Local guide by Marie Gas of 'By Marie'
A destination guide with our friends at By Marie, for sea swims, long lunches, and everything in between.
Marseille, at a glance
Pack what you can; arrive with as little as allowed.
Swim
- Le Cercle des Nageurs
- The rocks at Petite Nice
- Calanque de Marsielleveyre
Eat
- Localino
- La Releve
- Ciao Marcello
- Ourea
Sunset
- Café du Pélican
- Bikini
Wander
- Vauban
- Roucas-Blanc
- Malmousque
- Les Goudes
Don't miss
- Panisse at the top of the Malmousque stairs
- Navettes a la fleur d'oranger
- A coffee that turns into the afternoon
A Tooshie Guide to Marseille
There are places that ask very little of you.
A swimsuit. A pair of sunglasses. A long lunch that becomes a late afternoon. Marseille is one of them.
For our new season shoot, Tooshie travelled south to the edge of the Mediterranean - to a city of salt, stone, orange blossom, and blue in every possible mood.To begin our Destination Guides series, we asked our friends and brand partners at By Marie to share the Marseille they know best.
Not the obvious guide.
The one passed between friends.
Marseille, according to Marie Gas
Marie Gas's Marseille begins in Roucas-Blanc, in the family home where she grew up.
A morning swim at
Le Cercle des Nageurs
Coffee at
Cecilie's in Malmousque
Lunch with friends, or somewhere
that spills into the afternoon.
Saturday afternoons are for the By Marie boutique —
"always a joyful moment with the team and our longtime clients."
Where to swim
- Marseille is best understood from the water.
- A swim at Le Cercle des Nageurs sets the tone for the day - structured, simple, quietly perfect.
- For something more elemental, there are the rocks at Petit Nice. No set-up. No fuss.
- For those willing to go a little further, the walk to Calanque de Marseilleveyre ends with lunch at Chez le Belge. The menu is simple. The setting does the rest.
The one you don't think about twice.
Where to watch the sun go down
Marie Gas keeps it simple:
Café de l'Abbaye
Bikini
That moment when the light softens, the sea shifts, and the evening hasn't quite decided what it is yet. Her favourite time of day? Sunrise or sunset.
Her favourite time of day?
Sunrise or sunset.
The neighbourhoods to know
Vauban
"The neighbourhood of her childhood. "It has everything - grocery store, café, bar, restaurant, even a bookshop." Local, layered, quietly full. "
Roucas-Blanc
Home to the family house and atelier. Look out from the Gas Bijoux atelier across to Notre-Dame de la Garde.
Malmousque
For coffee, sea air, and something fried and perfect at the top of the stairs.
Where to eat
- Localino — A favourite after shopping on rue Paradis - especially the scallop carpaccio.
- La Relève — For terrace lunches that turn into something longer.
- Ciao Marcello — Italian ease, always useful.
- Ourea — A little more considered, when the day calls for it.
- Chez le Belge — Worth the walk. Simple food, beautiful setting.
- Poissonnerie Kennedy — For good fish. No explanation needed.
Cafés, bars & small stops
Le Bar de la Relève
La Caravelle
For something sweet
Navettes à la fleur d'oranger
For ice cream:
Vanille Noire or Ciao Amore
For something local
Panisses from the food truck at the top of the Malmousque stairs.
No ceremony. Just the right thing.
A Marseille Eye
Marie Gas names her father, André Gas — co-founder of the iconic jewelry brand Gas — as a creator she admires, alongside Le Corbusier as a lasting reference.
For a moment of pause:
Le Spa des Bords de Mer. There's a thread running through it - material, texture, light. A city that doesn't smooth everything out. That feels right.
What to wear in Marseille
Marie Gas's summer uniform:"A pareo skirt to tie day or night, a beautiful statement jewel, open sandals, the perfect white T-shirt, a fluid dress, a summer-coloured cashmere for mistral evenings, and a mini raffia bag." Bare shoulders by day. Something soft for later. For Tooshie, Marseille calls for pieces that work quietly:
- Flattering cuts
- Colour that holds
- Swimwear that moves with you
- The colour of Marseille? "All the blues — of the sky and the sea."
Final note
Marseille is closer than it feels. Swim early. Stay late. Pack lightly.
This destination guide was created in collaboration with Marie Gas of By Marie, who grew up in Marseille and shares the city as only a local can — not through tourism, but through lived experience, favorite corners, and the moments that make it home.