Malmousque, Marseille: A Secluded Fishing Port Where the City Meets the Sea

Malmousque sits on the edge of Marseille’s 7th arrondissement, where fishing boats bob against a backdrop of charming, brightly coloured houses. Though Marseille is a well-visited part of France, this unassuming corner of the city feels reserved for locals. The pace unfolds slowly and the focus is on smaller pleasures – fresh seafood by the water and bottles of local wine at bargain prices.

In recent years, Marseille has drawn a quiet migration from Paris. Artists, designers and writers have traded the capital’s intensity for something looser, seduced by the city’s combination of Mediterranean ease and urban grit. This duality is all part of Marseille’s appeal: limestone coves (the city’s famed calanques) set against the noise of a working port city.

Malmousque is this duality distilled. Narrow streets wind towards the port and water’s edge, opening onto small rocky inlets where locals slip in for their morning swim. Wander down Malmousque’s Corniche Président John Fitzgerald Kennedy and find any number of swimming spots dotted with bodies, coloured beach towels, and lavender, saffron yellow and blue cabanons lining the water’s edge (originally fisherman’s huts, many of these little cabins have been converted into cosy holiday homes or eateries). Pack your holiday read and pick up some snacks from a nearby cave à manger – a hybrid wine bar and corner store – such as Fama or Cécile Food Club, and stake your spot early. Here, you’re close enough to feel the city’s energy, but far enough to feel removed.

If you fancy seeing a little more of the coast, take the 30-minute bike ride or 15-minute drive further south to the Calanque de Samena, where you’ll find a secluded pebbled beach at the base of a steep, rocky coastline, alongside walking trails that wind through cliffs and low Mediterranean scrub.

Lunch might be a table at Tuba Club, a short ride from Malmousque. Set at the edge of Les Goudes, the former diving club takes its name from the French word for snorkel, a homage to the site’s origins. Reimagined by locals Grégory Gassa and Fabrice Denizot, it now sits somewhere between restaurant, hotel and cultural space. Stepping into Tuba Club feels like arriving at an old friend’s beach house. The atmosphere is relaxed, and the offering mirrors the coastline with a fresh catch. In the kitchen, chef Sylvain Roucayrol draws from his time spent training in London, Paris and Dubai, bringing his own flair to the Mediterranean menu. Expect raw fish, shellfish and grilled catch of the day, brightened with citrus and best enjoyed with cold wine. It’s a spot worth planning your afternoon around.

To get a better taste of the neighbourhood’s lively spirit, pop down to Malmousque’s port in the late afternoon and sit for a St Germain spritz at Viaghji di Fonfon or Chez Jeannot. It’s not so much the food here as the atmosphere that draws a crowd. The waterside location is the perfect spot to lap up the last of the sun and experience the conviviality of the city as evening creeps in.