There’s a buzz about Montpellier, probably because half the population is under the age of 35. And they’re out and about, as the city is bathed in sunshine for an average of 300 days a year. Round every corner of the old town is another leafy little square with cafés packed with cool millennials sipping coffee or wine.
Arriving late on Friday afternoon — the city is only a 15-minute drive from the airport — we are just in time for a restorative demi-pression in one of Montpellier’s said squares (we found ourselves in the pretty Place Saint-Roch in the shadow of L’Église Saint-Roch). It’s a good place to start, in the centre of the old town, and from it every twist and turn through the sand-coloured paved streets feels more and more French.
“Every twist and turn through the sand-coloured paved streets feels more and more French
Known as L’Écusson, the old city centre has a marvellous blend of history — for example, the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Montpellier is the world’s oldest medical school still in operation — along with chic boutiques and bars. You can’t beat Rosemary on Rue Vallat for an aperitif and a platter of local charcuterie. From there we head down to Les Bains de Montpellier, where the city’s former baths have been cleverly converted into a restaurant. I feast on a medallion of monkfish with a creamy parmesan risotto, then a pineapple “tagine”. The setting is charming, the food fantastic and at €38 (£33) for three courses, good value too.
What a way to start a weekend. We haven’t even checked in yet. On Rue de Carbonnerie we find our hotel, Baudon de Mauny, a restored 18th-century townhouse hidden behind an inauspicious door. Inside, the tasteful renovations do not jar with the elegance of the old building, and the high-ceilinged rooms are luxurious.
Bright and early the next day we head to Musée Fabre, an enormous gallery that’s a two-minute stroll from the hotel’s door. The works, a collection that includes 200 masterpieces from the 14th century, are well presented in the enormous stone rooms. The highlight, however, is a new wing dedicated to Pierre Soulages, an abstract artist who lived in Montpellier.
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Near by, and definitely worth a stop (walk there via the impressive main square, Place de la Comédie), is the wide, tree-lined Place de la Canourgue boulevard, and the Café Latitude, with its streetside tables. In the narrow streets that spill off the square there are lots of little antique shops — run by very serious old French gentlemen — with top-quality antiques (and the odd bargain) to be had.
In the evening we stumble across La Morue, a tiny joint with gingham tablecloths and kitsch ornaments. The blackboard menu is short, unfussy and world-class. The squid beignets (€9.50) are stand-out. The skate wing with buttery capers (€21.50) is also highly recommended.
After supper, with the night still young, we end up in the Place Jean Jaurès, one of the many buzzy hotspots . . . where no one is keen to let the night end.
And then there’s the flea market. Les Dimanches du Peyrou on the Esplanade du Peyrou has more than 40 stalls that pop up at 7.30am on Sunday. With an eclectic mix of homeware, vintage maps and Moorish tableware, it’s an Aladdin’s cave of knick-knacks and, let’s be honest, a fair bit of old tat.
After a good rummage, we wander to the art gallery, La Panacée. It’s modern, minimalist and home to a collection of interesting alternative art. And the café is great. You can sit in the uber-trendy industrial interior, or in the beautiful leafy courtyard. The lunch menu is cheap — we ate three courses for €14. On our visit, the menu includes crispy spring onion tempura followed by wonderfully cooked fish. Dishes change with the seasons.
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To walk off lunch we make our way to the Jardin des Plantes, a quiet corner of the city centre. Benches are dotted around dusty pathways beneath enormous tropical trees. It’s the perfect spot for a post-lunch snooze. Montpellier, we’ll be coming back.
The budget hotel: Hotel du Parc
With its homely atmosphere and good location in a quiet suburb of the city, this hotel is great for travellers on a shoestring. The rooms are neat, if a touch dated. Doubles cost from £40 a night (hotelduparc-montpellier.com)
The luxury hotel: Baudon de Mauny
This grand old townhouse in the centre of the city has only ten rooms, with modern fixtures, cool interiors alongside the 18th-century plasterwork and ancient brickwork. Doubles cost from £120 a night (baudondemauny.com)
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Harriet Addison was a guest of the Montpellier Tourist Office (montpellier-france.com) and Easyjet (easyjet.com), which has returns from Gatwick from about £70