming' street that has become home to a variety of specialist food shops. Not to be missed .....

COOKING CLASSES
Serious cooks know they can go off to France and take immersion courses, but few realise that it is possible to take quickie cooking classes: a few hours, a half day or a day and still have lots of time to see Paris. More.....

ENTERTAINING
Entertain without stress. If you want to invite friends or family to your place but are not a confident cook or just don't have the time - no panic, here are a couple of solutions which might suit. More ....