Tucked behind a gate on Rue de Bretagne, the Marché des Enfants Rouges is generally cited as the oldest covered market in Paris, dating from the early 17th century when this northern part of the Marais was being developed. Its name recalls the nearby orphanage founded in the 16th century, whose children wore red clothes as a sign of charity.
Today it is less a grocery market than a food hall: under the old roof are stalls selling North African couscous and tagines, Japanese bento, Italian deli plates, Lebanese mezze, crêpes and sandwiches, alongside fruit, vegetables, cheese and flowers. Locals and visitors squeeze onto shared tables at lunchtime.
Top things to do at Marché des Enfants Rouges
Have lunch at the stalls
Arrive before 12:30 to get a seat. Order at one counter and eat at its tables — each stall has its own space. Prices are reasonable for Paris.
Shop the Haut-Marais
Rue de Bretagne, Rue Charlot, Rue de Saintonge and Rue de Poitou are lined with independent fashion, design and concept stores — the trendier northern half of the Marais.
Take a food tour
Several guided Marais food tours stop here for tastings; see our best Marais tours.
How to get to Marché des Enfants Rouges
- Entrances at 39 Rue de Bretagne and on Rue Charlot, about 12 minutes’ walk north of the Place des Vosges.
- Métro: Filles du Calvaire or Saint-Sébastien–Froissart (line 8), Temple (line 3).
Insider tips
- The market is closed on Mondays. It is usually open Tuesday to Sunday, with shorter hours on Sunday afternoons — check before you go.
- Weekend lunchtimes are packed; weekdays are calmer.
- Stalls change hands over time; follow the queue of locals.
Best tours & tickets for Marché des Enfants Rouges
These top-rated experiences pair well with a visit to Marché des Enfants Rouges:
Food tour from €95 Paris: Le Marais Food Tour with 10 Tastings & Wine
A generous gourmet walk with around ten tastings and two glasses of wine, rated 4.8 by more than 800 guests. Expect cheese and charcuterie, bread, chocolate and pastry from some of the best artisans of the Marais — effectively a long, very French lunch on foot.
- Around ten tastings plus French wine
- Cheese, charcuterie, chocolate and pastries
- Small group with a food-savvy guide
Food tour from €69 Paris: Le Marais Guided Food Tour with Tastings (No Diet Club)
Three hours of eating your way through the Marais with a local guide — from boulangerie and fromagerie to the falafel and Jewish bakeries of Rue des Rosiers. Rated 4.9 by almost 800 guests, it is the most loved food experience in the district and doubles as a very filling lunch.
- Cheese, charcuterie, pastries and street food
- Family-run shops and bakeries of the Marais
- Stories of the neighbourhood between tastings
