Celebrity chef Alexandre Mazzia's favourite ways to enjoy Marseille during the Olympics and beyond

Michelin-starred chef Alexandre Mazzia will be a torchbearer when the Paris 2024 Olympics kick off in his hometown of Marseille. Here is his guide to the city, from sunsets to seafood.

A sultry city and the gateway to the South of France, Marseille thrives on fusion – of cultures, flavours and colliding landscapes. The city's seafaring traditions date back to the Ancient Greeks, and life still concentrates around the old port, on tight cobbled streets.

While the post-industrial docklands unfold to the north, many Marseillaise have settled in the hillside communities rippling southward, facing the seaside roadway called the corniche. This coastal road is a source of natural beauty and unexpected social connection, "where people stop on their scooters to greet you, or honk their horns or sing aloud," says Michelin-starred chef Alexandre Mazzia, who has called Marseille home since his teen years. A former professional basketball player, Mazzia still enjoys a game by the beach in the Montredon neighbourhood. "It's so close to the sea," he says. "The ball sometimes flies away in the wind. But I love the natural brightness and the clean sea air – there's something so carefree about it."

In summer 2024, the Paris Olympic Games descend on Marseille. The pristine Roucas-Blanc marina is set to host Olympic sailing, windsurfing and kitesurfing while footballers will face off at the nearby 67,000-seat Stade Vélodrome. Mazzia, who is set to serve as an Olympic torchbearer on 8 May, runs his avant garde modern French restaurant AM on a quiet lane in between the two venues, along with his popular lunchtime food truck Michel par AM, serving croques, frites and chicken brochettes.

Before setting out for the Olympic Village in Paris where he has been appointed one of the official chefs, Mazzia took us on a journey to the places he feels best reflect the warmth of his adopted hometown. Here are his picks for making the most of a weekend in this splendid seaside city.

Marseille's stunning position on the French Riviera facing the Mediterranean means there's no shortage of scenic lookouts. Mazzia gets his sunset fix at Pointe Rouge Beach, a sunbather magnet with a popular boating club. But he also comes here to set off on his favourite evening promenade.

"Just behind the small parking lot is a footpath that runs further south along the shoreline," he says. The path hugs the seawall around seaside Montredon, until it reaches a restaurant called Les Tamaris, in the tiny waterfront La Madrague neighbourhood. "The sea out here is a little rougher because of the currents," says Mazzia. "But the terrace at Tamaris sits up on a hill in the breeze with a view of the entire bay of Marseille." The kitchen turns out a popular anchovy pizza and platters of grilled octopus, steamed mussels and clams harvested from the limestone coves offshore. And in the distance, diners can see "La Bonne Mère" – the Marseillaise nickname for the magnificent Notre-Dame de la Garde basilica  – and a glittery, energetic section of the corniche.

Website: restaurantlestamaris.com

Address: 40 Boulevard la Calanque de Samena, 13008 Marseille

Phone: +33491733910

Instagram: @restaurant_les_tamaris_samena

A decade ago everyone was talking about MUCEM, the Museum of Civilisations of Europe and the Mediterranean, shrouded in steel latticework by French architect Rudy Ricciotti. Accessed by elevated walkways that straddle the ancient port, the museum stages bold exhibitions of historic artefacts and contemporary sculpture, often in dialogue with each other.

"That is the obvious choice, with quite incredible architecture as well," says Mazzia, "but what’s even more representative of the city and its history is the Vieille Charité, and it’s often missed by visitors." This Baroque almshouse sits behind iron gates in the Panier district, a tangle of medieval cobbled streets near the port. At the centre of the deep courtyard is a domed temple with Corinthian pillars; around the perimeter, colonnades made from pink molasse stone house various galleries and libraries – like a centre for poetry and a museum of African and Amerindian artefacts. "And it’s all free to visit," says Mazzia. "I think it’s quite representative of us as an architectural melting pot and I enjoy the cultural context, in discussion with the working-class history of the Panier."

Website: vieille-charite-marseille.com

Address: 2 Rue de la Charité, 13002 Marseille

Phone: +33 491145880

Marseille has been in boom mode since its tenure as European Capital of Culture in 2013, when its honeyed stone buildings were de-sooted and outdoor art popped up around the historic waterfront. But young families and arty types choose to settle in the cosier neighbourhoods south of the old centre.

By day, Mazzia recommends exploring Les Goudes, an arid chunk of coastline with a low-rise stucco community of pastis bars and wandering roosters. "It has the air of an old fishing village at the very edge of the city but still within the 8th arrondissement," he says. "The next stop beyond is Calanques National Park," with its scrubby, jagged cliffs and deep, almost fjord-like swimming coves.

A dearth of lodging, outside a few flat shares, makes it nearly impossible to stay here. Instead, Mazzia recommends the stately Château Beaupin hotel, near Point Rouge beach. Set back from the water with its own pool and private club, the 19th-Century manor is a spiritual mash-up of city and country. "It’s near Les Goudes and the sea," says Mazzia. "On a simple, quiet street that’s also in reach of the dramatic scenery of the massif (mountain)."

Website: chateau-beaupin.com

Address: 37 Avenue Beau Pin, 13008 Marseille

Phone: +33 698675818

Instagram: @chateaubeaupin_marseille

When craving seafood, or Marseille’s traditional bouillabaisse fish soup, any number of skilled chefs can deliver the goods. So Mazzia narrows it down by atmosphere. He’s a regular of La Boîte à Sardine, a kitschy seafood bar across from Saint-Vincent de Paul church in the town centre. "The owner, Fabien Rugi, is a great guy, and a little eccentric – which I appreciate," says Mazzia. "And I love a platter of pearly-skinned fresh fish, barely grilled and glistening with olive oil." His preferred entrée is a bowl of fish soup with a plate of fries. "I put the frites in the soup, in place of the usual toast and rouille," he says. "It reminds me of my childhood and the little peculiarities that Marseille is all about – my Marseille."

Website: laboiteasardine.com

Address: 2 Bd de la Libération, 13001 Marseille

Phone: +33491509595

Instagram: @laboiteasardinemarseille

Notre-Dame de la Garde basilica can be seen from pretty much every corner of Marseille, thanks to its golden Virgin Mary statue that stands 162m over the city. The views from the church itself are a massive draw, but most Marseillaise recommend coming late, just before the 18:00 closing, to watch the sky turn pink and the city lights bounce off the water.

Start walking downhill through the Bompard neighbourhood to understand why this is Mazzia’s favourite destination after dark. "You can watch the cars parading by on the corniche below," he says. "And it feels like you’re between two worlds – the peaceful world of the mountaintop and the methodical back-and-forth of the ocean drive."

Bompard is one of Marseille’s most desirable neighbourhoods, with narrow streets, cafes and a calm vibe that belies the madness of the traffic below. "I like these places that feel a bit timeless, that allow you to breathe a little more," says Mazzia. The winding streets descend to a handsome seafront promenade.

Marseille's rollercoaster hills are part of its charm. The most memorable streets shoot downward from the plateaus to the city centre – like Rue d’Aubagne, a source for vintage homewares and African handicrafts, brought over by new citizens from the Maghreb. 

"It crosses right through the Noailles neighbourhood, which is really special because it is both African and Asian," says Mazzia. He singles out Tam-ky, an Asian grocer off Rue d’Aubagne that carries fresh herbs from Thailand, tapioca boba from Taiwan and ginger sweets from China. "I also like Maison Empereur, a home-goods shop at the very end of the road," he says. "The old-fashioned kitchenware is made by artisans with excellent craftsmanship and savoir-faire." 

Address: 5 Rue Halle Delacroix, 13001 Marseille

Phone: +33491540086

Instagram: @tamky_noailles 

Website: empereur.fr

Address: 4 Rue des Récolettes, 13001 Marseille, France

Phone: +33491540229

Instagram: @maisonempereur 

BBC Travel's The SpeciaList is a series of guides to popular and emerging destinations around the world, as seen through the eyes of local experts and tastemakers.

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