Postcard From Marseille

Though it’s the second-largest city in France and is set on one of the world’s great Mediterranean harbors, Marseille is often overlooked by travelers to Provence. This is a mistake, since this ancient place (founded by the Greeks in roughly 600 B.C.) is a fascinating and very lively city with some of the country's best museums,  architecture and restaurants. I’ve always rather enjoyed the fact that Marseille is a relatively unpopular destination, but with its success this year as European Capital of Culture (a rotating honorific that entitles the designated city to money for cultural projects), this will probably change very soon.

SEE

MuCEM. This spectacular new museum by architect Rudy Ricciotti combines two new buildings at the entrance to Marseille’s old harbor with a historic fort. The main pavilion is a glass-and-steel structure covered with a lace-like veil of reinforced concrete. The museum, which is formally named the Museum of European and Mediterranean Civilizations, hosts exhibits that examine the history of the Mediterranean countries, their cultural interactions and their differences. It’s very popular, so save time by buying your ticket online in advance. 1 esplanade du J4. Tel. (33) 4-84-35-13-13.

Palais Longchamp. This magnificent building was constructed from 1862-69 to celebrate the diversion of the waters of the Durance River to the then-booming seaport. After the opening of the Suez Canal, Marseille was the fastest-growing city in Europe for much of the 19th century. The Museum of Fine Arts there is currently hosting half of a blockbuster show (the other part is at the Musée Granet in Aix-en-Provence) titled "Le Grand Atelier du Midi," which documents the appeal of the south of France to 19th- and 20th-century artists with a superb show of canvases by Bonnard, Renoir, Matisse, Cézanne and others that have been borrowed from museums around France and abroad. It runs through October 13, 2013. 4th arrondissement. Tel. (33) 91-14-59-30.

Musée Grobet-Labadié. This elegant townhouse across the street from the Palais Longchamps offers an atmospheric time-capsule experience of the life of Marseille’s haute bourgeoisie during the 19th century. The rich collection of the Grobet-Labadié family, which includes tapestries, paintings and sculpture, is displayed as it was before Madame Grobet-Labadié donated the house and its contents to the city in 1919. Boulevard Longchamp. 
Tel. (33)  4-91-62-21-82.

EAT

Le Café des Epices. Just steps from Marseille’s handsome new esplanade along the Old Port, chef Arnaud Carton de Grammont’s small casual-dining bistro is popular with the locals for its market-driven cuisine. It serves outdoors on a shaded terrace when weather permits. The menu changes regularly, but runs to dishes such as stuffed zucchini flowers with red pepper purée and roast lamb with beets and arugula. 4 rue du Lacydon. Tel. (33)  4-91-91-22-69. Lunch, €24, €27 ; prix-fixe dinner, €45.

Chez Michel. No one should go to Marseille without sampling its most famous dish, bouillabaisse, bien sur, and the best place to do so is at this family-run brasserie in a residential neighborhood. It's pricey but also really good, especially with a bottle of chilled white wine from nearby Cassis. 6 rue des Catalans. Tel. (33)  4-91-52-30-63. Average dinner for two, €150.

Le Môle Passédat - La Table. This new restaurant by chef Gérald Passédat, who also runs Le Petit Nice, Marseille’s only three-star restaurant, is located on the top floor of one of architect Rudy Ricciotti’s new buildings for the MuCEM museum and has become a big hit since it opened a few months ago. Start with octopus carpaccio and then go with the catch of the day, maybe wild sea bass under shaved fennel in a sauce vierge. Reservations are essential and are available only online. 1 esplanade du J4. Average dinner for two, €130.

STAY

InterContinental has just opened a new hotel in a handsomely renovated 18th-century former hospital overlooking the Old Port. If you want an outdoor pool, try the Sofitel Marseille Vieux Port.