We were childfree this weekend as our little one was spending a few days with her grandmother. Although everyone said we should “profiter” I found myself moping around the house, feeling a little lost. My husband decided to cheer me up by taking me out for Sunday breakfast. What better way to put a smile on my face than to entice me with luscious food??
We jumped on our Vespa (my favourite way to get around) and headed for the oldest food market in Paris, the Marché des Enfants Rouges in the Marais. Built under the rule of Louis XIII in 1615 it’s name refers to the red uniform the children wore at the orphanage nearby.
Although small in parameter, this market offers a large range of produce ranging from wines, cheeses, meats, breads, bio veggies and flowers. A variety of food stalls serve freshly made Moroccan, Lebanese, Italian, Caribbean and Japanese meals which can either be enjoyed at the communal tables or taken away. There are also a handful of restaurants that serve salads and brunch on Sundays.
We sat on the terrace of the l’Estaminet Cantine, where only fresh, natural, farm produce is served on the menu. We had their excellent baguette (which won second prize for best baguette in Paris!) with butter and jam, croissant, fresh apple juice and a hot drink. Their brunch menu (which also includes home-made scones…yum!) is only 20.00€ (which, by the way, is a bargain in Paris) and served from 11:30 to 14:00. Unfortunately we were a little too early and hungry to enjoy that. A great excuse to come again another time!
We then had a little wonder and happened upon a gem of a stall. Carole Belenus, the woman behind La Petite Fabrique, is an artist. Her sweet and savoury cakes are not only original in composition (she does a mean looking Paella cake with olives, saffron and chorizo) but also beautifully presented. Never missing an opportunity to replenish my soul with sweetness, I decided we should try all three flavours of her homemade guimauve (marshmallow): Lime and mint, passion fruit and orange blossom. One bite of the orange blossom and I was in Provencal heaven! The refreshing mint faded into a zesty lime punch and the passion fruit was pure unadulterated sugar. A big thumbs up for the foodies at heart!
paris by poussette 
Ah, it’s so cute and romantic! It is lunch time over here, I just closed my eyes and imagined for a moment I was In Paris tasting the lovely food you described. Now back to reality, I have to content myself with my tuna sandwich…lol. Take care and enjoy life in Paris and please keep posting, I love it.