If you're in St-Malo on Tuesday or Friday between 8am and 1pm and want to experience a great Breton market, head for the place de la Poissonerie and the Halles au Blé, in the heart of the old city. You can't miss the activity, the bustle, and the hawking of country-fresh produce, cheese, fish, and dozens of household items, including dishware, cooking utensils, and handicrafts.
For boutique shopping, head to rue St-Vincent, rue Porcon, rue Broussais, rue Georges Clemenceau, rue des Merciers, rue Ste. Barbe, rue Ville Pépin, and rue de Dinan. You'll find everything from the trendy to the trashy. Check out Marin-Marine, 5 Grande Rue (tel. 02-99-40-90-32), for quality men's and women's fashions that include great Breton wool sweaters, one of the town's best buys. Rue Clemenceau and rue Ville Pépin lie within the 19th-century neighborhood known as St-Servan, less than 1km ( 2/3 mile) southwest from the medieval core of St-Malo. To reach that district, take bus no. 2 from the center of St-Malo.
For last-minute souvenirs, stop by Aux Délices Malouins, 12 rue St-Vincent (tel. 02-99-40-55-22). This shop also specializes in pastries, cookies, and chocolates in the regional style.
For Breton handicrafts, try Le Comptoir des Cotonniers, 6 rue Broussais (tel. 02-99-40-57-01). In addition to hand-painted stoneware, books, and Gaelic CDs, you'll find Breton lace, Celtic souvenirs, and food items such as almond-flavored pastries and sugarcoated galettes. Other shops offering crafts such as Breton pottery include Aux Arts Celtiques, 4 rue de Dinan (tel. 02-99-40-05-41), and La Manne Bretonne, 2 place Guy la Chambre (tel. 02-23-18-28-20).
