“We are at the top”: in the city center of Sète, rue André-Portes has come a long way but is now unmissable

Quelques commerçants dans leur lieu d’activité, la rue André Portes du centre-ville de Sète. Midi Libre – R. M.

Cette rue est devenue l’une des plus vivantes du centre-ville, grâce à sa diversité culinaire et une entente commerçante unique en son genre.

Rue André-Portes is a street steeped in history in Sète. Located in the city center, it is characterized by a small porch at its end which accompanies passers-by to the Halles. To date, there are 14 businesses there, whereas twenty years ago, only four. This renaissance is partly due to the pedestrianization of the street, but also to the good understanding between traders. The Sète residents now find restaurants, greengrocers, bars and even hairdressers there.< /p>

A historic street

Rue André Portes was first called Rue de la Placette, due to a small plan laid out in the 1730s. The corner that it forms today with Rue de la Bibliothèque. It then inherited the nickname of Rue des Prisons. For the simple reason that, in the past, there was a police station in the street, more precisely on the ground floor of the current town hall. And in this police station there were dungeons. It finally became rue André-Portes in homage to a Sétois resistance fighter, deported to Auschwitz during the Second World War.

"We're on top"

Rue André-Portes has not always been disconcertingly dynamic. "The street was dead and not beautiful when I bought in 2005. There were only four traders."admits Bruno Balaguer, director of Prim’Bulle, the street's greengrocer. Same observation for Magalie Rouzières, co-manager of the Perle de thau for 20 years: "There were certain periods of big declines."

Since the pedestrianization of the street, around 15 years ago, it has become much more attractive. "The street is beautiful and there is no traffic. there are no more cars. Thanks to that there was the arrival of the terraces and logically a lot more people", notes Magalie Rouzières. "We are also at the top because we are very eclectic in the street shops, there is everything!", underlines Bruno Balaguer.

Pedestrians can find starred cuisine, fresh shellfish, Lebanese, Japanese, Reunionese, Thai cuisine, but also a greengrocer, a bar, a wine cellar, a hairdresser, soon a caterer, in short, a diversity that is difficult to find elsewhere on the singular island.

A singular trading unit

"It's a really friendly street, we all get along very well with the neighbors", rejoices Magalie Rouzières. "We are doing each other a service in the same way as if we were civil neighbors. Whether for the loan of equipment or the loan of products. Honestly, we are not competitors", says Stéphane Sarpedon, partner of l’Ananas, a Reunion restaurant.

Some shopkeepers have established commercial agreements for the comfort of customers and the smooth running of the street. "As proof, I accept that customers take tasting trays next door and come and eat on my tables because they don't have any. This is not a problem, quite the contrary&quot ;, explains Corinne Escaffit, manager of the wine cellar. Most of the managers are themselves customers of their neighbors, notably Pierre Belmont, manager of Tempo&nbsp ;: "Of course, we are one of their customers. For example, for our cocktails we take our vegetables from the greengrocer below."