Marché des Enfants Rouges

Founded in 1615 under Louis XIII, Marché des Enfants Rouges is the oldest covered market in Paris, tucked behind Rue de Bretagne in the Marais. Its name recalls a nearby orphanage whose children wore red, the color of charity. Inside, stalls selling fish, cheese, flowers and produce share space with small food counters -- Moroccan tagines, Japanese bento, Lebanese mezze, Italian pasta -- where diners eat standing at shared tables. The market has been run by the city of Paris since 1912 and was classified a historic monument in 1982.