Le Touquet market and shopping: days, market hall, streets and shops

When is Le Touquet market? All year round, on Thursday and Saturday mornings, under the semicircular market hall on rue Jean-Monnet, a stone's throw from rue de Metz; extra Monday mornings are added during some school holidays. Around the market lies one of the busiest shopping centres on the Opal Coast: more than 300 shops and artisans, according to the tourist office, many of which stay open on Sundays. Here is how to enjoy both: the market, its days and its history, then the streets and shops worth a detour.

Le Touquet market: days and how it works

The calendar below is based on the information published by Le Touquet tourist office for the current year. Exact opening times vary with the seasons: check them on the tourist office website before you come.

Inside the market hall you will find fresh fish and seafood, fruit and vegetables, cheese, meat, olives and dried fruit, eggs and organic vegetables from local growers. On the surrounding pavements, clothing and accessories sellers set up their stalls.

On Sundays, the tourist office also announces "rendez-vous du terroir", a small market of artisans and local produce on place Quentovic: check its calendar for dates.

The 1932 market hall, a historic monument

The covered market is worth looking up at. Built in 1931-1932 on the former place de la Demi-Lune and opened in April 1932, it is the work of architect Henri-Léon Bloch, in partnership with Henri-Paul Nénot, winner of the Prix de Rome. Its semicircular plan and its great arch spanning rue Jean-Monnet join the two wings of the building.

• A regionalist style: a base of Baincthun stone, cream render, gables with mock half-timbering and flat Boulonnais tiles.
• A modern design: stalls arranged in a row, service access set at the back, large cellars.
• A monumental clock at the top of the arch.
• A fish market wing, added in 1960.

Its façades, roofs and hall have been listed as historic monuments since 1996. Before this market hall, Paris-Plage's first market was held as early as 1896, already on Thursdays. To find out more, see our article on Le Touquet's architecture.

The shopping streets: where to shop

Everything happens within a compact area that you can cover on foot in a morning.

Rue Saint-Jean

This is the main street, running down from the centre to the sea. Clothes, shoes, accessories, home decor, chocolate makers, ice-cream parlours and café terraces follow one after another. The closer you get to the seafront, the more seaside the atmosphere becomes.

Rue de Metz and the market area

The foodie street par excellence: fishmongers, a greengrocer-cheesemonger, a butcher-delicatessen, cafés, and the bustle of market days.

Rue de Paris and the side streets

Quieter, they mix fashion and home decor shops, neighbourhood stores and several well-regarded bistros.

Artisans and food shops worth knowing

All of these shops appear in Gault&Millau's selection of artisans for Le Touquet:

• Au Chat Bleu (rue Saint-Jean): a traditional chocolate maker and confectioner, one of the oldest shops in town, famous for its animal-shaped marzipan.
• La Manufacture du Touquet (rue Saint-Louis): an artisan biscuit maker, with shortbread, madeleines and gift boxes.
• Pérard (rue de Metz): fishmonger-delicatessen and home of the fish soup that bears its name.
• Poissonnerie Ramet (rue de Metz): fresh-off-the-boat fish, bouchot mussels, shellfish.
• Touquet Fruits (rue de Metz): greengrocer, delicatessen and cheeses from northern France and beyond.
• Maison Montet (rue de Metz): butcher, charcutier and caterer, for dishes of the day and pâté en croûte.
• Tea Together: organic jams made in Le Touquet.

To know what to taste and what to take home, read our guide to Le Touquet's local specialities.

What to find in the market hall, season by season

The market changes with the time of year. General pointers for filling your basket:

For fish, the golden rule is to ask what came in that morning: fishmongers can tell you where their catch comes from and how to cook it. For seafood in particular, read our guide seafood in Le Touquet.

With children

The market makes a good family outing: children love the stalls of fish and live shellfish. Give them a little mission (choosing the fruit for their snack, counting the types of fish) and bring a compact pushchair, as the aisles are narrow on Saturdays.

Shopping on Sundays and out of season

This is one of Le Touquet's strengths: according to the tourist office, many shops welcome visitors all year round, including on Sundays. The town centre stays lively outside the summer, which makes it a popular weekend destination in every season.

• Saturday is the busiest day, with the market in the morning and crowded shops in the afternoon.
• On Sundays, shops often open later; the market's fish section is open in the morning.
• On weekdays outside the holidays, some shops close for a day or cut their hours: check before making a detour.
• Over the festive season, the shop windows draw crowds and the market adds Mondays during the Christmas holidays: plan to come early.

To plan your days, see our ideas for a weekend in Le Touquet and our money-saving tips.

Our practical tips for the market

1. Come early, especially on Saturdays: the best stalls are cleared out by late morning and parking gets difficult.
2. Come on foot if you are staying in the town centre: the streets around the market hall are very busy on market days.
3. Bring a shopping bag and a cool bag for fish and cheese.
4. Keep some change: most traders accept cards, but not always for small amounts.
5. Round it off with a coffee on a terrace around the market hall, the regulars' ritual.

Charles's tip: from Villa Mon Étoile, the market is a short walk via rue Saint-Jean. On Saturdays, get there before 10 am with a big shopping bag: you will avoid the crowds and bring back enough to cook all weekend.