• Walk up to enjoy the 360 view from the big church behind the house, Notre Dame de la Garde, and take a bottle and salty snacks if it's sunset.

• Take a morning swim or sunset drink from the rocks of Malmousque or Maldormé (or the little harbour of Vallon des Auffes)

• Cycle along The Corniche and maybe stop for lunch at Café Borely

• Go for aperitif at Café de L'Abbaye and order panisses, a local fried chickpea snack. It's a big thing in Marseille to meet for early evening drinks.

• Go to parc du Pharo for gorgeous sunset views

• Go to the best shop in Marseille, Maison Empereur, then wander around the messy market streets of Noailles and grab a cheap bite at Chez Yassine or from Epicerie l'Ideal across the road

• Walk down to le vieux port and stop for a coffee or drink at La Caravelle

• Hike to Marseilleveyre and have spag bol for lunch

• Go for aperitif and dinner in Cours Julien (for instance at Cantinetta)

⭐️ La Relève 41 rue d'Endoume, 13007 Nice neighbourhood bar near the flat, with terrace to gossip on, and excellent lunch menu

Le Baron Perché 45 rue Châteaubriand, 13007 Good French restaurant, near the flat. Small courtyard inside. Booking advisable

⭐️ Les Eaux de Mars, 135 Rue Consolat, 13001. Little neighbourhood restaurant near Longchamp, with a more ambitious menu than usual, perfectly executed

⭐️ Placette, 22 Rue de la Guirlande, 13002. Nice terrace just behind Vieux Port, great food, friendly hipstery service

⭐️ La Cantinetta 24 cours Julien, 13006 Great Italian restaurant, on cours Julien. Courtyard at the back. Booking advisable

Livingston 5 Rue Crudère, 13006 Inventive food in the mess of Cours Julien, with young people and loud music

Le Bec du Coq 28 boulevard Notre Dame, 13006 Another highlight of the young Marseille food scene, with creative, inventive food

Comptoir Dugommier 14 boulevard Dugommier, 13001 Good simple French bistro, lunchtime only, near the mess of St Charles station

La Passarelle 52 rue plan Fourmiguier, 13007 Summer only, great garden for eating outside, near the flat and Vieux Port. But slow service! Also Sunday brunch. Booking advisable

⭐️ La Goulette 1 rue Pavillon, 13001 Delicious and  cheapo couscous in this spit-and-sawdust place in Noailles where everybody goes

L’Epuisette Vallon des Auffes, 13007 Fish restaurant on the water: posh, 1 Michelin star. Booking a must

Le Petit Nice Passedat 17 rue des Braves, 13007 Fish restaurant with terrace on the water: very posh, 3 Michelin stars.  Booking very advisable.

⭐️ Chez Yassine. 8 rue d'Aubagne, 13001 Looks like your standard kebab place but serves excellent leblibi (Tunisian chickpea soup) and ojja (aka shakshuka). For a great and cheap lunch in Noailles

Epicerie l'ideal 9 rue d'Aubagne, 13001, across the road from Chez Yassine. Trendy bobo lunch spot. Daily changing menu, takeaway deli, nice food!

Le Sepia 2 Rue Vauvenargues, 13007 Good contemporary cuisine, near the flat, nice terrace

Les Grandes Tables de la Friche 41 rue Jobin, 13003 Restaurant of the cool La Friche art centre: big space and terrace, industrial-ish...

⭐️ Café de la Banque 24 boulevard Paul Peytral, 13006 Typical bourgeois café / brasserie near Préfecture. Good for lunch or aperitif

Carlotta With 84 boulevard Vauban, 13006 Big, hipstery, vegetarian place. Good for brunch. From the flat, it's a very nice walk over the hill of Notre Dame. 

Place Saint Eugène, 13007 Couple of bars and restaurants on the square. Nothing special, but near the flat and on a sunny day it's lovely for a salad at lunchtime, or apéro, on the terrace

Les Tamaris 40 boulevard de la Calanque de Samena, 13008 Ok food but overpriced. What redeems it is the fantastic terrace overlooking the little cove for a swim

Chez Jeannot Vallon des Auffes Pizza on the little harbour of Vallon des Auffes

L’Arôme 9 rue des Trois Rois, 13006 Good modern European, near Cours Julien

Chez Sauveur 10 rue d'Aubagne, 13001 Classic Marseille pizza in Noailles

⭐️ La Mercerie 9 Cours Saint-Louis, 13001 Hipstery place by renowned Canadian/English foodies, in Noailles. You can book online

Café Borely,  134 Avenue Clot Bey, 13008 In Parc Borely, super lovely terrace for lunch or coffee

L'Esplaï du Grand Bar des Goudes 29 Rue Désiré Pelaprat, 13008 Off-centre, overlooking the little harbour of Les Goudes, classic bouillabaisse. Booking advisable

⭐️ Belleville / mer 18 bld Montricher, 13004 Bistro, little terrace, near Palais Longchamp

Au Falafel 5 Rue Lulli, 13001. Unpretentious Jewish falafel, hummus and salad place with a few tables outside. Closed Friday afternoon and Saturday (for sabbath) so best to check opening times online before going. 

Le Ruhl 269 Corniche Kennedy, 13007 If you're looking for classic Marseille bouillabaisse, you might as well head for the Corniche, with a great view at lunch or sunset. Neither a cheap, nor a light meal!

⭐️ Tuba Club 2 Boulevard Alexandre Delabre, 13008 Far from the centre, in the Les Goudes neighbourhood, fantastic spot with private rocky beach. Perfect for a swim, apéro and dinner. Booking very advisable

Too tired to go out?

• Sushi Shop Order sushi online. It's actually pretty good

• Pizz'Artisanale 2 rue Marignan, 13007  Good  takeaway pizza in the neighbourhood. Also home delivery: call +33 4 91 31 80 09

⭐️ Le Bon Air Next to Notre Dame de la Garde. Fantastic hilltop views at the top of the stairs leading to the church. Perfect terrace for sunset drinks. After the opening hours of the church there is a guy guarding the entry gate: just tell him you're coming for a drink.

⭐️ Les Cabanons de Fonfon 138 rue du Vallon des Auffes, 13007 Al fresco drinks on the little harbour of Vallon des Auffes. Closed in winter

⭐️ La Caravelle 34 quai du Port, 13002 The best terrace on Vieux Port. It’s a tiny balcony on the first floor of hotel Belle Vue. Perfect even in winter

⭐️ Longchamp Palace 22 boulevard Longchamp, 13002 Evening drinks with a cool crowd, but a little out of the way

⭐️ Café de l’Abbaye 3 rue d’Endoume, 13007 A local institution. Terrace (in traffic), near the flat, for aperitif with typically messy Marseille view of Vieux Port + motorway + Côte Bleue. Try typical panisses as a snack with apéritif

Welcome Café 10 Rue des Catalans, 13007 Little café, good for afternoon drink in the winter sun, opposite the Catalans beach

⭐️ La Relève 41 rue d'Endoume, 13007 Nice neighbourhood bar near the flat, with terrace to gossip on, and excellent lunch menu

Rowing Club 34 boulevard Charles Livon, 13007 Big terrace with panoramic view of Vieux Port. Not far from the flat

⭐️ Café de la Banque 24 boulevard Paul Peytral, 13006 Typical bourgeois café / brasserie near Préfecture. Good for apéritif, and for lunch

⭐️ Alimentation Générale 34 Rue Plan Fourmiguier, 13007  Cute place, hidden just behind Vieux Port near the flat, for evening drinks and tapas / nibbles

Gaspard 7 Boulevard Notre Dame, 13006 Nice cocktail place for civilised evening drinks

⭐️ Cafe La Muse  2 rue de Lodi, 13006 Nice café near Cours Julien, with cool crowd

⭐️ Ciel Rooftop 17 rue Haxo, 13001 Fantastic roof terrace in the centre, but often very busy

Central Marseille

⭐️ Anse de Malmousque rocky coves, not for kids. The rocks next to the harbour of Malmousque are great for sunset swim

⭐️ Anse de Maldormé rocky outcrops and small pebble beach with views towards the mountains of the calanques. Great for morning swim

⭐️ Vallon des Auffes fishing harbour, rocky outcrop + small manmade seawater pool area for kids

Plage des Catalans small sandy beach. Not great in summer, when it’s packed with families. But out-of-season, particularly in the mornings, it can be very nice

Plage du Prophète sandy beach, busy with families but can be ok out-of-season

Further afield

Le Prado Big artificial sandy beaches for families

La Pointe Rouge Sandy beach for families

⭐️ Mont Rose Secluded rocky beach for gays and nudity

⭐️ Parc national des Calanques: Marseilleveyre, Sugiton, Morgiou...

⭐️ Notre Dame de la Garde Top of the hill behind the flat! Fantastic 360 views of Marseille. Church is also quite nice/kitsch inside. And now you can have drinks on the terrace 

⭐️ Le Pharo 58, boulevard Charles Livon, 13007 Small cute park, strangely well looked after. For a stroll with super fantastic views of Vieux Port and half of town. Bring a bottle at sunset for a wonderful apéro

⭐️ La Friche Belle de Mai 41 rue Jobin, 13003 A former industrial space, with a good restaurant, exhibitions, gigs, rooftop cinema… Often some good stuff: check what’s on 

Atelier Juxtapoz 52 Rue Levat, 13003 Former convent turned community garden / artists studio / exhibition space / night club. Near La Friche. Check what's on

⭐️ Mucem Esplanade J4, 13002 Museum of mediterranean civilisations: check what’s on. That part of town used to be a mess, but the renovation has been great. The building is brilliant. From there, you can walk through the new bridge to…

⭐️ Le Panier and Centre de la Vieille Charité 2 rue de la Charité, 13002 Very old part of town, windy streets, cafés and shops, a very distinct feel. Check what's on. Includes the Museum of Mediterranean Archeology and a small but surprisingly good museum of non-European art

⭐️ Cours Julien another uniquely Marseille neighbourhood famous for its grungy appeal and graffitti. Good for a drink and dinner (Cantinetta or Bistro du Cours). Also check the La Plaine (place Jean Jaurès) neighbourhood nearby, to see what the kids on the radical left are up to 

⭐️ Hike to Marseilleveyre First, check on the day that Les Calanques entre Marseille et Cassis aren't closed due to risk of forest fire (black = closed). Then head for Callelongue, the Southernmost end of Marseille. From there, follow the coast on foot: it’s a beautiful trail along the sea, totally unbuilt (not a difficult hike but take decent shoes). After 45 minutes, you end up at a cove with one restaurant on the beach, called Le Belge. The food is simple (spagbol) but the spot is priceless. Open for lunch every day in summer; closed Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays in winter. Note: there is an alternative hike to Marseilleveyre starting at Parc Pastré. It doesn't follow the coast but is very nice

⭐️ Abbaye Saint-Victor Place St Victor Ancient abbey with a 2000-year history and a crypt not to be missed. Local and well worth the 2 euro entry fee

Palais Longchamp Boulevard du Jardin Zoologique, 13004 Extravagant-looking fine arts museum and natural history museum

⭐️ Musée d'Histoire de Marseille 2 rue Henri Barbusse, 13001 Marseille has been around for 2,600 years and this great museum gives a good sense of the many layers of civilisation

⭐️ Cité Radieuse 280 Boulevard Michelet, 13008 Le Corbusier’s classic. You can visit a flat, and it’s great, and there is also a bar. There is now an art space on the rooftop

Friche de l'Escalette Route des Goudes, impasse de l’Escalette, 13008 Former lead factory being turned into an art centre (sculpture, architecture). On the edge of town, but on your way to a hike to Marseilleveyre or to a swim in the nearby coves. Check what's on and book a visit

⭐️ Les Calanques Of course you should check the calanques (Sugiton, Surmiou…) Even if not beach weather, definitely worth walking there. For instance, go to Université de Luminy and hike from there. Check other routes and check on the day that Les Calanques entre Marseille et Cassis aren't closed due to risk of forest fire (black = closed).

Hike on La Côte Bleue Take the local train from Marseille St Charles to Niolon (20-minute ride, timetable on oui-sncf.com). From Niolon, it’s a 3-hour hike along the coast to La Redonne, where you can take the train back to Marseille. Beautiful path and views of Marseille, some great spots for swimming. It’s not a difficult hike, but it’s not for children (could easily fall!) Take water and decent shoes. Follow the blue marks of the trail. See pictures and more details

Opéra de Marseille, 2 rue Molière, 13001. Very nice Art Deco venue. Check what's on

⭐️ Maison Empereur 4, rue des Récolettes, 13001 In the middle of Noailles, the best hardware / homeware shop you can imagine. A local institution. You must go there

⭐️ Noailles neighbourhood Right in the middle of town, it's a jolly mess. Food market, pound shops, whatever... It's quite unique for a big european city to have an ungentrified centre, in fact, it might be the last one left.

For vintage furniture and stuff:

• Art Design Etc 19 rue André Poggioli, 13006 

• Becbunzen 60 rue 3 Frères Barthélémy, 13006

• Joli Rouge 72 rue d'Aubagne, 13001

• Les Puces de Fifi (out of the way) 20 Boulevard Fifi Turin, 13010

Rue Paradis / rue Grignan / rue Breteuil Shopping for the bourgeois marseillais: Louis Vuitton, wine, etc

Rue Sainte Shopping for the bobo marseillais: Carhartt, craft beer, etc

Les Terrasses du Port 9 Quai du Lazaret, 13002 Shopping mall, surprisingly not too bad, with all the usual mega brands (Uniqlo, etc)

Les Docks 10 place de la Joliette, 13002 Opposite Les Terrasses du Port, old docks converted in shopping mall. Again, surprisingly not too bad

Rue St Ferreol High street brands

⭐️ Arles Cute little town, Roman ruins, Van Gogh stuff, and good food. Fantastic photography festival all summer long. 45 minutes by train from Marseille St Charles station. We go often. If you want to stay a night we can recommend Hotel du Forum, Hotel Arlatan, or Hotel du Cloitre.

Cassis - Cute holiday seaside town, 25 minutes by train

Le Ciotat - Nice working class coastal town, 25 minutes by train. Good botanical garden.

The following trips out of town require a car:

Lubéron area Super picturesque provençal villages of Lourmarin, Gordes, Lacoste, Bonnieux, Oppède-le-Vieux...

Chateau La Coste Vineyard and art centre by Tadao Ando https://chateau-la-coste.com/en/

Skiing Head for Pra-Loup (3 hrs), stay at Marmotel