Marché de Sarlat-la-Canéda
Just 12 kilometres from Beynac, Sarlat-la-Canéda hosts what many food writers call the finest market in southwest France. Every Saturday morning the medieval streets fill with producers selling black truffles, foie gras, walnut oil, duck confit, aged Cabécou goat's cheese and strawberries from the nearby Périgord Rouge — a sensory overload in the best possible way.
What to buy and where to find it
The main market sprawls across Place de la Liberté, Place de la Grande Rigaudie and spills into the surrounding lanes of the old town. Arrive before 9 am to shop alongside local restaurateurs who pick up their weekly produce here. Look for the stalls selling noix du Périgord — locally grown walnuts and walnut oil with a protected designation of origin — and the seasonal cèpe mushrooms that appear from September onward.
Foie gras producers from surrounding farms sell directly, offering whole lobes, terrines and mi-cuit versions at prices well below what you'd pay in Paris. Many vendors will vacuum-seal purchases for travel. If truffles are in season (December–February for the prized black Tuber melanosporum), the dedicated truffle market operates separately on Place des Oies.
Eating your way through the stalls
Several stalls sell hot food to eat standing up: rotisserie duck legs crisped over wood fire, buckwheat galettes stuffed with local ham, and paper cones of freshly fried pommes sarladaises — potatoes cooked in duck fat and garlic, the dish Sarlat gave the world. Pair them with a glass of Bergerac rouge from one of the wine producers and breakfast becomes a celebration.
There is also a smaller Wednesday morning market in Sarlat that is quieter and more local in character — worth visiting if your schedule allows.
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