Who would have thought one of the hardest seats to get in Paris would be this outdoor restaurant in the middle of a market? Run by a guy who looks like a fisherman from Brittany and frequented by a young and hip clientele, this small restaurant offers counter seating and a few high tables at the edge of the market.
This Marais hot spot always has a line and we’ve wanted to go for years but we don’t stand in line for restaurants. It was on an unseasonably cold early December day, so we thought we’d see if there was any room. We passed through the market to find several seats miraculously vacant so we stopped for a light lunch.
Les Enfants du Marché specializes in seafood and natural wine. We tried the croquette of the day, the grilled octopus, and a cod dish with artichoke and foie gras.
We found the food to be excellent and the natural wine selection interesting. Just ask what they have open — we had a white from Provence and red from Spain. Everything is more expensive than it probably should be given the neighborhood and outdoor setting, but the quality of the food lived up to the hype in our opinion.
If you’re fortunate enough to secure a seat without waiting in line, we suggest you give it a try. Otherwise there’s no shortage of other more affordable and accessible options in the neighborhood.
Les Enfants du Marché, Marché des Enfants Rouges 39 rue de Bretagne 75003 Paris
Instagram @lesenfantsdumarche
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