3 days in Marseille
A guide for how to spend 3 days in Marseille for food and beach enthusiasts.
It was in the depths of a cold dark London February week when I planned a sunny escape to Marseille. Located on the border of southern France and not far from the top of Africa, Marseille is an idyllic cultural melting pot of French and African flavours, history and culture. Think pastel Parisian architecture, but with splatterings of urban graffiti lining the streets. French Rosé on tap but also mint tea flowing at local cafes where seasoned locals spend their afternoons with cigarettes. But it was really the up and coming food scene in Marseille that drew me there, and will be what brings me back time and time again.
Southern chefs who emigrated to Paris are now returning home, opening unpretentious places that make the most of the abundant fresh seafood and produce from the surrounding area.
The short of it
Where we stayed - We stayed in an Airbnb located between the old harbour and the historic basket district and thought this was the perfect location for everything we wanted to do.
How to get around - Walking everywhere in the city centre is easy and getting Ubers to restaurants further out and into the national park was reasonably affordable. There are buses you could take but with only a few days, we wanted to travel as efficiently as possible.
When to go - We went in early June and it was stunning, sunny during the day and slightly cooler at night. The crowds haven’t arrived yet but the water is still quite chilly, so keep that in mind!
What to do, where to eat and drink:
An afternoon/night in La Panier.
We spent the first afternoon wondering around the old town (La Panier), often referred to as the cultural heart of Marseille, popping our heads into boutiques, delis, art galleries, stopping for lunch at Restaurant Jojo followed by an ice cream at Glacier Vanille Noir.
The best time of the day is undoubtedly aperitif time. Nothing beats sitting outside on a warm spring/ summer late afternoon sipping on a crisp natural wine, spritz or aperitif to settle into the evening ahead. When aperitif time rolls around, I recommend:
Place de lenche: A vibey square full of bars where everyone is sitting outside smoking and drinking - as one does in France.
Bar des 13 Coins: Sit outside on the terrasse under the shade of trees and people watch. Try a cold glass of Pastis (claimed as the drink of Provence, alongside Rose). It’s made with fennel so has quite a strong aniseed flavor and is not for everyone. Definitely one to give a go, when in Marseille etc!
For dinner, there are so many great options, here are a few really good ones:
Ripaille - An absolute gem of a restaurant. Small menu which changes regularly. Candlelit, cozy interior with no fuss, delicious food. Marseille food scene at its best.
Limmat - small restaurant at the top of the stairs leading into Cours Julien serving up a daily changing seafood and vegetable heavy menu. Mostly open for lunch during the week, this place is a must if you can go, but you will likely need a reservation.
Le Vin sur La Main - vibey wine bar with delicious small plates.
Livingston - tucked away wine bar with constantly changing menu. Super trendy and fun food.
Chez Gilda - a cheap tapas restaurant with the most traditional local seafood. Eat on the street kind of vibe, get there early as it gets busy!
A day hiking in the National park - Calanques de Marsaille
Before setting off into the national park for the day, I recommend stocking up on some sandwiches from Le Fournil de la Loge or some deli goodies at Epicerie L’Ideal. Pick up some strawberries or peaches at the market on the port (every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday) and stop for a coffee at Petrin Couchette before heading into the national park.
The national park has so many different hikes all with the most beautiful scenes of dramatic rocky cliffs against turquoise ocean. For a trail with multiple swimming spots and doable in 4-5 hours, the Calanque de Sugiton trail starting from Luminy is a good option.
After walking from the top of Av. De Luminy into the park entrance, begin with the view point Belvedere de Sugiton then walk down to the Calanque de Sugiton to go for a swim. Then continue the trail around the coast to a little swim spot in the port town called Calanque de Morgiou. It’s a pretty hectic trail at points and you need to climb up rocks using ropes but that’s all part of the fun. From Calanque de Morgiou, you can have a final dip before ascending back up to where you started. If you stop a couple of times for a swim and eat lunch for 1-2 hours, you can make a whole day of this trail route.
Dinner at Tuba Club
Tuba Club is a special place. It doesn’t get much better than eating freshly caught seafood and drinking French wine, perched on the rocks as the sun sets over the ocean. Get the clams, get all of the crudo, get a bottle of rosé of course. Try and get a reservation so that you are there for sunset, it’s magical.
A day at La Baie des singes:
For the perfect day of relaxation. Book lunch at La Baie des Singes and make sure to reserve the sun beds with your reservation (the beds are 25 euros and you get them from 10-6). You have to walk for about 15 mins across a rocky seaside trail to reach the secluded restaurant. Order a whole grilled fish, prawns and some seriously delicious rosé to graze on over a long lunch before retreating to your sun bed for the afternoon, dipping in and out the water and ordering a spritz to your bed. It’s an absolutely stunning spot on a sunny day and a good one for the day you leave if you have a night flight because you can check out, hang there for the day and have an outdoor shower before you leave (bonus).
See you soon
Xx
Obsessed with this
Incredible!! Can’t wait to go and try some of these spots 👌🏽