Adorable
is Aix, not so Nice 
A recent survey trip to western Europe turned up one stellar disappointment: Nice, France. This once-upon-a-time jeweled city of the Cote d'Azur displayed an overall run-down appearance amidst an abundance of expensive, poor quality cuisine, dingy streets, and tourist traps. Two nights at Hotel Le Meredien ensconced us in mediocrity and penny-pinching, where every item and service had its particular cost.
After flying, gratefully, out of Nice to traverse Corsica and Sardinia, we avoided returning and changed tickets for Marseilles on the new regional airline Air Littoral. This gave us several days to give a second chance to the south of France, and we chose to visit Aix en Provence, a charming city that restored some of our faith in French culture.
A well-preserved and well-proportioned cite embodying Enlightenment values, Aix (pronounced like "axe") bathed us in French civility, with beautiful public spaces, fountains, and some stunning architecture. Although it's history ranges back to Roman times, the period from the 17th through the 19th centuries currently defines the marvelously humane historic center. The old city beckons you onto its cobblestone streets lined with shops, restaurants, and cafes. The historic capital of Provence, Aix concentrates the region's attractions into a single, compact, and lively place. A true city, Aix exudes none of the bucolic atmosphere that many now associate with Provence; rather, urbane savoire faire seeps from every pore.
The food in Aix-- especially after disappointment in Nice and superb but rustic fare in Corsica-- enlivened our appetites. We surveyed a full range of eateries, from the inexpensive Last Bistro to the Michelin two-star Le Clos de la Violette, and from quintessential Provençal dishes to Tunisian specialties. The market, which appeared every day during our visit, did not disappoint either, with a variety of fresh produce, wild mushrooms, wonderful black and green olives, fragrant olive oils, fresh seafood, cheeses, breads, and sausages.
We ate to our hearts' content.
Upon first arrival, a somewhat frantic, hunger-driven scurry through the nighttime streets brought to light few restaurants of any obvious allure. We ended up, appropriately enough, at Le Dernier Bistro. A place with one single cook/owner in the kitchen, we commented first on the bread's quality, enjoyed an inexpensive white wine from the Coteaux d'Aix, and feasted on perfectly prepared prawns in Pernod, olive oil, garlic, and the resolute herbes de Provence. A satisfying whole fish en papilotte completed the main courses. We departed feeling like we had, at last, come home to France, where the simplest of restaurants served the best of food. After wine, appetizers, and entrees for two, our bill: $45.00.
The next day we had some time to orient
ourselves, food-wise at least, and lunched at the very pleasing Bistrot
Latin. An attention to ambiance, service, sauces, and presentation set Latin
apart from the crowd. The wine recommendation of a light but well-structured
red added to our satisfaction. We settled up for $67.00 and thought hard about
going back a second time, despite the fact that we only had three days to
explore Aix.
We also sampled dinners at Chez Maxime ($94.80) and La Vielle Auberge ($77.42), the former worth skipping not so much for its slow service as for its touristy fare (good bread, though and lots of nice wines); and the latter an upscale place with charming ambiance, but food from a chef who tries too hard, placing emphasis on presentation over flavor. One soup at La Vielle Auberge came in form of a cup of cappuccino, with trendy, flavored savory white foam and equally savory biscotti. Too much.
Guide Michelin has its own particular biases and expectations, especially in making starred recommendations to its readers. Just one Michelin star is considered a substantial accomplishment for most establishments, and though the criterion may stray towards French sensibilities even in Italy and Spain, one expects that in France itself, the stars will truly mean something--will mean a lot, in fact.
Le Clos de la Violette is the only two star restaurant in Aix, and lies in a district of wealthy houses just outside the historic center. The chef/owner was indeed present and cooking, coming occasionally though the dining room dressed in chef's jacket and blue jeans.
The food was not particularly memorable, save perhaps the bread and the amuse bouche. This is not to say that the meal was at all bad--it was good, in fact--but that it was nothing special, nothing two star. Having subsequently been to Michelin one- and three-star establishments, a common factor seems to be an emphasis on ambiance and lavish service over food quality. Bistro Latin, for instance, was in our book a much better restaurant, and certainly less hard on the pocketbook. We did have a sommelier choose our overpriced wine, and numerous waiters. We did sit in plush chairs in a well-lit environment of pastel colors. They hung our overcoats for us. But we still can't remember what, exactly, we ate there and we could have been in the suburban United States, Dallas maybe.
As for accommodations, we tried a range of properties and have the following notes:
Hotel Negre Coste: Recommended by Fodor's, we stayed in a room overlooking the Cours Mirabeau on the first night. The room, though large, was a bit run down and the decor questionable in taste. Although the man who took the reservation insisted that this relatively expensive room was all he had available, we saw few other guests during our stay. We would not return, despite the good overall location.
Hotel Mercure Paul Cezanne: With clean, large, well-maintained rooms, the Paul Cezanne also had good amenities and a friendly staff. Internet access in the lobby. Nice location very close to the downtown train station. A good value. Recommended.
Villa Galicci: Much touted, this Relais & Chateaux hotel near Le Close de La Violette on the outskirts of the historical center proved big on pretension. We checked into an upgraded room consisting of two levels and a staircase/entry area. The bathroom was as big as the bedroom, which means that the bathroom was capacious while the bedroom was teeny-tiny and hard to move around. Decorated with very nice fabrics, including padded floral wall coverings, we also found excellent quality linen sheets. The bric-a-brac and "objets d'art" did not impress. Lack of space in the bedroom was disconcerting. The bathroom proved wonderful, with a large claw foot tub beneath a window, a spacious marble-lined, glass-doored shower, and double sinks. A bathroom, however, does not a luxurious hotel room make. When the room key broke in the lock when coming in from dinner, the staff laughed and suggested that maybe we could spend the night in another room without our clothes and luggage. We would pass on this expensive option, unless you absolutely need seclusion (or pretension).