Editor’s Note: This is the first installment in a new recurring feature, “Game On”, which shares insight on some of the best spots to watch local teams play – outside of the stadium.
In Marseille, OM is not a yogic hum but a deafening roar. Revered like a religion, it refers to Olympique de Marseille, our football club, the symbol of the city. Famous rappers wear the jerseys, guys of all ages sport OM tracksuits and the most-read stories in the local rag, La Provence, feature OM. The team’s sky blue and white colors mirror the city’s crest. When the renowned former owner Bernard Tapie died, the entire city mourned.
OM’s ever-present drama, longstanding heritage and exuberant fans echo Marseillais’ rich history and rambunctious side. It’s a symbol of our pride, too, for Marseille remains the only French team to win the esteemed Champion’s League tournament – a fact we love to rub into Paris Saint-Germain, our biggest rivals, within and beyond football.
Just as our restaurants are known for mixing locals from all walks of life, OM unites a diverse range of Marseillais, from CEOs to cab drivers and Algerians to Armenians. This worship extends beyond the city, with fans worldwide. President Macron has been a fan since childhood. Known as the 12th man, our fan clubs are some of the most passionate in football, creating massive tifos (banners) that stretch sky high, chanting non-stop for the entire match and organizing initiatives to help those in need. Locals say to truly know Marseille, you must eat pizza on the beach and know OM.
France’s Ligue 1 football season runs from early August to the end of May. On game day, Marseille’s streets are awash in a sea of blue and white. Home games at the Velodrome often sell out the 67,000 seats. If you can’t make it to a game, the next best thing is watching at a bar. You don’t have to speak French to interpret the fans’ cheers or jeers. All you have to know is “Allez l’OM!” (“Let’s go, OM!”).
Ourselves fervent fans, here are what we think to be the best bars in Marseille where locals watch OM play (extra points if you wear team colors!):
The Liveliest: Brasserie du Stade
To get as close as possible to the famous fervor of the virages (the rowdy fan club sections at each end of the field), head to the Vélodrome for the boisterous pre-game show. Hundreds of fans gather around the stadium steps to chant and light smoke bombs. The revelry spills onto the street, restaurant terrasses and makeshift bars. Just north of the Vel’, Brasserie du Stade is our winner. On match nights, the all-day neighborhood brasserie transforms its patio beneath the plane trees into the liveliest bar. Fans sporting OM jerseys, beanies and scarves belly up to the bar – painted “Marseille” by a local graffiti artist – to order beers, pastis and whiskey-and-cokes. Often, they’ll order a dozen pastis at once, stacked in giant, disposable metal trays for easy carrying.
A majority of match-goers are male, a reflection of the city’s machismo as well as some Marseillais’ fear of unruliness at the stadium. Brasserie du Stade is one of the few streetside bars where you’ll find women and kids. “Women and families feel safe here,” shares Leone, the friendly manager. To the delight of customers and neighbors, he hires security guards to ensure there are no smoke bombs or violence. You’re welcome to grab a merguez sandwich or slice of pizza at a snack bar nearby. If you want a real meal, reserve a table inside before or after the match to savor Marseille specialties: wood-fired pizzas, brousse-filled ravioli, steak frites and baba au rhum (a rum-soaked cake).
The Best Food: The Rookies
This Vieux-Port bar is a slice of Americana in the heart of Marseille. The menu is classic U.S. bar fare like burgers, nachos and onion rings. Managed by charismatic Mathilde, the young staff wears baseball jerseys and take orders with an affable customer service style that is more American than French. But what really makes The Rookies feel like you’re on the other side of the Atlantic is its fanfare. A gargantuan, 40-foot screen covers the entire back wall and spills out across the 25 TVs that line the bar. Lights cast the interior in a red and blue glow (colors of both the U.S. and French flags). The cherry on top? They blast OM’s theme song, Van Halen’s “Jump,” at kickoff, and each time OM scores, a smoke machine goes off.
Amazingly, the owner Remi has never been to the U.S. After falling for sports bars in Australia, he discovered that Americans also excelled at game-day ambiance. He opened The Rookies in 2021 to offer this conviviality as an alternative to the Anglo-Saxon pubs nearby. In addition to classic cocktails and beers, they serve the best comfort food of the bunch. Juicy burgers topped with bacon, cheese, spinach and balsamic-caramelized onions. Finger-licking good fried chicken coated in corn flakes. The giant hot dog is piled with so many fried onions that it can barely fit in your mouth. They even have jalapeño poppers, a rarity in France. We hesitated when The Rookies first opened, fearful it would skew too touristy. Turns out lots of locals love it, just as Americans have a soft spot for quintessentially French bistros.
The Most Regulars: Bar de la Plaine
If OM had a patron saint, it would be Patrice de Peretti. Known as Depé, OM’s most renowned fan was a capo (emcee) who animated fans during the game. When he died at the young age of 28, OM fans named one of the virages after him to keep his passion alive. Bar de la Plaine is following suit, thanks to its location near the headquarters of MTP (Marseille Trop Puissant – “Marseille So Strong”), the fan club founded by Depé – you can spot “MTP” plastered on snack bars nearby. To the right of the bar’s entrance, a photo of Depé hangs on the wall. He’s bare-chested save for an OM scarf, with his tee shirt wrapped around his head and screaming into a megaphone.
Bar de la Plaine mirrors his zeal during matches. Customers congregate on the terrace outside on Ricard-yellow seats. “It’s a mix of regulars, die-hard fans and neo-Marseillais,” explains one of the regulars, Camille, whose dad was a die-hard fan. (The neo-Marseillais are new arrivals to the city who have moved to the now-hipster neighborhood.) Camille admits, “I don’t like football, but I like OM.” It’s a common phrase uttered by many in Marseille, illustrating the team’s particular hold on the city.
Tip: Since there are only two TVs out front, be sure to arrive early to score a seat. And raise a glass to Depé.
The Old School Spot: Bar du Marché
Next to Marseille’s nightlife epicenter, Cours Julien, Notre-Dame du Mont square is also chock-a-block with bars. The most popular, Bar du Marché, aka BDM, has the biggest terrasse. Its blue awning and chairs signify that this is OM territory. “The bar is always packed,” boasts Richard, the burly owner of Sicilian descent. Football has been his passion since growing up, as a player and fan who religiously went to OM games. He’s proud that he mans one of the most frequented OM bars, which he opened in 1995. “I’m everywhere; on TV, in the newspaper,” he winks. BDM also made the news as one of the clandestine bars that illegally stayed open during the Covid-19 pandemic – a true Marseille rebel.
BDM gets the seal of approval by many fan groups. The Southwinners fan club advertises it on their website (they also gather pre-game at Brasserie du Stade). During the day, fans swing by for a café or a beer, greeting Richard with the French bise (kiss) as they enter. On game nights, fans pack like sardines onto the patio to drink cheap pastis and beers. If watching a match makes you want to work up a sweat, the bar often hosts DJ dance parties inside post-game.
The Coziest: Little Temple Bar
Watching sports at bars is not as common in France as in other countries. The tradition was brought across the channel by the champions of pub culture, the Brits and the Irish. Most of Marseille’s pubs are centered around the Vieux-Port. Little Temple Bar, our pick, is tucked away on a pedestrian side street. After entering the fire-engine-red doors, a wall of team scarves welcomes you. Sky blue and white vintage OM scarves are sandwiched between a rainbow of international ones, including AEK Athens, whose fans clubs have such a rare camaraderie with OM that they exchange jerseys when they play each other.
The collection was started by one of the bartenders, Alex, who used to drum at OM games. Over the years, fans have brought scarves and now football jerseys that are nailed to the ceiling above the bar. With its dark wood-paneled walls and low ceilings, Little Temple Bar has a cozy, clubby feel, less noisy than nearby bars. It’s never too packed, so you can usually find a seat in front of the half-dozen screens. They don’t serve food, but if you order drinks – naturally Guinness and cider are on tap – you’re welcome to bring in takeout. We like to pick up a moité-moité anchovy & cheese pizza from our friends at Paule et Kopa, or a filling kebab at Tombiq Döner.
Published on February 28, 2024
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