Marseille drinks outdoors, late, and without much ceremony. The city has none of the polish of the Riviera an hour east of it, and its bars are better for that: loud, cheap in places, and open to whoever walks in. These four cover the range, from the postcard view to the rooftop of an old factory.
Bars change hands and close, here as anywhere. Check current opening hours before you set out, especially outside summer.
1. La Caravelle: the balcony over the port
Up a staircase beside a hotel on the Quai du Port, La Caravelle is a small wood-panelled room with a narrow balcony hanging over the Vieux-Port. It looks like it has been there for decades because it has, and the balcony gets the sunset directly on Notre-Dame de la Garde on the hill opposite.
There is live jazz on some evenings and a short menu of tapas. Get there early to claim a balcony spot, there are only a handful of places out there and everyone wants one.
2. Le Bar de la Marine: the literary one
Also on the Vieux-Port, this is the bar Marcel Pagnol used as the setting for his Marius plays, where the card game scene takes place. It has traded on that ever since without becoming a museum: it is still a normal neighbourhood bar where people play cards, argue about football and drink pastis in the afternoon.
Go for the atmosphere and the ordinariness, not for a cocktail list.
3. Cours Julien and Notre-Dame-du-Mont: pick your own
The best drinking in Marseille is not one bar but a hillside. The streets around Cours Julien and Notre-Dame-du-Mont are lined with small bars, terraces and live music rooms, and the whole area is covered in street art that changes constantly. It is where students, musicians and everyone under forty ends up on a Friday.
The method is to walk up from the Canebière, look at the terraces, and stop at whichever one sounds right. That is how locals do it too.
4. La Friche la Belle de Mai: the rooftop
A former tobacco factory north of the station, now an enormous arts complex with studios, a bookshop, exhibition halls and, the reason to come at seven in the evening, a huge rooftop with a bar, a view over the whole city and a crowd sitting on the concrete.
It is not central and it is worth the walk. The programme changes constantly, so check what is on before going.
How to order pastis
Pastis is Marseille's drink; the Ricard brand was founded in the city in 1932. It arrives as a small measure of yellow liquid and a jug of cold water, and you dilute it yourself, roughly five parts water to one of pastis, poured in slowly so it turns cloudy. Ice goes in after the water, not before.
Order one, sit outside, and take an hour over it. That is the whole ritual, and rushing it is the only way to do it wrong.
Where to go before and after
Before drinking: Le Panier, the oldest quarter, for the narrow streets; the MuCEM and its lattice-clad footbridge to Fort Saint-Jean; and the climb to Notre-Dame de la Garde for the view over everything. After: the Vallon des Auffes, a tiny fishing harbour tucked under a road bridge, is the best place in the city to eat fish.
See the city between drinks
Marseille is steep, tangled and easy to under-explore. A city game gives the walking a structure: you set off in small teams with your phone, solve puzzles tied to real streets and buildings, and end up in corners of Le Panier and the hills you would not have found. No guide, no fixed start time, and you stop for a drink whenever you like.
It works for friends, families and company outings and larger groups. The how it works page explains the format step by step.
Frequently asked questions
Which area is best for a night out in Marseille?
Cours Julien and Notre-Dame-du-Mont for bars and live music, the Vieux-Port for the view, La Friche for something different.
Is Marseille safe at night?
The central areas are busy and fine with normal city sense. Keep phones and bags close around the Canebière and the station, as in any large port city.
What should I drink?
Pastis in the afternoon, local craft beer in the evening, rosé from Provence with food. Wine by the glass is cheaper than in Paris.
Do bars serve food?
Many do tapas or small plates rather than full meals. Dinner tends to happen before or after drinking, not during.
When do bars close?
Most run until around two in the morning, later at weekends. Terraces quieten earlier because of noise rules in residential streets.
Do you need to book?
Not usually, but a balcony table at La Caravelle at sunset in summer is a matter of turning up early rather than reserving.
Go and sit outside
Marseille rewards people who are not in a hurry. See all the cities where we run games, read about the coast further east in Quests in Nice, or get in touch if you are planning something for a group.
