Marché Castagnary

I got my hair cut on Thursday and chatted with Steeve, exchanging oyster stories. Of course I told him about the Cabane a Huitres and my recent visit to Arcachon, and he told me about the famous Castagnary fish market. I've never heard of this market so I set out to find it.

You can't miss it, he said, just look for the lighthouse. And sure enough:


I got there about 11:30 on a Friday morning and found the three employees sitting bored in the vast hall without a single customer. We struck up a conversation and I heard how the place is usually mobbed with dozens of vendors and hundreds of customers - especially on Sunday mornings in the winter. But Paris in August is dead. I'll have to come back later in the year to see some action.



After chatting for a while and taking a few pictures, I figured I should probably buy something, so I asked the poissonnier (fish guy) for a recommendation. He instantly recommended the bar (sea bass) and I took one home to eat for lunch.


Simply pan fried and served with purple heirloom tomatoes. Yumm. BTW, fish is always sold with the head on, but I cut it off to fit in my frying pan.