“Do you have a couscous?” I’ll have some pasta, see you right away! »Two years ago, the Halles du Lez offered Montpellier residents a method of catering that did not yet exist in the capital of Hérault: the food court. In this high place of good food, inspired by the abundant Boqueria of Barcelona, no one comes to serve you at the table: everyone offers themselves the dish they want, among the thirty corners of the halls, and we meet on the common tables for eating.
This 1,500 m2 place, created on the ashes of the former Palladium discotheque complex, did not wait long before seeing a flood of gourmets. “It worked straight away”, rejoices Alexandre Teissier, the originator of the concept. “It’s a very friendly place, in which you feel good, in which you can discover lots of very different culinary proposals”, confides Aude de Pouzilhac, president of the Association of traders of the halls, and manager of the corner les Sardines, which offer specialties from Sète. “There is a very good quality everywhere, we are all epicureans, lovers of our products”, continues the shopkeeper.
“At weekends, it is about 70% of tourists”
Among the corners of the Halles du Lez, is that of the Pourcel brothers, who offer with their restaurant Manita a street-food halfway between the Camargue and South America, the cozy meat bar Chez Bébelle or the Vida al dente, where chef Lorenzo serves pasta to die for. “At noon, during the week, the Halles du Lez are rather frequented by the customers of the district, the faculties and the offices nearby, explains Alexandre Teissier. In the evening, inhabitants of the metropolis, who come for afterwork. And on weekends, it’s about 70% tourists. Thanks to the Halles du Lez, Montpellier has become a weekend tourist destination. “
The success of the concept is such that a few months ago, the Halles du Lez opened a new space, on the roof, with several chic restaurants. But Alexandre Teissier’s idea will soon develop elsewhere. In Montpellier, the entrepreneur has several similar projects in the pipeline. Especially in Cambacérès, where Halle Nova will soon host a 1,200 m2 food court. But Alexandre Teissier also has other projects elsewhere in France. Halls will open in particular at Le Bourget, in Paris, in the media village, on the occasion of the Olympic Games, but will remain after the end of the competition. And other projects are underway in Deauville or Lille.