Do : La Plage des Catalans

La Plage des Catalans is a well-known site in Marseilles where locals congregate as soon as the sun rises. It is only a short walk from the center (the Old Port) to reach the beach; which will make you envious about the quality of life the locals enjoy (living in a vibrant city, while always a few minutes away from a swim in the Mediterranean). If you go during the day, you might have a hard time finding a spot for your beach towel, but if you arrive early enough in the morning like we did, you’ll be able to enjoy the serenity of the site.

Do: La Corniche

From La Plage des Catalans, we strolled south along the iconic Marseille’s “Corniche”, a scenic sea-side roadway stretching along the Mediterranean and offering great views of the Iles du Friouls. Along the way, we meandered along villas and hotels before reaching the picturesque Vallon des Auffes. 

Do : Le Vallon des Auffes

Nestled between two walls of pastel houses, the Vallon des Auffes is a semi-rugged, semi-charming fisherman’s haven in a creek, inhabited by fisher’s cabins and boats – some of them still in use. If one word were to define it, I’d choose: picturesque. The Vallon stricks with its colorfulness and peaceful atmosphere (or at least, when we visited late morning) and seems such a far way from the hustle and bustle of the big city. The Vallon is also well-known for hosting dining gems, including restaurant Chez Fonfon, that’s said to offer the best Bouillabaise in Marseilles. Sadly we didn’t get a chance to taste it (but that’s for another time I am sure). Instead, we simply turned out heads right, and entered the neighboring building of Chez Jeannot …

Eat : Chez Jeannot

Snuggled in the middle of the postcard like scenery that is The Vallon des Auffes, Chez Jeannot is an establishment in Marseilles, known for making the absolute best pizza. Naturally, we had to try it for ourselves. We sat on the terrace outside, and ordered a plate of sliced tomatoes topped with a creamy burrata and a simple tomato pizza with black olives and anchovies . Now, if you are wondering… Yes, the pizza was absolutely delicious, but it was the burrata plate that turned this lunch into one of the best food experiences of our lives. It was the most lavish, creamiest, luscious burrata we had ever enjoyed. I am still to this day beating myself up for not asking our server where they sourced it. 

Eat : Bistro L’Horloge

After this once-in-a-lifetime meal, we made our way back to the Old Port of Marseille (35-40 minutes walk). To finish off our last day in Marseille with a kick, we booked a table at L’Horloge, lured by the dazzling reviews we found of this bistro online, and also because it is ideally located on the buzzing Cours Honore D’Estienne D’Orves, also knows as “Place aux Huiles”. We started our meal on the busy patio, with a glass of rose and a plate of panisses (chickpea flour fries, the typical pre-dinner snack in Marseille), and then devoured a plate of grilled octopus and another of gnocchi – both equaly delicious.  The cuisine was simple but generous, in a lively atmosphere. A perfect ending to our trip.

And that’s the wrap on my 3-day guide to Marseille, which I hope enticed your curiosity of visiting the city. Closing this guide with a short and sweet conclusion on why Marseille is a gem that you should absolutely experience will be difficult, but I’ll try.

There’s a lot being said about Marseille (especially in France) – some of it good, some of it bad (pretty bad). But I think this is part of the magic about Marseille.

I have never visited a city so culturally diverse and vibrant, yet so French. So beautiful and pleasing to the eye, yet so unharmonious. So welcoming and warm, yet so noisy and complex.

I had spent most of my life imagining Marseille with some anxiety. But today, I have the most positive outlook on Marseille and find its beauty in its humanity and respect. The city’s myriads of faces, identities, cultures and religions appear to have a striking mutual respect for one another (or at least the foundations for it, which is already more than most other French cities.)

Marseille is a city of contrasts and contradictions, nurtured by a fierce pride. Where the good and the bad co-exist, and need each other to make Marseille what it is today. A real place, with real people.

You might also like: 

• Marseille Guide – Part 1 
• Marseille Guide – Part 2 
• A Day in Lille, Capital of French Flanders
• A Day at Mont Saint Michel 

The post Marseille Guide – Part 3 appeared first on Pardon Your French.

Read along for the delicious details…

Do: The Old Port, in the morning.

“Le Vieux Port” is Marseille’s birthplace (where the Greek settlers landed in the year 600) and is undoubtedty the city’s most famous hang-out spot for locals and tourists alike. The southern and northern quays host a spread of lively bars and cafes (some tourist-traps, some surprisingly not). The beautiful Baroque-style City Hall on the northern quay is a must-see (especially if you are a fan of Netflix’s TV Series Marseille).

But I think The Old Port’s greatest appeal is squeezed in its center, and in the early morning, when fishermen come back from their night of fishing and spread their fresh catches on market stalls for locals and chefs to buy. Most of The Old Port’s fisherman do what we call in French  « la petite pêche». This means they only go to sea for a few hours, on small boats and fish on a smaller scale. Their artisanal practice is a far stretch from the behemoth of fishing industries generated just a few miles away at Marseille’s commercial port – the biggest French port. Still, these artisanal fishermen are icons in the city, and attract plenty of fish lovers every single morning. This ritual at the Old Port is a 100% Marseille experience, and a true feast for the eyes (although not so much for your nose) – something you definitely do not want to miss.

Do: Notre Dame de La Garde

Notre Dame de La Garde is Marseille’s iconic Catholic Basilica and its most visited site. You’ll feel like a tourist among tourists, but you just can’t visit Marseille without making your way up to Notre Dame de La Garde. Perched at the top of the city’s highest natural point (at 149m/489ft), the edifice is regarded as the protectoress of the city, hence its endearing nickname Bonne Mere (“good mother”) given by the locals. The contrasted-stone architecture is beautiful and I really appreciated the mosaic works inside, as well.

If you plan on climbing to the top of the Basilica’s hill by foot, from the city’s center, be prepared for a work-out! But I guarantee you, you will feel it’s worth every drip of sweat once you catch a glimpse of the breath-taking city panorama from atop. And don’t forget to look South too, for a glimpse of the Velodrome Stadium and the  Castellane, St -Giniez, St-Marguerite and Roucas Blanc districts.

Do : Cours Julien

The Cours Julien is a fun bohemian quarter, famous for its colorful and abundant street art. It has a cool edgy side to it, and you’ll want to get lost in its streets with your head up to admire all the graffiti-painted walls. You’ll find lots of quirky independent stores, tattoo parlors, bookstores, ethnic restaurants, one of Marseille’s only craft breweries and lively markets on the main square. The Cours Julien has a very “real” vibe. In my opinion, it is not the pretties district in Marseilles (kind of rough on the edges, to be honest),  but I can definitely see why for students and young crowds, it is Marseilles’ trendiest neighborhood.

Eat: La Cantine de Nour

Three steps away from the striking Palais Longtchamps, this relaxed Egyptian cantine had to be one of our favourite food finds during our trip! Nested on the ground floor of an Egyptian Cultural Center, La Cantine de Nour offers an authentic Egyptian menu from a bustling open kitchen. The décor features plump cushions, colorful rugs and mosaic-tiled floors. The atmosphere is welcoming and relaxed and the food is simply amazing (and a great value). We shared plates of Egyptian mezzes and a perfectly grilled fish, served with scrumptious kesra (Egyptian sesame flat bread) and all-you-can-drink tea.

To me, La Cantine de Nour is such a great example of Marseille’s abundance of outstanding North African food and talented cooks. Next time in I’m Marseilles, I am definitely going back to this gem!

Do: La Friche de la Belle de Mai

“La Friche” (literaly “The Wasteland” in French) is a former tobacco factory near the St Charles train station, in the Belle de Mai district (famous for being home of the Plus Belle La Vie studios, France’s biggest TV soap opera). The tobacco factory emptied decades ago and the youth slowly invaded the place using it as a skate park, basketball playground and graffiti wonderland. The idea made its way to the Town of Marseille’s officials… who decided to invest money into the project in the 90s. They secured, structured, glamourized the area and turned it into a cultural complex with art studios, a legit skate park, family and community gardens, a café, a restaurant and even a nursery. Walking into La Friche is unsettling, puzzling, yet exciting all at once. A kind of Los Angeles-hip-meets-Detroit-grunge-meets-Marseilles-projects.

Though, exploring the polished art gallery, the hipster cafe and family-filled skate park, I couldn’t help but wonder about the authenticity of the place… Was it a genuine plan to offer a place for artistic expression and playground to the city kids? Or rather a sleek communication strategy from the Town of Marseille, always suffering from a smeared image? Still, the Friche, I think, serves its civic purpose, and no matter what opinion you’ll make of it, it surely is a place like no other in France, and is worth a visit.

Eat : Le Bistro des Dames

From Lunch through Dinner time, la Place aux Huiles is a much-frequented esplanade just a few metres away from the Old Port. As we were searching for a dinner spot in the midst of all the buzzling patios, we opted for Le Bistro des Dames. And maybe because it’s set on one of Marseille’s busiest night-life spots, but we expected the food to be good, yet nothing extraordinary… Oh how we were wrong! The food was outstanding! We started with a board of local cheeses and a plate of razor clams, garnished with parsley butter. For the mains, we enjoyed some scrumptious homemade vegetable pasta (I know vegetable pasta doesn’t sound like much, but these were insane), along with the best Sole Meunière I have ever had in my life (huge props to the chef on this one!). For dessert, a deconstructed rhubard pie made for a perfect ending to this perfect dinner.

Marseille Guide – Part 3, coming soon…

The post Marseille Guide – Part 2 appeared first on Pardon Your French.

I fell hard for Marseille the first time I visited the city two years ago. And I have been bizarrely obsessed with it since then. Which, being a Brittany girl, was a bit against all odds – given how our two regions’ cultures, mentalities and lifestyles are so opposite (both on the French map and abstractly too). But somehow, for the past two years, there isn’t a day I haven’t been longing in despair for Marseille.

Finally, last Fall, I returned to Marseille. But this time with my husband and with the mission of making him fall in love with the city too. September was an ideal time of year to visit, as we enjoyed warm temperatures (but not hot) and avoided the peak of tourist season (June, July, August). And the best part was my husband ended up falling in love with Marseille too. Although frankly, I was a little scared he was going to hate it at first – because some people do hate Marseille, too.

The second-largest city in France has been long unloved and unwanted and seen at the country’s black sheep. It’s known to be loud, proud, rough on the edges, with a serious issue of drug-war related violence. And yes, there are neighborhoods you’d want to avoid (understand the crime-ridden northern suburbs “quartiers nords”), some political struggles and some architectural blots around the city.

But while all these are true, Marseille sure knows how to show her bright side.

Sitting on the edge of the blue Mediterranean, the city is a fierce ambassador of Provence and at the crossroads of European, African and Middle-Eastern immigration. This gives you a city with a fascinating cultural heritage, oscillating between the typical Southern French, sun-bathed, Pastis-sipping slow life and the hussle-and-bussle of one of Europe’s biggest melting pots.

Its food is just the same. A tantalizing mix of earthy Provencal stews, seafood feasts, Moroccan grillades, Algerian pastries, Egyptian mezzes and Italian-inspired antipastos. All coming together in a local cuisine like no other.

Marseille is a city that will make your head spin, your stomach laugh, and bedazzle your eyes with a side of France you weren’t expecting.

I am overly excited to share with you my recommendations on what to do and of course what to eat in Marseille – enough to fill at least 3 days. And because I had a lot of photos and places to share, I divided this Marseille Guide in 3 parts, with each part achievable in a day. These recommendations are hardly comprehensive, but some of the best places we wandered in and ate at, while staying in Marseille. All the recommendations are also summarized at the end of the article.

And I’d love if you added your recommendations too if you have any (leave a comment!). Because 3 days is clearly not enough to explore all Marseille has to offer. 

I already long for the day I will be back …

Do : Le Panier

Getting lost in the history-woven quarter, Le Panier (known as Marseille’s birthplace) is the perfect introduction to Marseille. Once a first stop for immigrants arriving in Marseille, the quarter is now inhabited by a joyous mix of Corsican, North African and French families. A quaint district offers a picture-perfect image of a Provencal village from yesteryear, with narrow hilly streets packed with artsy boutiques, café patios and pastel facades adorned by rows of drying clothes.

But behind every facade, expect to see some reality too.

Because truth is, Le Panier of today is a tad gritty, packed with noisy renovation work at every street corner, not-so-attractive school playgrounds, a tad unclean, with men often whistling at women passing by from their baby-blue sheltered windows. Yet, the graffiti on every wall – half-art, half-visual pollution – seemed to me to be the perfect image of these two opposite worlds co-existing in harmony. 

A place where one’s societal views might have to be reconsidered, to embrace a little more chaos. Although we are still speaking of France here … yet, this is a place like no other.

Do : Musée de la Vieille Charité

In the heart of Le Panier, the Musée de la Vieille Charité is a former hospice turned museum. The impressive U-shaped pink and white stoned edifice (designed by renowned Marseille-Architect Pierre Puget) is just enough to make it a must-stop during your visit of the city. But the museum also hosts unique pieces of Mediterranean archaeology, along with art from Africa, Oceania and the Americas, as well as some great temporary exhibitions (like a nice one on Jack London that we saw). 

Eat: Le Clan Des Cigales

Right outside the doors of La Vieille Charité, stop for lunch at Le Clan Des Cigales, on Rue du Petit Puits. I had gone to this little restaurant two years ago, and made sure to come back last Fall with my husband. Everything is house-made with fresh, local products. On the sun-bathed patio, we enjoyed a delicious farm-to-table meal of star-anise and fennel pork sausage, mashed olive oil potatoes and salad.

A typical Provencal experience, that isn’t a tourist trap. 

Eat :  Maison Geney

Also in Le Panier, Maison Geney is a modern and cozy little coffee shop that offers savoury and sweet breakfast, brunch and lunch options – all made-on site. Everything is fresh, delicious and so creative (both in looks and with the choice of ingredients). On the sweet side, you’ll find decadent baked-goods like giant chocolate fondants, fig & raspberries quatre-quarts, banana clafoutis and pistachio financiers. On the savoury side, fresh focaccia sandwiches, loaded veggie wraps and overflowing pizzas, sold by the slice.

Eat : Vanille Noir

There are plenty of ice-cream shops all around Marseille, but this one offers a black vanilla ice-cream that will knock your socks off. The color comes from the two kinds of vanilla pods used in its creation (a vanilla from Tahiti and a vanilla from Madagascar). The rest of the recipe is kept secret, but I suspect there is some activated charcoal as well. The ice-cream is amazing! Intensely vanilla-flavoured, with a slight bittersweet taste that gets rounded off by the velvety texture of the scoop. Vanille Noir also offers plenty of other delicious flavours, all 100% organic.

Eat : Les Navettes des Accoules

Navettes are traditional orange-flavoured biscuits from Marseilles (shaped like “navettes”, Marseille’s old fishing boats). You’ll find many bakeries in Marseilles where they are offered, but Les Navettes des Accoules is said to offer the most authentic ones. They’re crunchy outside, soft inside, with delicate orange notes – and most importantly not tooth-breaking (which you’ll find a lot of the other ones are). Make sure you also try their Anise-flavoured Canistrelli.

Do : Cathédral de La Major

Marseille’s Cathedral is an enormously scaled Byzantine-Roman style edifice that dominates the whole landscape. It truly impresses with its size, but also because it contrasts strikingly with its modern neighbourhood La Joliette, located at the start of the autonomous port. If in the mood for a shopping trip, walk north to the funky shopping mall Les Docks, built in a re-purposed building.

Do : The MUCEM and The Fort St Jean

The MUCEM (Museum of Mediterranean and European Civilizations) is a must, for any tourist or local in Marseille. Opened in 2013 as part of Marseille being the designated European Capital of Culture, the museum has greatly contributed ever since to the city’s new-found attractiveness and wave of optimism. Anchored at the beginning of the docks, at the entrance of the old port, The MUCEM is a breath-taking 15,000 m2 cube of latticework shell made of fiber-reinforced concrete, meant to remind visitors of fishermen’s nets. Allow 2 to 3 hours to visit its permanent and temporary exhibitions.

Once finished, make sure to exit through the rooftop patio and hop on the elevated pedestrian bridge to the pink-stoned Fort St Jean. Fragrant herb gardens, olive trees, sinuous sentry walks and areas to lounge in the sun… Fort St Jean offers an amazingly serene haven, with superb views on the urban hub. 

Eat: Sard’in

Sard’in has it all right. Ideally located on rue Coutellerie (a street away from the Old Port), this concept restaurant is one of the world’s first sardine bars – a genius idea, and insanely delicious! The chef works with local canneries to source the best quality sardines, and offers them in a deliciously-crazy menu. Canned, grilled, fried, in beignets, on toast, with pescadou sauce or confite… Sardines in all its forms and shapes, all equally exquisite. The menu also offers delicious antipastos and dishes featuring cod, urchin and squid. After you eat, you can also purchase the cans of sardines to go. 

Eat: La Femina

In the heart of the Noalle quarter (the North-African quarter, described as “Marseille’s stomach”) La Femina is the place to go if you want to indulge in an authentic couscous. Portions are very generous and the taste is amazing. Your meal is served in traditional clay dishware, with wooden spoons, and with a fiery side of harissa sauce.

Marseille Guide – Part 1 summary:

Do: 

• Le Panier
• Musée de la Vieille Charité
• Cathédral de La Major
• MUCEM
• Fort St Jean

Eat: 

• Le Clan Des Cigales
• Maison Geney
• Vanille Noir
• Les Navettes des Accoules
• Sard’in
•  La Femina

Marseille Guide – Part 2 Coming soon … 

The post Marseille Guide – Part 1 appeared first on Pardon Your French.