No. 15 Marche Saint Germaine

 While you will find small grocery stores throughout Paris, most Parisians do their serious food shopping at one of the many markets that are in every neighborhood. There are  over 80 markets in Paris, some open daily, others just pop up once or twice a week, and what you find varies from market to market. In the more affluent neighborhoods, the markets focus mainly on high quality food, and less on clothing, household goods, etc. 

Just down the street from where I was staying is the Saint Germaine Marche Couvert  ( covered market). It is actually in  a building and there you can find the freshest seafood, top quality meats, breads and cheeses, as well as made to order sandwiches which you can  sit and enjoy with a glass of wine. The market is open 6 days a week and I was jealous as here was all this great food that I couldn’t take home to cook. I would often walk down in the morning, have a coffee and croissant at the patisserie  next door , then stroll through the market and watch the shoppers discuss what they wanted with the vendors. The butcher not only sells  meat, but gives detailed instructions  on how to cook it, while the cheese monger wants to know when you are  planning to serve the cheese - lunch, dinner, tomorrow? He will then find one that will be the perfect ripeness when it is served. It is quite an experience. 

Interesting note: some food markets are open the mornings of Christmas and New Years Day, allowing the shoppers the ability to buy the freshest ingredients for their holiday meals.