Marché de Fontainebleau (Place de la République)
Twice a week the Place de la République transforms into a proper Île-de-France farmers' market where local producers from the Seine-et-Marne bring the kind of produce that Parisian chefs drive out to source. It is unhurried, genuinely local and a world away from the tourist-facing stalls of the capital.
What to Look For
The market's strength is its cheeses and charcuterie — look for Brie de Meaux (the real, unpasteurised AOC version from just 30 km east) sold by affineurs who will let you taste before you buy. The rotisserie chicken van near the fountain fills the whole square with an aroma that makes resisting impossible.
In spring and summer, strawberry growers from the Gâtinais region set up long trestle tables piled with fragrant gariguette and mara des bois varieties — smaller, more perfumed and incomparably better than anything in a supermarket.
Eating & Shopping the Market
Pick up a wedge of Brie, a paper bag of cherries and a fresh baguette from the bakery stall and you have the makings of a perfect forest picnic. Several vendors sell ready-to-eat dishes — quiche, tarts, stuffed vegetables — that are ideal for eating on the nearby palace gardens' lawn.
The market also has a reliable flower section along the southern edge where local florists sell seasonal blooms at prices that make Parisian flower shops look extortionate. Arrive by 9am for the best selection; by noon the best stalls begin to pack up.
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