Just Back From…Marseille

Deeply inspired by Netflix’s  Transatlantic  series and my friend (the show’s creator) Anna Winger’s stories of her time spent there while filming, my husband and I decided to do a quick overnight pitstop in Marseille on our way to a family holiday in Les Baux de Provence. Marseille has continually gotten a bad rap—crime and unfettered  immigration are always top of the list when you read any negative press about the city. But in the last few years, I have been picking up on fresh openings and changes in the southern port city that made me want to see it all for myself.

Due to our last-minute change of plans and it being a long weekend in France, our hotel selection was extremely limited. We ended up staying in a very cute small and well-priced boutique hotel called  Maisons du Monde, right on the water in the  vieux port in front of Norman Foster’s L’Ombriere. It wound up being perfect for the short trip, as we were walking distance from everything, but staying with a window overlooking the harbor is not the best idea for light sleepers. The music and the bongos go hard and late into the night!

I was initially traveling solo with my 2 and 5 year olds (my husband arrived later that night), so I took them to  Splendido  for dinner. It was one of the few places that let me make an extremely early, 6:45pm reservation and with an eclectic décor that kept them wildly entertained—and a well-stocked bar that kept me :). As I learned from Anna,  Marseille is a pizza city. Pizza is such an essential part of their history that some view it more a national dish than the famous bouillabaisse. So, a delicious pizza and salad later, we were ready to explore the harbor and its neighboring streets on a beautiful spring evening.

We woke up quite early and decided to head out as the town was barely rising. Not much is open in Marseille at 8am, but we did get a fab croissant at the century-old  Boulangerie Aixoise, which came highly recommended. We wandered the streets making our way towards Capuchin Market in Noailles. It was quite beautiful to literally see the town waking up. We watched all the vendors opening their shops, setting up their stalls with soaps and herbs, ovens being lit, meat and fish being delivered. There is always such a sense of calm in the early mornings before market madness starts. We then made our way towards  Deep, a coffee and matcha haven right in the port for those seeking more than an espresso or a classic café crème and in need of a vegetarian milk option.

We hopped in the car and drove up to Le Panier to wander the tiny colorful streets. Did some great kids’ gift shopping and had really delicious bites of  panisse  (chickpea fritters, a local specialty) and sandwiches. Architecture visits are always part of our itinerary: first we went to see the Abbey of St. Victor next to  Four des Navettes  (the oldest running bakery in Marseille), then we made a pilgrimage to visit Le Corbusier’s imposing and beautiful  Unite d’ Habitacion  before stopping at the newly reopened  MAC, Museum of Contemporary Art. I’m not the biggest fan of the layout of the museum, but we really wanted to see the Paola Pivi bears, and it was worth the stop, really fun and playful for the kids.

We ended the day with a late and long boozy lunch at  Tuba Club  in Les Goudes. I had heard so much about this place and it took some serious negotiating to get a reservation, but it was well worth the effort. The tables are perched somewhat dangerously on the rocks overlooking the water. Rosé flows freely, service is spotty but always pleasant, the sun was shining and the people alternated between  moules  (mussels), taramas (fish roe), and dips in the ocean. Even my five-year-old dug into her first oysters. We all came out of there happily sunburned and ready for the drive to Les Baux. I genuinely loved Marseille’s vibe and have a huge list of things I missed! (Eating at  Cecile, model Erin Wasson’s vegan cafe by the sea; visiting  Maison Empereur, a 200-year-old shop featuring home, hardware, pharmacy, and toys; and staying at the tiny waterfront hotel,  Les Bords des Mer.) I’ll have to return on my next visit to the south!