4 nights in Provence itinerary — Aix-en-Provence, Cassis, Marseille, and more

Barely scratching the surface in a beautiful and delicious corner of the world

Highlights

• World-class, three Michelin star, tasting menu meals at Villa Madie in Cassis and AM Par Alexandre Mazzia in Marseille
• Casual spots with great food & vibes at Edu in St-Remy-de-Provence and Tuba Club near Marseille
• Cool bakeries with excellent bread at Petrin Couchette in Marseille and Farinoman Fou Aix in Aix-en-Provence

Overview

I had no idea there was so much to do in Provence. This trip was solely focused on the eastern part of Provence, and even in that limited region we barely scratched the surface. I loved the mix of experiences we had from trendy, hip Marseille to bustling Aix-en-Provence to quaint Lourmarin to picturesque Bandol.

Provence is geographically really spread out — which meant we spent a lot of time traveling (3+ hours every day). To reduce hours in the car and increase hours by the pool, you should plan on ~9 nights — evenly divided between the areas around (1) Cassis/Marseille, (2) Aix-en-Provence, and (3) Avignon. Or you can cram it all in like we did!

Aix-en-Provence

Aix-en-Provence is full of tourists — but still maintains its charm. There were tons of shops — you could do some serious credit card damage if you were in the mood. The shop owners had no patience for Americans, but that just made me feel like I’d really arrived in France.

• Bread at Farinoman Fou Aix —the best bread in Aix. Just don’t take pictures of the cute shop or you’ll get yelled at like I did!
• Macarons at Macarons de Caroline — delicate macarons with a wide range of delicious flavors.
• Dinner at Mammo — charming bistro with tables in an alley. Friendly service and nice ambience. Food was only okay, but we may have ordered wrong.
• Dinner at Francis Mallmann at Villa La Coste — not as good as the Francis Mallmann restaurants in South America, but a lovely place to sit outside on a warm evening. I recommend the empanadas, fig salad, and desserts (steak was too chewy).
• Dinner at Le Saint Esteve* — one star restaurant ~10 minutes outside of central Aix-en-Provence. Beautiful views of the country side and tasty food. If you order a la carte, don’t miss the langoustines which were an A+.

Marseille

I loved Marseille. It felt like a real city with real people. I’d be excited to spend more time getting to know each neighborhood. We walked by so many cafes that I wanted to try. It was hard to pick just one. I read that the city has transformed post-pandemic due to a large influx of Parisians moving south. I have to say, I love what they’ve done with the place!

• Breakfast at Petrin Couchette — popular spot for coffee, soft boiled eggs, and sweet brioche. Friendly service. They also have sandwiches at lunch. Note they don’t offer to-go.
• Shopping at Sensible by Sarah Espeute, Maison Empereur, and Double V gallery — these were the only shops we had time to visit — but we recommend them all!
• Drinks at Tuba Club’s Bikini Bar — a total scene. Sitting at the Bikini Bar (reservations are a must) watching the sunset, drinking cocktails, and eating excellently fried zucchini blossoms was a great way to spend an hour. Based on the snack quality, I would try coming for lunch or dinner next.
• Dinner at AM Par Alexandre Mazzia*** — a delicious, inventive restaurant. The size of the restaurant, location, and casual decor might fool you — but this is a serious restaurant. Instead of courses their menu consists of multiple journeys (each about 5 plates). We had ~30 different dishes! Some we loved, some we didn’t, but there’s no question it was a fabulous meal.

Cassis & Bandol

Cassis is one of the most beautiful places in the world. You drive down into a valley with sloped vineyards on either side and end at a three star restaurant overlooking a turquoise bay surrounded by impressive cliffs. Our hotel manager thought we were nuts for driving an hour and back to tiny Cassis two days in a row. Maybe we are nuts — but it’s hard to imagine anything better. I looked at vacation home prices in the area, and unfortunately I’m not the only person who thinks Cassis is special!

• Lunch at Villa Madie*** — this was my clear favorite meal in Provence. My family preferred AM Par Alexandre Mazzia, but I found Villa Madie to be more consistently delicious and still very interesting — and there was no comparison on the setting. Villa Madie looks out at a beautiful bay next to Cassis. The best tables are the two-tops along the front of the patio (ask for one of these tables). Since we were a larger party we were seated back a bit — so we were happy when they granted our request to be moved to the water-front lounge chairs for coffee. On Wednesday and Thursday they offer a shorter tasting menu at lunch, which was the perfect amount for us.
• Calanques boat tour — these cliffs (fjords?) in the national park between Cassis and Marseille are stunning. I highly recommend taking a boat tour and swimming in the beautiful bays.
• Wine tasting at Domaine Ott Château Romassan in Bandol — we were excited to taste one of our favorite roses at the source. The setting was beautiful, the host couldn’t have been nicer, and the wines were delicious (no reservations needed). However, I do not recommend Uber to get around Bandol — we almost got stuck!

Other

• Carrieres des Lumieres light show in Les Baux-de-Provence — cool projection light show in limestone caves. It’s a little overwhelming at first, but it gets better as the 45 minute show goes on.
• Lunch at Edu in St-Remy-de-Provence — this casual tapas style French restaurant was probably the biggest surprise of the trip. Fresh, bright flavors, a lovely garden setting, and frequented mostly by French people — even though it’s right outside of St-Remy-de-Provence, which had its fair share of tourists. I highly recommend it if you’re in the area.
• Exploring in Lourmarin — this beautiful town in the Luberon is just a couple blocks long, but it is very attractive and peaceful. There was a cute central square that looked like a great spot for a sunset drink and a restaurant called Le Moulin, which is on my list to try next time.
• Villa la Coste — one of our favorite hotels ever (and that says a lot). The rooms all have gorgeous views over a vineyard and out to the mountains in Luberon. The grounds are full of modern art (you can reserve a tour), there’s a perfect spa, delicious food, and everything you need. The only thing it’s missing is a view from the pool (it’s weirdly set in a circle of trees).