The hidden treasures of one of Paris's oldest markets

Name: Aligre (and Beauvau for the central market halls) 

Date of birth: 1779

Place of birth: 12th arrondissement of Paris

Type of market: 

Aligre Market is already a way of experiencing the neighborhood. At dawn, it is already spilling into the streets surrounding the central square: the metallic clatter of trucks unloading, stalls overflowing with fruit and vegetables, voices beginning to rise as they call out prices. Metal arches mark the start of the route, like the gates to a village waiting to be devoured. Alongside the food stalls are the historic flea market and second-hand clothes stalls. At the heart of this cheerful jumble, the market hall sits majestically in the middle of Place d’Aligre. Beneath the 18th-century-style central market halls, the covered Beauvau Market houses both iconic and up-and-coming vendors amid a familiar hubbub. 

A fun fact:

Place d’Aligre has seen its fair share of famous faces. The legendary restaurant La Boule d’Or once stood there, a renowned brasserie where stars from a bygone era dined: Italian actress Gina Lollobrigida, American actors Clark Gable and Rita Hayworth, and General Eisenhower. In 1970, the restaurant moved (and lost some of its luster at its new location) and was replaced by a white building, a crescent-shaped concrete block. On the menu, it was still the now (somewhat) bygone era of salmon paupiettes and jellied beef. 

A shop:

Its name is intriguing, and you’ll have no trouble remembering it after a visit. Aligre’s unusual “seed shop” is one of the last of its kind in Paris. José Ferré bought it about twenty years ago and changed almost nothing. The result is a shop interior that remains true to its original appearance when it first opened in 1930. You’ll find all kinds of seeds there, dried and sold in bulk, for planting and eating, as well as grains, pulses, semolina, herbs, and spices. Everything you need to gather ingredients for a meal and sow some plants. Or the other way around! 

 Le Baron Rouge? 

A product:

To wake up properly, grab a coffee in the heart of the market, enjoyed on the go at Early Bird (artisanal roasting and specialty coffees). Then you are spoiled for choice: homemade rillettes and terrines from Michel Brunon’s butcher shop (also a specialist in dry-aged meat), truffled Brillat-Savarin or a small raw-milk Rocamadour from the Langlet-Hardouin cheese shop (you may spot former presidents of the French Republic in the queue), before continuing your stroll outside, where a red carpet of fruit, vegetables, and other fresh produce unfolds. A possible stop is the temple of Kabyle cuisine on Rue d’Aligre, Pizzeria Rodana: aghroum (a flatbread or semolina sourdough bread stuffed with spinach, feta, or meat), mhajebs with chouchouka, or msemmen (a soft, stretchy flatbread), still warm. And for one last coffee, head to Café Aouba, a coffee roaster on Rue d’Aligre.

Prices:

Prices under the market hall are rising faster than outside. Once the place where the last vegetables grown within Paris itself were sold, today ultra-direct sales are no longer thriving, and much of the produce comes from Rungis. However, it is still possible to find producers with reasonable prices, such as Primeur Gautier, near the Beauvau market hall. It is worth taking a look around to get your bearings and compare prices—a good way to soak up the lively, bustling atmosphere of the market(s)! 

Open every day except Monday.