aixcentric

As the number of students seems to increase each year, so the number of outlets selling light lunches grows – and the trend to including vegetarian/vegan/sans gluten options grows too.  Last week, being a  fan of Middle East cooking, I dropped into Kabbaz for a snack-lunch.  It’s a restaurant on the corner where rue d’Italie meets the peripherique.  It’s been many things over the years but at present is a comptoir libanais.  On offer various mezzé, either as an accompaniment to meat, or to compose a salad – tabouleh, humous, rice with lentils, aubergine moussaka, caviar d’aubergine, and very good hot spicy potatoes. 8;50 for 3 -13:50 for 4 with meat.  Sandwiches 6€.  Desserts from 2€.  I liked my mezze very much, but not paper plates and plastic cutlery.  Open Mon-Sat, 7-15:00hrs.  Details https://www.kabbaz.fr/

In the company with someone avoiding gluten, there were limited options around, but the Columbus Café in rue de la Messe is  offering salads including Buddha Bowls of quinoa, hummus, beetroot mousse and roasted butternut squash.  This is always a good place to drop into for a snack – usually seats available upstairs under the vaulted ceiling, a remainder of the centuries-old Augustine chapel which occupied the space.

Another little café burrowing into an old pre-Revolution convent is L’Atelier des Saisons which has opened in the Passage Agard.  Remains of the Carmelite convent can also be seen nearby inside Michel (papeterie) and Sephora, the beauty shop.  The café takes advantage of the height of the ancient building to offer seating on a mezzanine in their tiny premises.

They offer salad bowls, hot soup, quiche or ‘cake’ with salad, lasagne, all ‘fait maison’.  Open daily for lunches.

But should you need a more substantial lunch, you could try ‘Ma Premiere Cantine’ which opened late last year near the Rotonde.

Twelve of us had lunch there and I was impressed by the fast service (considering we all ordered different meals) and friendly staff.  It’s a Montpellier-based company which has brought its established and extensive menu to Aix and also Les Terrasses du Port.  ma-premiere-cantine-MARSEILLE

Lots of choice, and options for various allergies.  My vegetarian salad + baked potato was tasty but served in little pots and dishes, with the lettuce in a small version of the inside of a chip pan.  Basically all had to be de-constructed on to the wooden board to eat.  I thought this craze for fiddly containers had finished….but never mind, it tasted good.  Several had the café gourmand which looked wonderful.

Also – good for them – they provide doggy bags!  At 5 ave Victor Hugo.