Ever since it was announced that Marseille would be European Capital of Culture in 2013, the city has been racing to transform itself, starting construction of a gleaming new Museum of European and Mediterranean Civilizations. Hotels have been renovated, and new B&Bs, bars and restaurants have opened, and this week a major retrospective of European art, from Delacroix to Matisse opened. Get there before the crowds, and check out the best addresses.
Pension Edelweiss
This is the newest design B&B in town and definitely the best-value place to stay right now. This is a genuine B&B, where the friendly owner, David Karoubi has converted one floor of his home into four retro guestrooms. It's in a good spot: near the station and the trendy Cours Julien area, and just far enough away from the Vieux Port to avoid the tourists. David is great for recommending galleries, concerts and restaurants. Nearby is Le Comptoir Dugommier, a hip bistrot recently opened by his Swiss girlfriend, Bernadette, on boulevard Dugommier (you'll eat your breakfast here on weekdays).
• 6 rue Lafayette, +33 9 5123 3511, pension-edelweiss.fr. Doubles from €75 including breakfast
Au Vieux Panier
The Panier is the oldest part of Marseille, a maze of narrow alleyways and steep streets that has been partly gentrified from an off-limits ghetto into a chic bohemian neighbourhood. The owners of Au Vieux Panier have restored a 17th-century building from an ancient Corsican delicatessen into an ultra cool maison d'hôtes. The five guest rooms have been dramatically decorated by different artists, and the biggest surprise is the wonderful rooftop terrace with stunning city views, perfect for a sunset aperitif.
• 13 rue du Panier, +33 4 9191 2372, auvieuxpanier.com. Doubles from €85 including breakfast
La Boîte à Sardine
Walk right to the end of the Canebiere for an unforgettable lunch at the most original eatery in the city. La Boîte à Sardine is a fishmongers that doubles as a restaurant, its half-dozen tables booked out every day as fish lovers choose between a classic plateau de fruits de mer and local specialities such as oursins (sea urchins), or a lobster straight off one of the local fishing boats. Tasty dishes of the day range from scallop carpaccio to frilled sea bass, while on Friday, everyone orders the garlicky aioli or anchoiade. The buzzing ambience is orchestrated like a conductor by the genial owner, Fabien.
• 7 boulevard de la Liberation, +33 4 9150 9595, laboiteasardine.com. Mains from €12
Chez Madie les Galinettes
The one dish that has to be tried in Marseille is the famous bouillabaisse, which has grown from a humble fish soup into a gourmet dish, with a panoply of poissons including rascasse, grondin, dorade, congre and lotte. There are tourist restaurants that offer this complex dish at just €20 – steer clear. At the other end of the scale is the ultimate version created by three-Michelin-star chef Gérald Passédat, which will set you back €160. The perfect compromise is Chez Madie, where the fish is fresh, the service friendly and the price reasonable (€40), plus it has romantic tables overlooking the Vieux Port. The dish must be reserved in advance.
• 138 quai du Port, +33 4 9190 4087, chezmadie.idhii.net. Set menus from €17
Chez Etienne
Lunch at Chez Etienne is the ultimate Marseille experience, a step back in time to when Le Panier was the backdrop for much of The French Connection. There is no phone, no reservations, no credit cards and until recently, no prices - especially bad news when visiting Parisians asked for the bill. The sign outside says pizzeria, and although Monsieur Etienne will tell you his pizzas are the best in town, this is also the place to try local specialities such as fried soupions, minuscule squid, or pieds et paquets (lamb tripe and trotters). A raucous atmosphere is guaranteed, the food is great, and the addition should be around €20.
• 43 rue de Lorette
La Part des Anges
Although pastis is the drink that most people associate with Marseille, the city also has some excellent wine bars, many dedicated to the new trend sweeping France for organic wines and vins naturels. There is no better place to sample recent vintages from the surrounding vineyards of nearby Cassis (try Domaine du Paternel) and the rest of Provence, than funky La Part des Anges, where you can reserve a table for lunch or dinner, or grab a place at the long bar, where the action gets far more animated. One regular even plonks his dog down on the stool next to him.
• 33 rue Sainte, +33 4 9133 5570, lapartdesanges.com. Snacks from €8, wines from €2 a glass
Oogie
Despite some smart boutiques showcasing young local designers, fashion shopping is not top of the list of Marseille's attractions. But it is worth exploring the bohemian cours Julien just to discover the psychedelic lifestore Oogie. Shoppers pass through an emporium of vintage and contemporary fashions, a vinyl record store where DJs hang out, a hairdressers and a busy bistrot. In the streets around Oogie, you'll find the best street grafitti in town, cutting-edge art galleries and live music venues.
• 55 cours Julien, +33 4 9153 1070, oogie.eu
La Licorne
The one souvenir that everyone takes home is a block of Savon de Marseille, a distinctive olive oil soap that has been made here for more than six centuries. Avoid the touristy shops around the Vieux Port though, and head for the boutique-cum-atelier of La Licorne. The air is heavy with seductive scents of lavender, vervein and mimosa, and behind the shelves stacked with perfumed soaps and beauty products, you can visit a workshop at the back where the savon is still produced using a variety of Heath-Robinson like contraptions.
• 34 cours Julien, www.savon-de-marseille-licorne.com
La Caravelle
The Caravelle is no simple bar or restaurant; it is a Marseille institution. Located on the first floor of the well-named Bellevue Hotel, it has the perfect sunset vista over the city, across the Vieux Port as far as the iconic Notre-Dame de la Garde basilica, and everyone wants to squeeze onto its tiny balcony as soon as the sun starts going down. Drinks are not cheap, with a chilled glass of rosé costing €5, but turn up for the ritual apéro between 6pm and 9.30pm and tasty tapas of tapenade and anchovies are included in the price. Live bands at the weekend.
• 34 quai du Port, +33 4 9190 3664, lacaravelle-marseille.fr. Main courses from €12
L'Unic
Marseille has a brilliant bar scene, especially around the Vieux Port, where locales range from swish clubs to red-light seamen's haunts. For an apéro sitting out in the sun looking over the port, nothing can beat Le Bar de la Marine, while just off the water's edge, Le Marengo is a delightfully sleazy spot, where Pernod costs €1.60 and a glass of champagne, a mojito or a margarita will only set you back €5. But if you only choose one bar, don't miss L'Unic, run by the irrespressible Madame Dominique. A favourite with musicians, artists and clubbers, it has wonderful kitsch decor, great music and cheap drinks and can get pretty wild after midnight.
• 11 cours Jean Ballard
For more information see marseille-tourisme.com. To discover the city in the company of a friendly local, see marseilleprovencegreeters.com. Orientalism in Europe: from Delacroix to Matisse at the Centre de la Vieille Charité runs until August 28.
