Marseille Entertainment

  1. Au Petit Nice

    This local favourite sees shoppers stop in for a morning espresso and diners drop by for a sunset aperitif on the terrace; by nightfall its eclectic interior gets packed.

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  2. Bar de la Marine

    Marcel Pagnol filmed the card-party scenes in Marius - the first of his early-20th-century cult-classic trilogy - here. Today it draws in people from every walk of life, from grizzled sailors to high-powered business types. There's a terrace overlooking the port, but to really experience this institution, take a seat in the 1930s interior lined with photographs and caricatures. The bar made another big screen appearance in 2003's Love Actually .

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  3. Cup of Tea

    Just behind the northern side in Le Panier are a clutch of chic spots like this hip bookshop-café - a soothing stop if you're craving a cuppa after all that pastis. Writers' workshops and poetry slams are regular events.

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  4. L'Exit Café

    L'Exit Café buzzes during its nightly buy-one-get-one-free happy hour from to .

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  5. L'OM Café

    Decked out in football team Olympique de Marseille's pale blue-and-white, with footballs suspended from the ceiling and press clippings and posters plastering the walls, this place (and especially the terrace) becomes a giant party when it screens each and every game.

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  7. La Maronnaise

    This hipsters' hangout at Les Goudes on Cap Croisette is day-night event. You'll need to arrive early to snag a sun lounge or earlier still for a patch of sand on the tiny beach, before dancing under the stars till dawn. To keep you going, you can have lunch and dinner on the seaside terrace. Take bus 19 from the Rond Point du Prado metro stop on av du Prado.

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  8. Le Bazar

    Le Bazar has been the most 'in' club in Marseilles for the past few years, much frequented by local young people. Inside, techno and hard-house light up the night. A second open-air bar, Les Terrasses de l'Éléphant , welcomes VIPS with lighter music and Oriental decor.

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  9. Le Millenium

    Five kinds of music across five gyrating floors, and a record-producer/rock-star-type crowd aged 20 to 50.

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  10. Le Trolleybus

    Booty-shaking, tunnel-like harbourside club in a 17th-century arsenal. Top DJs spin groove, soul, funk, acid jazz, hip-hop and salsa in the Terminus and pop and rock in the Trolleybar. There's also a whisky bar and a wicked sound system.

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  11. Metal Café

    Another one of Marseille's 'in' choices, Metal Café sits at the foot of the staircase linking cours Honoré d'Estienne d'Orves with rue Sainte. Look for the suitably steely grey door and expect an equally chic-industrial interior. The only thing that's not metal, thankfully, is the music.

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  13. MP Bar

    The website www.petitfute-gay.com (in French) has comprehensive coverage of Marseille's gay and lesbian scene, which revolves around the perennial favourite, MP Bar.

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