Leaning into Marseille
Marseille snuck up on me. We visited for four nights, after Paris and before Athens and Hydra, in early September. We went because we love ancient Mediterranean history (it is the oldest city in France, founded by the Greeks around 600 BCE), and of course we had noticed how many stylish people were flocking there to eat, drink, shop, sun… and post.
I asked the owner of our hotel - a German man who has lived in Marseille with his French wife for 20+ years - what this sudden burst of attention is all about, and he said young people are moving out of expensive northern European cities to comparatively more affordable (and warmer) cities like Marseille, Athens, and Naples. Naturally, they’re bringing wine bars, neo-bistros, boutiques, and all of the other little restaurants, cafes, and shoppy-shops that attract gen z and millennials, with them. We felt this intense, young, cool energy in Naples in 2024 and in Marseille and Athens in 2025. We’ll be in Palermo later this month and I anticipate a similar feeling.
However, when we disembarked the three-hour train from Paris, I was expecting more France, and instead I got Marseille. I strongly disliked it for about six hours, wishing we’d stayed in Paris with its Haussmannian charm and familiar museums and cafes. Then I slept on it, reset my expectations, and fell in love.
Marseille is a Mediterranean city more than it is a French city, characterized by centuries of migration through its historic port and everything that comes with that: diversity of people, cuisine, architecure, neighborhoods, and so on. It was noisy, crowded, sweaty, and infinitely surprising and special. It was also the perfect bridge between Paris and Athens, combining elements of both but with its own distinct character.
On lodging: I waffled for months in advance on whether to stay in the historic city center/Old Port, which is very diverse and crowded, or embrace Marseille’s seaside nature and stay in Malmousque, a posher, residential neighborhood with the best swimming - but a 15 minute bus ride from the Old Port. Access to history and food won out, per usual, so we stayed in the city center. I’m glad we did, but should you go to Marseille, be honest with yourself about what you want. I understand why some people stay in Malmousque - it feels like a vacation, while the city center feels like an adventure. The little hotel we stayed in, Pension Edelweiss, was comfortable and quiet, relatively affordable, full of antiques, and served a lovely breakfast. I couldn’t recommend it more highly.
On food:
Enjoy a big Tunisian dinner at Chez Yassine.
After you spend an hour or so in the famous French home goods store Maison Empereur, have a sit-down lunch at Epicerie L’IDEAL, a speciality grocery store/restaurant where they served one of the best slices of cake I’ve ever had. It’s also a good place to pick up a bottle of wine for your hotel fridge.
Lunch at Epicerie L’IDEAL; my beloved fig cake. Petrin Couchette is a quicker lunch spot right around the corner, for a sandwich and/or an outstanding hazelnut chocolate chip cookie and a cold brew.
The best cookie in France? When you take a day trip to Malmousque, which you should at least once to stroll and swim, have lunch at L’Eau à la Bouche before you get covered in salt and sunscreen. Or order pizza(s) from them to-go, and pick up some beers from the store across the street to take with you to the swimming rocks (no big sandy beaches here). We liked the half anchovy/half cheese pizza.
Lunch upstairs at L’Eau à la Bouche. Cours Julien runs through a big square where Marseille comes alive at night; never have I seen such a concentration of, as JP likes to say, convivium. Have an apéro at one of the many bars with outdoor tables before going to dinner at one of the two nearby restaurants, below.
Limmat has some of the best urban outdoor seating I’ve seen; it is halfway up a long, wide stairway leading to Cours Julien and the outdoor tables are on a plateau on said stairs. The people watching must be some of the best in Europe. The food was very seasonal and very good.
Limmat in all its glory. À Moro is a delightful Franco-Italian bistro, when we were there a rainstorm hit and everyone scrambled together to move all the tables inside, where dinner carried on as usual. It was charming and the food was excellent. The servers may have been a little self-obsessed but they were young and hot and living in Marseille, so who can blame them.
Dinner, including a striking porchetta, at À Moro.
Next time: Restaurant Michel for bouillabaisse; wine at Figure followed by pizza at La Bonne Mère; wine at Le Vin sur la Main followed by pizza at Chez Etienne (Marseille is a big pizza town); dinner at Atelier Renata; lunch at Poissonnerie Kennedy. Maybe also dinner at BONNIES or Regain. I’m sad we missed Maison Journo, the famed Tunisian-Jewish patisserie.
On exploring:
Always carry a swimsuit, towel, and sunscreen. Even if you think you won’t be swimming on a particular excursion, you will find yourself rounding a corner to a spectacular view of the sea with people basking on the rocks and floating in the Mediterranean, and you’ll want your suit. You will also want water shoes; I don’t know how the French are able to clamber so nonchalantly over the rocks to get in and out of the water, it looks painful. JP would like to put on record that he did not wear water shoes.
Take the bus (tap with your phone or cc to pay, amen) from the Old Port to Notre-Dame de la Garde, the grand basilica at the city’s highest point, with sweeping views of Marseille and the coast. The bus ride is fun and steep and winding and shows you some of the city you wouldn’t see otherwise. When you’re done, walk down the trail behind the church into Malmousque. It’s a 30 minute walk and allows you to work up a sweat for pizza and swimming.
Views from Notre-Dame de la Garde. On swimming in Malmousque: walk between Plage de Maldormé and Anse de Malmousque until you find a good spot. This may involve a certain amount of backtracking and walking on paths you aren’t sure are open. Just enjoy it. There is also an outdoor, seawater swimming pool called Piscine maritime des Auffes that looks nice. You may stumble upon Bistrot Plage, a restaurant/swim club with photogenic sun beds. We spent an afternoon there and it’s not worth it (the wooden deck was really gross and it was difficult to access the water) unless you’re fiending for a spritz on a sun bed, in which case who is anyone to judge.
Malmousque Stroll through Le Panier, a pretty, historic neighborhood next to the Old Port. The Centre de la Vieille Charité is worth checking out, as well as Cathédrale La Major. Continue your walk to Fort Saint-Jean, where you should buy a ticket to explore the 17th-century fortress and take in views of the city and the sea. I hate to say it, but the new “Mucem” - Musée des civilisations de l’Europe et de la Méditerranée is missable, even though it’s heavily marketed.
Le Panier / Fort Saint-Jean It is imperative you spend a day visiting Île Pomègues, accessed by ferry via the Old Port to Port du Frioul. The ferry will take you by Château d’If, the 16th-century island-castle/former prison that was the setting for The Count of Monte Cristo. When you disembark at Port du Frioul, walk the 30 minutes to Calanque de la crine. The natural beauty is otherworldly, the swimming is fantastic, and you should relax there for hours. There are plenty of coves on the walk that are easy to access for swimming if you want to bop around. Bring snacks and drinks from the little grocery store in Port du Frioul. They sold delicious peaches.
Île Pomègues Set aside an hour to thoroughly explore Maison Empereur, the legendary and palatial store that sells wares and products mostly made in France. Magasin published a great piece on this.
Soap! Cutlery! Knobs! Bedding!
Next time: Book a tour of Le Corbusier’s Unité d'Habitation. I’d also like to take a taxi down the coast to Chez Paul for a seafood lunch followed by swimming at Cap Croisette. Tuba Club, in the same area, looks like a pretty spot for a meal but I think it’s just influencer bait.
That’s all! Thank you for reading, and Happy 2026!
half anchovy pizza took my breath away
Wonderful blue variants in the water and sky. And old sandstone buildings. Beautiful. Looks like a swimming is an integral part of a visit.