Stories Collected While Living in France

French la Vie

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Where the Locals Go to Lunch

Marseille-view

When traveling I want to see the real deal, where the locals go, to step off the beaten path and taste the daily life.

 

Where the locals go france

Sure it is good to see the sites, but after a day or two I want to be part of the scene. I guess that is why when traveling I enjoy going to the market, or a local cafe, or a brocante, or having my hair done in places far from home… I feel like I am entering into the atmosphere of what makes a place tick.

 

Local restaurant France

 

Our friend Patrice and Nathalie have a restaurant in Marseille where the locals hang out. It is a ten minute walk from the port of Marseille in a neighborhood that is off the beaten path of tourists, but certainly of the daily path of the locals.

 

Chalkboard menu

 

Every morning at seven the first wave comes in for their quick cup of espresso…

Petit dejeuner: Coffee, tea or hot chocolate

Two pastries (croissant, pain au chocolat, or a tartine (baguette with butter and jam) and 

a glass of Fresh squeezed orange juice for 4,80 Euros.

Lunch is a set menu on the chalkboard as well, whatever is fresh and delicious at the market. Today's menu was lamb, or fish, broccoli gratin, salad, and dessert for 9,80 Euros.

Must have their homemade chocolate with Speculoous and at lunch have the homemade flan for dessert.

Marseille local flavor

 

Nathalie and Patrice are our neighbors, though their business is in Marseille.

A cafe/restaurant: Les Bars du Moment

19 rue du Docteur Escat,

Marseille, 13006

They are open Monday through Saturday,

Seven to Four.

Even if you don't speak a word of French you will feel like you are their new BFF in the first five minutes. They are salt of the earth kind of people.

 

 

 

 What is one of your local favorites?

 

Comments

12 responses to “Where the Locals Go to Lunch”

  1. Maggie

    Corey, your photography just gets more and more splendid. Truly a visual delight. You’re making me crazy to get to Provence. It’s been a long time (ten years for sure) and once before that back in the late sixties. I love your joy, humor, talent.
    Thanks so much, Maggie

    Reply
  2. Kathie B

    In Angra do Heroísmo, on the island of Terceira in the Azores, each evening a bunch of friends meet up starting ca. 7:30 PM at a particular café downtown. My closest friend in Angra long ago invited me to come join them there: I usually arrive a bit early so I can get a hot sandwich, a typical Azorean dessert and Kima (passion-fruit soda) as a light supper, otherwise he’d insist on paying. If there’s a football match (soccer in the US) on TV, the large-screen flat set on the wall will be showing it — so over the years I’ve actually learned some about watching the sport! The café is open till 11 PM, and even later on Saturday nights and during the Sanjoaninas festa (when the street is closed so tables and chairs can be set up out front on the street).

    Reply
  3. jend’isère

    My coffee at a local café in my town today seemed to be spiked with extra caffeine as I eavsedropped on election result discussions.

    Reply
  4. Jenna

    One of my local favorites serves hamburgers, my favorite is polanos with cheese.

    Reply
  5. Beatnheart

    Wish it was their joint… Long beach has The Blackbird Cafe .

    Reply
  6. Sharon Penney-Morrison

    Old Mill Tasty Shop in downtown Wichita,
    or Tanya’s Soup Kitchen. She has
    the very best Tomato Soup.
    For coffee??? My house!! My espresso machine
    makes the very best!!

    Reply
  7. martina

    The espresso shop, where I go every morning before work.Great conversations with customers and baristas. Some of the baristas are professional musicians and love to talk about music. If I hear something on their speakers, I can ask what song is being played without seeming like a dork. The good thing is when it is a band from the 70s and I can tell the 20something baristas about the band. Oh, and their medium lattes with 2% are spectacular!

    Reply
  8. Karen C

    7th May is my birthday. If I was where you are this is where I would ask my husband to take me for lunch.
    Right now it is the 8th of May where I am, which is my Mum’s birthday. If she were still alive, maybe I could take her here as well.

    Reply
  9. Allison in SF

    After waking to the bell chimes of Most Holy Redeemer Church, I love it when my nephews come over or waking up with them if they’ve spent the night with me and walking over to 24th street and Noe to Toast. It’s a cute hole-in-the-wall breakfast place with the most heavenly french toast you’ve ever tasted. There is always line out the door waiting to get in. Lou and Rafa race each other down each block, laugh when the pigeons cross the street in the cross walk, marvel at the displays in the bakeries along the way (Christmas time is the best) smell the gloriously fresh flowers outside the flower shops. They have their routine. Lou gets sausages, silver dollar pancakes, and chocolate milk. Rafa orders two sides of bacon (TWO!!), pancakes, and hot chocolate with whipped cream. There is a used bookstore on the walk back that we go into where they get to pick a book. Lou always gets a Star Wars book. Rafa is into Comics. I really hope they look back on these San Franciscan Saturday mornings with their goofy Aunt as magical… Love, Allison

    Reply
  10. everton terrace

    Now you’ve done it, my mouth is watering. It’s 5:15 a.m. here and I know I’m going to be thinking about this food all day. I would love to have friends with a restaurant (and be salt of the earth people of course). We are lucky enough to have several locally owned places near our home.

    Reply
  11. A. Nonym

    Surprenant ! Edifiant même ! Longue vie à cette entreprise

    Reply
  12. A. Nonym

    Surprenant, édifiant même ! Longue vie à cette belle entreprise

    Reply

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