Cheap/Quick Food in Marseille

One of our stops on our upcoming cruise is Marseille and we intend to spend our time exploring the city. Rather than sit at a restaurant, we're interested in getting little snacks/quick bites along the way. I'm looking for any food recommendations in Marseille. Any tips or suggestions are greatly appreciated. Thanks!

 

 

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What do you mean by 'little snacks/quick bites?

And which day of the week will you be there?

I'll be there on a Friday. I guess I'm thinking of things that I could walk with or take to a park. Here's an example: when I was in Paris I discovered that they put fries in their gyros and that to me was one of my favorite things. It's a quick, easy meal or snack and it's something I would have never found in any kind of guidebook.

 

 

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Here's an example: when I was in Paris I discovered that they put fries in their gyros and that to me was one of my favorite things.

They do that in Marseille, too. :)

Oh man. It's been almost 10 years since I was in Paris and I still talk about those gyros. I guess that's one thing I'll be eating there.

 

 

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I'd try to find panisse, a Marseilles specialty.

I'll be there on a Friday. I guess I'm thinking of things that I could walk with or take to a park. Here's an example: when I was in Paris I discovered that they put fries in their gyros and that to me was one of my favorite things. It's a quick, easy meal or snack and it's something I would have never found in any kind of guidebook.

 

 

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You need to go to England and order a "Chip Butty" which is essentially a french fry sandwich! Very healthy.....just tons of fries (chips in England) piled on a fresh baquette. No calories either :).

 

The thought of eating quick snacks in France makes me a bit dizzy. France has such wonderful food...and not taking the time to enjoy decent local cuisine is a sin. In Marseille a nice lunch of Bouillabaisse with some decent fresh bread...makes a great meal.

 

Hank

The thought of eating quick snacks in France makes me a bit dizzy. France has such wonderful food...and not taking the time to enjoy decent local cuisine is a sin. In Marseille a nice lunch of Bouillabaisse with some decent fresh bread...makes a great meal.

 

Hank

If we hadn't had a full-day Provence tour planned when we stopped in Marseille we probably would have opted for a nice lunch - but we had a packed schedule, so our guide took us to a boulongerie in St. Remy where we could buy sandwiches (DH and one son), fresh bread (other son) and quiche (me) for a half-hour stop. The boulongerie had tables outside so we could take a break, eat our lunch and do some people-watching. As our guide noted, there is no such thing as a quick meal in France.:)

 

The thought of eating quick snacks in France makes me a bit dizzy. France has such wonderful food...and not taking the time to enjoy decent local cuisine is a sin.

 

Hank

That was my instinctive reaction to this post, but thought I'd best not say so in case I appeared critical! The next poster also makes the point that there's no such thing as a quick lunch in France:)

That was my instinctive reaction to this post, but thought I'd best not say so in case I appeared critical! The next poster also makes the point that there's no such thing as a quick lunch in France:)

 

Guess DW and I are weird because when we are in Europe (usually there at least twice a year) we "live to eat" rather then "eat to live." To us, a major reason to visit Europe is to enjoy the cuisine, wine, outdoor cafes, people watching, etc. In Rome our favorite activity is having a nice long lunch in the Piazza Navona (or nearby along the route to the Campo di Fiori) and watching to the herds of tour groups moving to and fro (following their leaders with the little signs). When we rented an apartment in St Remy de Provence, we would sometimes be at a cafe/restaurant enjoying lunch...and see a cruise tour herd go walking through town. They would be led through the streets, have a few minutes to browse some of the local shops...and then they would be herded back on their bus to go to the next "site." How sad. Yes, you can see lots of sites....but that is only one part of enjoying Europe.

 

We are currently planning 5-6 week European trip for April and are now looking for an apartment (for at least a week) in Paris. When trying to decide which neighborhood to live...our primary consideration are the nearby restaurants/cafes. Priorities!

 

Hank

The OP doesn't have 5-6 weeks to enjoy Marseille, they have 5 or 6 hours. I'm sure they would concede that a full restaurant meal is a better gastronomical experience than snacks on the go, but… priorities!

And snacks are not devoid of cultural value. If the OP is able to find a panisse truck (this will be a challenge in central Marseille), that's as typical of the city/region as bouillabaisse is. Also check out pissaladière.

 

Even junk food from a kebab shop counts as a legitimate travel experience, if it's different from what you can get at home.

 

Marseille is also well-known for pizza!

 

And there is the old cliché of picking up bread, cheese, pâté, and wine from a charming outdoor market, finding a park bench to sit down, and then wondering how to open the wine. :p

When we rented an apartment in St Remy de Provence, we would sometimes be at a cafe/restaurant enjoying lunch...and see a cruise tour herd go walking through town. They would be led through the streets, have a few minutes to browse some of the local shops...and then they would be herded back on their bus to go to the next "site." How sad. Yes, you can see lots of sites....but that is only one part of enjoying Europe.

Hank, there's always next time. (BTW, we were a group of two families. No bus.) And I'm hoping there's a next time. Maybe a week in Provence - a year probably isn't happening soon.:)

Thank you for all the replies. I certainly would love to sit and have a nice long lunch somewhere, but as another poster mentioned, I'm only there for a few hours, not days. I've yet to visit a city in the US or abroad where there aren't an overwhelming number of amazing cheap eats or quick bites. For me, these types of meals are actually one of my favorite things because I feel like I get to try more in a short amount of time rather than getting one meal.

 

 

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Hank, there's always next time. (BTW, we were a group of two families. No bus.) And I'm hoping there's a next time. Maybe a week in Provence - a year probably isn't happening soon.:)

 

Small group tours can be great (we have done our share). And I am thinking that some day we should write a book and call it "A year in Provence!" Oh darn....already done. Wish I had thought of it first....and also wish we had spent a year in Provence :). The first time we rented an apartment in St Remy, I lived one of my boyhood fantasies. Walking back to our condo with a freshly baked baquette tucked under my arm. Kind of a silly thing...but fun. And the French lady who ran the boulangerie finally greeted me with a smile and very friendly "bonjour" after 1 week. We were later told that its her personal rule...."not to be friendly until after 1 week." You have to love France.

 

Hank

Edited October 16, 2016 by Hlitner