A classy tea and coffee house on the Canabière
On the tacky Canabière, an establishment with class: the flagship tea room/coffee shop of what has become a mini-chain (beware more recent, inferior imitations elsewhere within the franchise). The ornate crimson and gold frontage with its wrought-iron Art Deco style canapy is the portal to a cool, tiled interior, where a fragrant scent of coffee and exotic teas assaults your nostrils. One counter sells patisserie; another has chocolate and local speciality sweetmeats: calissons d'Aix (a glazed sweet made with powdered almonds and preserved melon), and Marseille navettes (boat-shaped biscuits perfumed with orange flower essence). Sit on a high stool at the counter for one of 12 types of coffee or 50 teas with a cake or ice-cream, or relax at a table with a newspaper. In summer there are freshly-pressed fruit cocktails. An excellent source of gifts, it also sells cafetières and pretty coffee and tea services.
