The covered market of Tours is the biggest and best food market in the Loire Valley. Around 60 stalls trade six days a week from a 1980s pavilion just west of the Basilica of Saint Martin — vegetables, fruit, cheese, charcuterie, oysters from the Atlantic, river fish from the Loire, prepared dishes, flowers, and a couple of decent bistrots inside the hall itself.
Wednesday and Saturday are the busiest days. Go early — by midday the best of the morning's bread and the freshest fish are gone — and bring cash. The narrow streets immediately west are also worth a wander, with several specialist butchers, fishmongers, and a chocolatier that consistently wins national awards.