28 Best Bars in Provence, France

Very late to the craft cocktail scene, Aix finally has a bar that stands up to its sophisticated cousins in Marseille or even Paris. While there are 10 refreshing and original choices on the cocktail menu, the bartender is happy to customize a drink to your taste, offering helpful tips on rare or unusual spirits (there is no beer or wine served here). The cozy room, complete with comfy chairs and sofas, has a friendly vibe and the outdoor tables are lovely on hot Provence nights.

Restaurant by day, cocktail club and tapas bar by night, this Marseille institution harks back to prewar jazz clubs, but without the smoke. There are great views over the port and live music two nights a week.

The music is live, and the crowd is lively at this fashionable cabaret-bar that's a Marseille institution.

A night of lively fun is guaranteed at Aix’s reigning karaoke bar, where high-tech equipment and a repertoire of 54,000 songs attracts amateurs as well as more committed performers. It's also famous for its cocktails, with bartenders who deliver both classic and innovative creations.

Delicious ambrosias like the Japan Airlines (mezcal, coriander, and ginger) or the Sans Nom (gin, yuzu, ginger and exotic spices) served in the half-light of this atmospheric spot—a kind of chic Mediterranean-style tiki bar—are a big draw in town. A menu of small gourmet plates that are as creative as the drinks changes by the week.

Start your evening with a craft beer, artisanal rum, or a cocktail at this boat-shape bar, then stay on for exuberant karaoke nights, dancing to live music, or DJ nights.

If you appreciate the art of craft cocktails, this is your place. The staff is passionate about top-notch ingredients and surprising flavor pairings, so the drinks here are quite simply sublime. You can even take a class to learn how to make the perfect cocktail at home.

This is Avignon’s go-to place for beer aficionados, with dozens of artisan and craft beers, both local and from around Europe, on tap and by the bottle. Come for a blind tasting and stay on for the DJ or karaoke nights.

Enjoy drinks in this dark, intimate space just outside the Utopia movie theater in La Manutention arts center.

You can eat, drink, dance, and sing your heart out every night of the week at Toulon’s leading discotheque and karaoke club, which is at the top of the Mourillon Cornice.

At this vast venue, host to the Fiesta des Suds each autumn, you'll find world and Latin music year-round.

For rap and techno, try L'Affranchi.

Fine Mediterranean cuisine, cocktails, live or DJ music, and dancing till the wee hours all come together at this chic city center bar and restaurant.

In addition to Tuesday night jam sessions, this popular, laid-back spot near the university hosts concerts on weekends.

This lively, colorful bar serves bites to share and signature and personalized craft cocktails and mocktails, including imaginative takes on the classic negroni and martini. There’s also beer on tap, a good wine list, music, and an outdoor terrace.

Along with a program of live and DJ jazz, funk, rock, techno, or reggae, Toulon’s premier music club features 90 (bottled and draft) craft beers from around the world, specialty whiskies and rums, and a long list of cocktails. Happy hour (6 to 8:30 pm) is a good time to grab a drink and enjoy tapas plates.

An ubercool hangout for live music, performance, and entertainment on weekends, Le Delirium covers its walls with ongoing exhibits to create a truly artsy atmosphere.

Vinyl and beer go hand in hand at this convivial bar in the center of old town. You'll find city’s best selection of craft beer from Provence and beyond, as well as tapas plates of Lebanese bites, charcuterie and cheeses, and desserts—all accompanied by great music.

If you’re looking to dance till the wee hours this Mexican-themed, city-center cocktail and tapas bar in a vaulted cellar is a good choice. It has DJs and live bands on weekends.

This venue for cabaret-style dinner shows also hosts jazz, blues, and rock concerts and theater performances.

From Thursday through Sunday, you can dance the night away at Avignon’s chicest discotheque. It's set in a historic building and features DJ nights.

This popular beer-focused bar on a quaint street is best in warm weather when you can lounge on the terrace overlooking Avignon’s canal.

More like a gaming park than a gambling den, this flashy Vegas-inspired casino has all the bells and whistles: live entertainment, games, dining, and other events.

Although Arles seems like one big sidewalk café in warm weather, the best place to drink is at this hip bar-restaurant on the banks of the Rhône. It serves terrific tapas, and you can hear guitar music and watch traditional dance from Chico and Los Gypsies, led by a founding member of the Gypsy Kings. Reservations are a good idea in high season.

A loft-like interior, 18 craft beers on tap, and tapas plates to accompany the cocktails makes this place popular with an eclectic crowd. Things really get going after 9 pm when they roll out the jam sessions.

Atop the Terrasses shopping center, Le Réctoire and its terrace, Le Rooftop—together called R2—are a popular restaurant by day and a chic cocktail bar and club by night. Dance on the rooftop to live music and DJ beats, or sip a drink on the sprawling terrace while taking in spectacular views of the J4 Pier (home of MuCEM) and Marseille's big-ship port. Both establishments are open until 2 am six days a week (they close at 7 pm on Monday), a rarity in Marseille.

This bar is a mecca for English speakers, who pour onto the sidewalk, beer in hand, pub style. There's live music, DJs on the weekend, and a lounge for the die-hard rugby and soccer fans who can't go without watching a game.

At this favorite bar on the lively Place de l’ Équerre, a popular old town gathering spot, the cocktails flow, and the music inspires a fun party atmosphere.