Niolon has two restaurants, an ice-cream shop, a bar and a grocery. Not much, and all the better for it: each address has its moment in the day. Here is where we send our guests, in the village and along the coast.
In Niolon itself
La Pergola
The terrace set right at the water's edge, facing the bay of Marseille. Fish, seafood, homemade cooking, and a setting nothing replaces: your feet level with the water, boats at anchor beyond the plate. Open in the warm months, closed in winter. Book, even on weekdays: the terrace is small and sought after.
L'Auberge du Mérou
The village's other table, perched above the calanque with a plunging view of the harbour. Provençal and Mediterranean cooking, fish taking pride of place. Two things to know: booking is essential, and a free shuttle brings diners up from the car park on request. The kind of house that has always been there and has no intention of changing.
Le Glacier de l'Ancre
Artisanal ice cream, waffles, crêpes. The 4 pm address, between the swim and the pétanque.
La Canne Bambou
The locals' bar, next to the pétanque ground. No complicated menu: a glass at sunset, the bay in front, games of boules as the soundtrack.
The Niolon grocery
Bread orders, fresh produce, sandwiches, quiches and tapas. It packs the hiking picnics and rescues breakfast. In season, order the bread the day before.
The shopping advice, before anything else
Niolon has no supermarket. The golden rule: do the big shopping before driving down into the calanque. On the way, the Le Rove supermarket (5 minutes by car) covers the essentials; the Intermarché stores in Ensuès and Carry fill in for longer stays. The village grocery takes over day to day.
Along the Côte Bleue
- The Carry-le-Rouet market: Provençal produce, olives, cheeses, fish. Reachable by train from Niolon, it makes the perfect Tuesday morning outing.
- The brousse du Rove: the fresh cheese of the neighbouring village, an AOP made minutes from Niolon. Try it with sugar, as they do here, or with fig jam. Sold at the Le Rove cheese farm.
- The neighbouring harbours: Carry-le-Rouet and Sausset-les-Pins line their terraces along the seafront, for variety on longer stays.
Our ideal day, table edition
Grocery bread for breakfast on the terrace, lunch at La Pergola with your feet by the water, ice cream at l'Ancre, drinks at La Canne Bambou, dinner at the Mérou. No one has ever complained.
The rest of the stay comes together with the local guide and the 24-hour plan. And the house's kitchen remains the best table in the village for lazy evenings.