A delicious, beautiful, and wine-y trip we’ll never forget.

What an absolute dream of a vacation. I’m still sort of processing the beauty of it all. And the deliciousness. And the wine. Lord, the wine.

We didn’t even have France on our dance card since we had already visited in 2019, but our friends asked if we would want to visit them in Marseille where they were renting a gorgeous Airbnb for a bit. Dave and I kind of looked at each other and were like, “yes, yes we would like to go to France again.” And that was that. We started planning what turned out to be one of our most amazing adventures yet.

Marseille, France

We started in Marseille, a beautiful port city in the south of France. While we had visited before, it turns out we only explored a small bit of the city (loved being surprised by this)!

Usually I like to share my recommendation of where to stay, but on this part of the trip we stayed at our friends absolutely stunning rental home with incredible views. If we weren’t out and about we were here – on the back deck, lounging, having a nosh of cheese, or swimming. Seriously perfect.

Our first meal was at Le Petit Pavillon which was located right on the seafront which was perfect since it was Bastille Day so we got to watch the fireworks over the water. We ordered oysters and the beef carpaccio to start. Each bite was divine. For my main I had the scallops with truffle, spinach, and hazelnuts that was amazing. I was having such a good time I didn’t even snap a photo of them…what a bad blogger!

The next morning we were up and at ’em as our friends booked us a walking food tour hosted by Culinary Backstreets. We were led around town by a lovely local who was so knowledgeable and truly fun to spend an afternoon with. We got to explore markets and shops and try several of her favorite bites along the way, which was great because there are so many stands, restaurants and shops that it’s hard to know where to begin.

For lunch our tour guide took us to Pastels World which was a beautiful spot mixing African and French cuisine where we ordered a variety of spectacular hand pies with zesty sauces. I could easily see being a regular here if only I lived closer!

For the finale of the tour we ended up at La Caravelle to have an afternoon pastis. As we climbed the steps, Dave and I realized this was the very place we tried to get into when we travelled to Marseille with my mom in 2019 but it was full when we popped in. Here we were years later looking out over the port in this classic and quaint adorable bar. Worth the wait!

After being properly stuffed and slightly liquored up we headed back to the house to take a dip in the pool and relax before we needed to eat yet again. I’m normally not a huge pool-lady, but there sure is something to a cooling pool in France on a hot summer day with a crisp glass of white wine.

For dinner on our second night our friends took us to Au Coeur Du Panier, which is located on the most charming little street where we had visited Entre Terre & Mer years earlier. We sipped delicious wine, had the most fabulous camembert, and dined on perfect filets. Magical meal in a stunning setting.

The next day our gracious hosts let us sleep in and when we woke up (near lunch time, woops), they swooped in with incredible sandwiches and seafood salad from a local shop. Waking up to this was pure heaven. I mean just look at that bread!

Since this was our last full day in Marseille before hitting the road we decided it should be a beach day so we headed to one of their favorite spots just down the road, Plage du Prophete. I don’t think I’ve ever seen water more blue. We just floated in the sea and soaked up the sun, a totally perfect day.

For our last dinner before we headed to Lyon, we visited Livingston which had an innovative and incredible tasting menu. We really, really loved this meal – especially the tomato broth with fresh sliced spicy jalapenos. I’ve never had anything like it and am just dying to try to recreate at home with fresh summer tomatoes next year.

We only had three days in Marseille, but we made the most of every delicious moment. It’s a beautiful city I’d go back to again and again for the food, the nightlife, the kind people, and that absolutely stunning view of the sea.

Next up on our adventure we picked up a rental car and started driving towards Lyon through the gorgeous French countryside.

Châteauneuf-du-Pape, France

Dave knows I love a good bottle of Châteauneuf-du-Pape, so when he saw the small village would be on our way to Lyon he scheduled a wine tasting and lunch for us. He’s a pretty good dude!

We had a wine tasting at La Cave De Mathias which was perfect. The cave is from the 15th century so it certainly felt as if we’d travelled back in time. We tasted several wines and learned about each vineyard and the history of the wine. An absolute treat. Mathias, the owner, also has a passion for art so his space doubles with rotating art exhibits. A must-visit!

After our wine tasting we hit Le Comptoir de la Mère Germaine for lunch which is Michelin starred. We had tuna tartar with crisp cold white wine to start and Dave got the rotisserie veal and I got a wonderful pesto pasta.

Next it was back in the car to drive through more beautiful French countryside to make our way to Lyon.

Lyon, France

We arrived in Lyon in the afternoon and were greeted with the sun shining on the gorgeous color and architecture of the city. We were instantly charmed.

Dave has a knack for finding really fantastic hotels so I usually leave that bit up to him when we travel. He did not disappoint in Lyon. He booked a room at Hotel Le Royal overlooking Place Bellecour, the large city center square. Just look at the view from our balcony.

The room was over the top with intricate red decor and lush everything! It was also a great location, walkable to everything we had on our agenda.

Once we dropped our bags it was onto a little jaunt around the city to get our bearings and make our way to the tasting menu Dave booked for us. One of my favorite things about travel is it’s easy to just boop on into a little cafe for an espresso or some perfectly lovely table wine. We did just that at a small tucked away cafe called La Terrassee.

So where did Sir Dave book for us? Well, none other than Au 14 Février. It was an absolute treat. Au 14 Fevrier has one Michelin star and it’s clear to see why. We were amazed at the presentation of every plate they put in front of us. The chef marries Japanese and French cuisine to present something truly spectacular.

To say we went to bed full is an understatement. But boy did we need our energy for the next morning! We decided to start our day by climbing up the winding steps and pebbled streets going all the way up to the The basilica Notre-Dame of Fourvière. The views are breathtaking.

The inside of the basilica was just as magical. It felt impossible to take it all in. A really lovely spot to visit.

On our way down we explored a bit more and ended up finding some beautiful gardens and scenic stairways.

Lucky for us we ended up passing Bakery Boulangerie du Palais and I had what is hands down the best quiche of my life. No hyperbole. Full stop. It was delicate and fluffy and just plain delicious. I dream one day I’ll be able to recreate!

And with that, we wrapped our time in Lyon. It was time to pack up and head out on our final leg of the trip to get to Paris. On we go!

Beaune, France

We had booked a wine tasting in Beaune, but were happily surprised to discover there is also a Mustard Museum located in this cute little village. So we ALSO got to do a mustard tasting. So fun.

We carefully tested the many varieties of Edmond Fallot mustards and chose about six to bring back, some for us and some as gifts. Funny story though – as soon as we got home to Chicago, I ran up to our local grocery store and wouldn’t you know it. Tons of Edmond Fallot mustards for sale. LOL. At least we know we can get more!

Next it was onto our wine tasting at Domaine Chanson. We were walked through several sips and learned a lot about the Bourgogne region while tasting really fabulous wine. We ended up bringing two favorites home – a white 2019 Le Bastion Beaune Premier Cru and a red 2018 Gevrey-Chambertin. As we headed out to keep on driving towards Paris, the next two tasters popped in, who happened to be from Chicago! Small freakin’ world.

So, what happens now is a bit blurry. We think we have one more tasting on the way (we had two but completely drove past the first) so we happily head towards the vineyard. We’ve timed everything perfectly to get to our dinner reservation in Paris and make this last tasting. We pull off the exit and the road veers a smidge and splits. We take the left option, which we think is correct, and what do you know, we’re back on the highway. We laugh – oh geez, Americans driving in France. But things get less funny as there is not another exit to get off the highway for one, two, three…..ten miles. And the winery was closing. Woops. So, we carried on.

Chablis, France

Since we were feeling slightly sorry for ourselves having missed what would have been a great tasting, when we saw Chablis coming up we figured we should definitely stop. And I’m so glad we did. This is when I feel like our vacation luck really shines. We stumbled right into Marguerite, a small wine bar on a small river that looked like it was out of a movie. This was the view from the cafe seats outside.

Of course we ordered a cold, crisp glass of Chablis (when in Rome!) and some smoked fish. It was a truly lovely moment in time that I often think back to.

Alright, now we were officially on our way to Paris!

Paris, France

I will spare you the details of driving into Paris as non-locals and finding parking, let’s just say I don’t recommend it, and we’ll never do it again. I think we ended up being two hours late to our tasting menu dinner at Michelin starred Granite because of parking and hotel havoc. But, they were super kind to still let us have a table.

To say every bite was an adventure would be an understatement. We were cranky from the drive and the team was so attentive and the food was so interesting that we completely forgot all about our earlier travel woes. The flavors, detail and presentation of each dish was wonderful. And when the chocolate dessert with pickled mushrooms came out, I had my doubts. It was phenomenal. A really special night.

We absolutely conked out after dinner, full and happy. We woke up the next day ready for more exploration, art, food, and wine!

Our first stop was the Rodin Museum, which was recommended to us by our friend Kirsten and I was so happy she suggested it. It was definitely outside the hustle and bustle of something like the Louvre which was really nice. And WHAT a soap opera of a life that guy led….

After working up an appetite walking around the museum and seeing more of the city, it was time for a truly remarkable lunch at Au Pied de Cochon.

Dave learned that you could get a pork trotter (pigs foot) here and so of course, declared it a must for us while in Paris. Not that I’m opposed to pork, but mussels and champagne were more my vibe for the afternoon.

Every bite (and sip!) was superb. And it turned out Dave was eating the pork trotter too delicately, so our server kindly directed him how to get on in there and get every bite. Dave loved it.

After lunch we bopped around and shopped which whipped up a thirst for an afternoon cocktail (yes, one more). Normally I wouldn’t mention a random cocktail spot, but this place was so fun. We luckily ended up right near Bar Bisou, a beautiful, energized little spot with gorgeous drinks. What made this spot unique was that the bartender encouraged us to just let her know flavor profiles that we liked and then she whipped up perfect craft cocktails. We were feelin’ good.

There may have been a nap here after a lunch with the previous champagne and a cocktail stop. But after a good rest, we were onto one of the dinners I was most excited about. We had a reservation at Parcelles, a romantic little bistro with a rotating menu and incredible wine. The calf’s head carpaccio and the sage gnocchi were among some of the best bites.

For our last day in Paris I had to have a croissant. We headed to Bo & Mie where we had a raspberry croissant and a perfect Americano to get the day going. I wish I could start every morning this way. And this view wasn’t so bad either.

We hit the Eiffel Tower next as we obviously couldn’t leave Paris without a visit to this old gal. It really is breathtaking. And we missed the memo that you absolutely should bring a little picnic with some bubbly and fancy cheese and just pop a squat right in front and watch the people go by. Next time!

And just like that, it was our last meal in France. A friend recommended Allard as a truly authentic Parisian meal – where chefs tend to go late at night after their own shifts were done (always a good sign).

From the snails (my first time trying), to the perfectly cooked filet, the decadent sauces, the delicious wine, the chartreuse, and more…it was exactly what I always imagined a perfect meal in Paris to be. The service was impeccable and the atmosphere was romantic and lively – especially when they brought the Chartreuse out! This meal was really a celebration of so much of what makes Paris so special. I highly recommend spending an evening here.

And you know it friends! It wouldn’t be a last night out without a cocktail to finish off the night. We had been wanting to check out The Syndicate and we were finally able to grab a spot at the bar our last night (vacation luck)! Super inventive cocktails that had us “oohing” and “aahing” at the presentations and the flavors.

And with that – we wrapped our second trip to France. What I loved the most about this trip was letting ourselves unwind and relax in Marseille with our friends. While we were still very active, we let ourselves swim in the pool under the French sun and spent hours floating in the ocean and laying on the beach. Dave and I are typically bad at having still moments while traveling – but this opened my eyes to how absolutely lovely it is to slow down and soak it all in. Noted.

I also loved the unpredictability of this trip. We missed some exits, took a chance on some others – and ended up having a pretty awesome adventure. Highly recommend winging some moments when traveling. Some of my fondest memories have happened that way.

With wanderlust and fond memories,

Annie