The Place du Marché Notre-Dame is the lively square that surrounds the covered market halls, about 10 minutes' walk from the palace along the Rue de la Paroisse. On market days it fills with stalls and noise; the rest of the time it is a pleasant square lined with restaurants and brasseries with outdoor terrace seating.
This is the best place in Versailles for lunch. The restaurants that face the square are honest, unpretentious French places — brasseries with blackboard specials, a couple of seafood spots, a fish restaurant that sources from the market hall. Prices are noticeably lower than the tourist-facing restaurants near the palace. The atmosphere is much more local.
The square has been the commercial centre of Versailles since the town was purpose-built to serve the court in the 17th century. The four market halls were rebuilt in the 19th century but stand on the original footprint. The Rue de la Paroisse that connects it to the palace gates is the old high street — still recognisable as such, with food shops, tabacs, and cafés.