The Best French Food Market in France

Many of our guests have visited the market at Revel and commented on the wonderful selection of local produce that is available there and we all know that food markets are a part of French culture. But it is more than that, of course it is about the food, the fois gras, the French cheeses, the local hams and the vast array of vegetables on offer, but it is also about the ambiance that exists, the buzz of activity, the shouts of the stall holders and the banter that goes on as they try and sell their wares in what must be one of the best outdoor market facilities the South of France has to offer.

So what makes Revel so special, one of the towns most endearing features is its 14th century covered square that is topped by a very impressive bell tower. This facility plays host to the Office de Tourisme (and the public toilets) during normal operating hours, but on a Saturday morning the covered square and town streets see a massive influx of stall holders and not just selling French food.

The square is where you will find food stalls of every variety taking refuge under the covered roof. The outer sections of the square are where you will find the permanent shops and cafes but also more vegetable stalls and gardening stalls selling flowers, shrubs, bulbs and sometimes garden utensils and tools.

As you leave the immediate vicinity of the square into the outer streets you will start to find the clothes stalls, materials, hats, general tools, bric a brac and shoes. In fact, everything you might find in a busy shopping centre you can find catered for by the marketing community, often at bargain prices. We have had many a 5kg bag of French onions for %u20AC2, amazing value and often you are making the trade to the sound of a saxophone or some other musical instrument being played in the background.

There is no doubt that anyone visiting this particular market will leave it having noted a very rewarding morning in the South of France.

Before moving on however its is worth having a look around to see what else the town has to offer, for example the eglise Notre Dame (sure I have heard that name somewhere before) or in the Place de la mission, you can find the Statue de Folon and there are plenty of other nice little squares dotted about with a seat to park on for a while.

Revel is also famous for it's Art Meubles and apparently for a liqueur called Get 27 which has been produced in the town since the 18th Century. Wikipedia can fill you in on the details, I need to go to the shops and get a bottle or two, can't believe I didn't know about it.

Just joking, there are plenty of high quality furniture shops in and around the town selling some wonderful products locally produced and the town plays host to a cabinet making school where apprentices can come and train in high quality furniture manufacture and cabinet making (don't think there is a school for manufacturing Get 27, but you can't have everything).

There are also plenty of typical French cafe's, bars and restaurants where you can sit and watch the world go by while you get a bit of sunshine, so take a pause wind down the mania and chill out a bit French style, there is always 'demain' if you need it.

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