An Insider’s Guide to Marseille

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I was born in the Republic of the Congo, on La Côte Sauvage, where my father worked in forestry. I lived there for 15 years, and it was such a carefree and carefree existence. Sometimes we would return to France to see my grandfather, who worked as a fisherman on the Île de Ré. I remember the fish and the sea ​​fruits they were fantastic there.

While I was training to be a chef, I traveled to Spain, America and France, and finally settled in Marseilles. I found a small restaurant and told my wife, “If it’s good, great, if not, I’ll find something else.” And it turned out to be fantastic: here I have complete freedom of expression and because the restaurant is so small, it is very intimate.

Marseille is special for its energy, unlike any other city in France. You have the sea, you have the mountains and you have a lot of North African influence: you can easily find a banana or cassava plant. You are in a city with an economic center but it feels like a village. Marseille is a bit like New York.

You are in a city with an economic center but it feels like a town

There is a lot of good food here. The Noailles district is the best place for spicy African food. My favorite street food is probably the delicious Moroccan pancakes called meloui. I often go down the Rue d’Aubagne, in Noailles, to get meloui of the many shops serving traditional Moroccan food. Sometimes I also go to Les Goudes, a small sea port on the coast. I like Chez Pablo restaurant there, where they make you fresh fish on the grill, or they have a fish soup that is fantastic, and you can eat in front of the boats. It’s also a good choice for pizza – I love the half and half with anchovies, olives and oregano on one side and cheese on the other. by the way in The Esplaï des Goudeswould get La Bourride, a Provencal Fish stew with alioli and olive oil.

For the best wine, I’ll The Cave of Dance and take the wine of the day. You may end up staying for four or five hours because the owner is only too happy to talk. They are very passionate people there. Then, for accommodation, I usually recommend visitors to try the Le Panier area, the historic quarter of Marseille, where you can stay in the Hotel 96close to the Calanques, which has a beautiful garden.

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Marseille has great art, I love the cantini museum, which specializes in modern works and fantastic natural landscapes. I like walking, and for that I go to Marseille’s famous miniature limestone fjords, the Calanques, very early in the morning when there are no people there. Arrive at 7am and you have the area to yourself. It’s a good way to start the day. You can stroll along the coast and enjoy the panoramic view. The lightness and all the different shades of blue, from light blue to deep blue, are fantastic.

After a walk I take the small fishing boat to Les Goudes or Pointe-Rouge to swim in the sea. Sometimes when I’m at the restaurant on Saturday, I finish at 4 PM, go swimming, and get back to work at 5:30. That’s what I love about Marseille: you can take a small boat and you’re on vacation in 20 minutes.

alexandre-mazzia.com