It is set in and around Les Halles, the enormous, busy central market of 19th-century Paris. Les Halles, rebuilt in cast iron and glass during the Second Empire was a landmark of modernity in the city, the wholesale and retail center of a thriving food industry.

"The Belly of Paris" (Le Ventre de Paris) is a famous historical and literary term used to describe the Les Halles district in the 1st Arrondissement of Paris. The name was coined by the novelist Émile Zola in his 1873 book of the same title, referring to the massive, central fresh food market that served as the primary distribution hub for the city's food supply for over 800 years. The markets were housed in ten iconic glass-and-iron pavilions designed by Victor Baltard, which Zola saw as a symbol of the city's gluttony and consumerism. While the original physical markets were demolished in 1971 and moved to Rungis (near Orly Airport), the area remains the geographic heart of Paris. Today, the site is occupied by the Westfield Forum des Halles, a massive underground shopping mall and the world's largest underground transit station (Châtelet-les-Halles), topped by the "Canopée"—a giant modern roof. For history and food lovers in 2026, the "Belly of Paris" still refers to this vibrant area, though its "digestive" function has shifted from wholesale food to retail and transportation.