Bon Appetit

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• Class'croute read more ›
  (26 Boulevard Pave Peytral. Tel. 04 9611 0105)
  Near the Prefecture, this good-value sandwich bar offers a wide variety of fillings ranging from the classic ham and cheese to the more adventurous, such as chicken curry with tomatoes and boiled eggs.
• Les Colonies read more ›
  (Les Colonies, 1st. Tel. 04 9154 1117)
  Civilised tea shop with an elaborate chandelier, plush curtains and linen table cloths. Have a cuppa and a light snack, while stocking up on quality tea, biscuits, jam and tempting trinkets.
• Zen Zen read more ›
  (31 Quai des Belges. Tel. 04 9133 3888)
  Newly opened eatery offering quality, healthy Asian fast-food at the Vieux Port. Choose from steaming dim sums, sushi, rice and prawns, salads, tempura, miso soup, yakitori and chicken with cashew nuts.
• Le Dej' D'in read more ›
  (109 Rue de la Republique, 2nd. Tel. 04 9190 3104)
  Fresh salads, soups and desserts are on the menu at this organic eatery, which also doubles as an art gallery. Located in the revamped Joliette business district.
• Il Caffè read more ›
  (63 Cours Julien, 6th . Tel. 04 9142 0219)
  Student hang-out on the bobo Cours Julien, popular for its value-for-money snacks and sunny terrace.
• La Boutique du Glacier read more ›
  (1 Place du Général-de-Gaulle, 1st. Tel. 04 9133 7693)
  Order a coffee from the counter and choose from a mouthwatering selection of buttery croissants, pain au chocolat, sweet pastries and apple turnovers.

• Les Pieds dans le Plat read more ›
  (2 Rue Pastoret. Tel. 04 9148 7415)
  Sociable, local bistro run by the talented Xavier Zapata who offers honest, authentic dishes such as lamb and tuna with courgettes and cumin or stuffed sea bass layered with silverbeet and parmesan cheese.
• Les Buvards read more ›
  (34 Grand Rue, 2nd. Tel. 04 9190 6998)
  Friendly bistro featuring a 300-long wine list and tasty dishes such as Spanish charcuterie, black pudding with onions, and salmon fillets with chorizo.
• L'Indigo Café read more ›
  (53 Avenue Hambourg. Tel. 04 9171 2192)
  Informal Tex-Mex restaurant at the seaside in the Espace Borley centre. All your Mexican favourites are served here, such as hot and cold tapas, fajitas, tortillas and tacos, along with cocktails, beer and wine from Mexico, Chile and Argentina.
• A L'Ile de la Réunion read more ›
  (14 Rue de la Paix, 1st. Tel. 04 9131 9443)
  Convivial, family-run Creole restaurant with a zouk-like feel serving spicy, colourful cuisine, such as crispy meat samoosas, tasty cabri chicken and fish stew.
• La Suite read more ›
  (9 Rue François Rocca, 8th . Tel. 04 9132 6000)
  Cosy, intimate restaurant offering candlelit dining in a baroque-themed room. The cuisine is a blend of traditional French and Asian influences: sweet-and-sour combinations featuring figs, bananas, cocoa and ginger.
• La Passarelle read more ›
  (52 Rue Plan-Fourmiguier, 7th. Tel. 06 6862 7787)
  Fresh, healthy meals-such as artichoke salad sprinkled with pine nuts, followed by pot-au-feu-are served at this newly opened eatery, near the Vieux Port.

• Le Gout des Choses read more ›
  (4 Place Notre-Dame-du-Mont. Tel. 04 9148 7062)
  Globe-trotting chef Olivier Rathery and wife Sylvie settled on Marseille a year ago, opening their tasteful, up-market restaurant in the Notre-Dame-du-Mont neighbourhood. Order the famous Moroccan dish, pastilla de canard served with grilled foie gras.
• La Grotte read more ›
  (1 Avenue Pébrons, 8th. Tel. 08 2610 1124)
  Nestled into the limestone hillside at the picturesque fishing port of Callelongue, La Grotte is an up-market restaurant offering grilled fish and Provençal dishes, accompanied by an extensive regional wine list.
• Le Decanté read more ›
  (Place de l'Amiral Muselier. Tel. 04 9179 9454)
  Refined, inventive French cuisine is on the menu at this up-market restaurant run by two brothers in the posh 8th arrondissement. The foie gras trilogy goes down a treat.
• La Poule Noir read more ›
  (61 Rue Sainte, 1st. Tel. 04 9155 6886)
  Franck and Sophie Paté offer hearty, seasonal dishes at this cosy restaurant on Marseille's foodie street, La Rue Sainte. Juicy steaks with mushroom sauce, lamb chops or Tex-Mex pork ribs are popular choices.
• Question de Goût read more ›
  (145-147 Avenue Joseph Vidal, 8th. Tel. 04 9173 5908)
  Refined, up-to-the-minute restaurant that puts on a swanky buffet-style Sunday brunch with fresh bread, pastries, cereals, cold meat, eggs, fruit and plenty of hot drinks.
• La Cantinetta read more ›
  (24 Cours Julien, 6th. Tel. 04 9148 1048)
  A zinc bar, comfortable leather banquettes and family photos hanging from the walls greet diners at this thoroughly modern trattoria. Popular choices include fried squid flavoured with fennel and pastis, or marinated pork roast served with creamy polenta.

• La Trilogies des Cépages read more ›
  (35 Rue de la Paid Marcel Paul. Tel. 04 9133 9603)
  An elegant and welcoming gastronomic restaurant, located at the heart of the Marcel Pagnol triangle where chef Jean-Jacques Eyraud reinvents regional specialities including tagine with Saint Marcellin cheese or seafood pot-au-feu. The wine list features more than 300 varieties.
• Le Moment read more ›
  (5 Place Sadi-Carnot, 2nd. Tel. 04 9152 4749)
  New restaurant by Christian Ernst (formerly of Charles Livon) that's full of gastronomic surprises, ranging from its delightful menu to wine-testing sessions, cooking classes and succulent takeaway dishes.
• Le Marseillois read more ›
  (2 Quai du Port. Tel. 04 9190 7252)
  Dine aboard the famous 1920s Spanish schooner moored in the Vieux Port. Master chef Denis Groetz prepares traditional Provençal dishes complemented by a fine wine list featuring AOC Provence, Coteaux d'Aix, Bandol and Cassis wines. The view of the harbour is simply superb.
• Les Trois Forts read more ›
  (36 Boulevard Charles Livon, 7th . Tel. 04 9115 5956)
  Marvellous gastronomic restaurant with huge bay windows overlooking the Vieux Port. Chef Dominique Frérard favours tomatoes, herbes de Provence and Mediterranean fish in his beautifully prepared dishes.
• Le Miramar read more ›
  (12 Quai du Port, 2nd . Tel. 04 9191 1040)
  The best and arguably most authentic bouillabaisse in town is made at Le Miramar, overseen by chef Christian Buffa who selects the freshest fish from the daily market at Le Quai des Belges. There's a fantastic view over the Vieux Port, too.
• Le Tiboulen de Maire read more ›
  (Route des Goudes, 8th. Tel. 04 9125 2630)
  Specialist seafood restaurant on the picturesque Route des Goudes, south of the city centre. Whether grilled or baked in a salt crust, the menu depends on the day's catch.

After Dark

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• Le Bar de la Plaine read more ›
  (57 Place Jean Jaurès. Tel. 04 9147 5018)
  One of the least expensive pastis watering holes in the city and consequently packed to the gills with a rowdy, good-natured crowd.
• Café du Passage read more ›
  (Rue Venture, 1st. )
  Linking the Rue Venture and the Rue Davso, this laid-back bar and café is known for its fruit cocktails, generous salads and decent steak-frites.
• Le Marlin read more ›
  (7 Place aux Huiles, 1st. Tel. 04 9154 8399)
  The interior of this popular bar resembles a boat's cabin, thanks to its wood-panelled interior. Attracting students and thirtysomethings, this central city watering hole is known for its Provençal tapas, pleasant terrace and friendly staff.
• La Bo[a]te read more ›
  (35 Rue de la Paix, 1st. Tel. 09 5424 0915)
  Located just off the stairs between the Rue Sainte and Cours Estienne D'Orves, this convivial venue hires out up-to-date reception and meeting rooms for private viewings, film screenings and civilised office parties.
• L'Estey read more ›
  (13 Place Notre Dame du Mont, 6th. Tel. 04 9142 1010)
  Chic oyster bar where seafood enthusiasts order by the dozen and wash them down with chilled white wine.
• La Paillote read more ›
  (40 Rue de la Palud, 1st. Tel. 06 6079 2054)
  Trendy bar facing the Eglise de la Trinity. Decorated in a dreamy, desert island theme, Kamel and Frederic serve frothy, fresh fruit cocktails.

• Stade Velodrome read more ›
  (3 Boulevard Michelet. Tel. 04 9176 5609)
  Marseille's 60,000-seat Stade Velodrome is not only used for football and rugby matches - it is also a prominent concert venue for world-famous artists, such as Johnny Hallyday (11 July) and Madonna (19).
• Le Paradox read more ›
  (127 Rue d'Aubagne, 6th. Tel. 04 9163 1465)
  Rum cocktails and Creole cooking are offered at this concert venue where flamenco, Latino, salsa and jazz sessions reign supreme.
• Bistrot Saint Jacques read more ›
  (29 Rue Saint Jacques. Tel. 04 9167 9833)
  Jazz bands with a South American, African or New Orleans influence play regularly at this sociable, neighbourhood bistro near the Prefecture.
• The Red Lion read more ›
  (231 Avenue Pierre Mendès France, 8th. Tel. 04 9125 1717)
  Gasping for a pint rather than a pastis? Head to The Red Lion, the city's classic English pub. Rowdy concerts staged regularly to a good-humoured crowd.
• Au Son des Guitaires read more ›
  (18 Rue Corneille, 1st. Tel. 04 9133 1147)
  Live Corsican music in a rowdy cabaret atmosphere, where regulars sing along with the legendary Vincenti brothers.
• L'Embobineuse read more ›
  (11 Boulebard Boués, 3rd. Tel. 04 9150 6609)
  Underground club and concert venue with a grungy feel.

• Bodega Playa read more ›
  (83 Avenue de la Pointe Rouge. Tel. 04 9173 6568)
  Just behind Pointe Rouge beach, this Latino nightspot caters to a slightly older crowd who turn up to enjoy the zouk and salsa rhythms.
• La Dame Noir read more ›
  (30 Place Notre Dame du Mont, 6th. )
  Hip new French/Japanese bar that claims to be mainly concerned by retro-futuristic obsessional lunar music. DJs and concerts are on the agenda.
• Le Crystal read more ›
  (148 Quai du Port. Tel. 04 9191 5796)
  Fancy cocktails are served at this fashionable late-night bar at the Vieux Port, under the arcades of the Pouillon buildings. Excellent 1950s-style décor with red leather banquettes and a yellow Formica counter.
• Le Montréal Club read more ›
  (25 Rue Aldebert, 6th . Tel. 04 9137 7163)
  A late-night dance club playing an intoxicating mix of zouk, R 'n' B, electro and reggae tunes. It also offers salsa and tango sessions every Tuesday night.
• Le Passe-Temps read more ›
  (6 Rue Fortia, 1st. Tel. no phone)
  DJ Ed is the star of the late-night show at this popular club, spinning funk, disco and house tunes.
• Le Passe-Temps read more ›
  (6 Rue Fortia, 1st. Tel. no phone)
  Revamped nightclub where a succession of DJs play funk, disco and house to an appreciative crowd.

This month...

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Tips

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