I’m a big fan of the Marché du Lez, the village-inside-the-city in Montpellier. So, I was thrilled to find out that a new food court had opened its doors on-site at this creative hotspot. Inspired by various national and international gastronomic markets, the new Halles du Lez hosts more than thirty food stands, eight themed bars and over ten food shops. All decorated in their well-known funky style.
Wall art
Like Marché du Lez, you can’t miss the Halles thanks to the utterly cool piece of wall art painted on the side of the new building by artists Supakitch & Koralie. I was happy to see, as I walked into the Halles, that the interior is also spot on. There are several open spaces surrounded by colourful containers, more eclectic wall art and lots of hanging plants. The centre of the Halles is filled with long tables with huge rattan pendant lights above them. This is the perfect place to sit and enjoy your food with friends. Or strangers for that matter! Each restaurant or food stand has its own look and feel, but they have all put great care into their design.
Choices
The numbers at the Les Halles du Lez are outstanding: no less than 2,250 m2 of inside market and rooftop and 2,500 m2 of outside terraces await you. Now all you have to do is choose one of the many original restaurants, so you can savour your meal. It’s quite a challenge, I speak from experience… It took me about half an hour to examine at all the possibilities and then another half an hour to finally make my choice.
Gastronomic temple
This Montpellierain gastronomic temple offers bites from all around the world. I spotted oriental cuisine, Japanese and Korean bentos, juicy burgers, chicken grilled on the spot, the freshest oysters, Italian comfort food, Belgian fries and croquettes and Mexican ceviche. And more! It was almost more than I could handle, so in the end I went for a plate of tapas at Txoko. And I was happy with my choice of pintxos and small appetizers with Mediterranean, Basque and Catalan origins.
Sharing
I wasn’t done after my tapas, so I did another lap to look for a dessert. As I have more of a sweet tooth, it didn’t take me long to find Clara Jung’s gorgeous pastries and cakes. However, here again, there is something for everyone’s taste, from cheese to ice cream. Like a proper covered market, you can also do your shopping at the Halles du Lez. Although I wouldn’t go there just to shop, as the food shops sell quite specific products. The fun part about going to this food court is that you can meet up with friends, while each of you picks what they feel like eating and share it all together on one of the terraces or on the long-tables inside.
