Dating in Versailles, around the town and the markets

The Notre-Dame market

At the heart of the Notre-Dame quarter, the market, created under Louis XIV, is one of the liveliest in the Paris region. Four covered squares shelter cheesemongers, butchers and fine grocers, while open-air stalls stretch around them on Tuesday, Friday and Sunday mornings. Meeting under the clock, coffee in hand, is the kind of first date that puts you at ease straightaway.

Saint-Louis and its Carrés

Around Saint-Louis Cathedral, an 18th-century masterpiece crowned by a lantern bell tower, lies an unusual district: the Carrés Saint-Louis, four blocks of low royal-era shops now home to antique dealers, booksellers and small restaurants. Wandering from one shop to another, chatting in front of a window, is already a way of getting to know each other without appearing to try.

The King’s Kitchen Garden and the lanes

Created by La Quintinie to supply the royal table, the King’s Kitchen Garden, a stone’s throw from the cathedral, still grows espalier pears, melons and heritage vegetables. A quiet, delicious place to extend with a stroll along Rue de la Paroisse and across Place Hoche. On Lyad, members from Versailles share their favourite spots; it is up to you to find someone to push the door open with.