When we lived in Paris, like all Parisians, we were attracted to the countryside at weekends. And if we couldn’t get out of the city, the minimum programme was to find the nearest square and lie down on a piece of green lawn, or have lunch on the sunny terrace of a café to get some vitamin D or go to a farmer’s market. The market, for Parisians, is like a way to feel in the countryside and socialise, to relax.
In Biarritz, on the other hand, the market is the heart of the city (or its belly). Everything revolves around Les Halles! It’s cooler than the town hall or a park. And sometimes even cooler than the beach. The market is really an important meeting place!
🍏 Les Halles de Biarritz are huge and beautiful. In addition to the main building, there is a separate building for fish and seafood.
🍏 Here you can enjoy a delicious coffee with some tapas and know the latest news about the city (or of the scopes).
🍏 Or you can have a breakfast consisting of an omelette with truffles, accompanied by an organic smoothie.
🍏 Alternatively, treat yourself to 6 fresh oysters with a small glass of white, standing at the oyster bar counter.
🍏 All the shopkeepers here are very friendly and remember their customers, even if the last ones only come once a year, during the summer holidays.
🍏 You can meet French celebrities and politicians at the Halles de Biarritz. And find out what they have planned for their holiday lunch.
🍏 You can also ask for a recipe or advice on preparing a piece of meat or fish. The shopkeepers will be happy to share with you and at the end will give you a lemon and a bunch of parsley as a gift.
🍏 Around the market, you will find many cafes, bars and restaurants. They are all full from morning to evening
🍏 The market has its own board and president. The market council has a lot of influence in the city and can control the direction of traffic in particular streets, for example
🍏 As far as products are concerned: …prawns caught by fishermen from the neighbouring town, honey from the Pyrenees apiary, Bayonne ham, sheep’s cheese and cottage cheese from Basque country farmers, Espelette chilli pepper, home-made jam, grandmother’s style cooked dishes and many more…
🍎 I love to come to the market early in the morning, order coffee with milk, drink it with fresh blueberries, chat with the king of oysters, and buy fresh fruit, herbs, and a piece of cod. And then, with all this kindness, I roll my little cart home quietly while the town wakes up …
