What to do for Valentine's Day in Pays d'Aubagne?

Romantic dinners and evenings

This year, why not celebrate Valentine’s Day just a few miles from home, with no traffic jams and no dress codes, just good food and good company.

In Aubagne, a number of restaurants are getting in on the act with menus specially designed for Valentine’s Day: Bistro Louis, Maison Zeù!, Le 66 restaurant du Parc and Villa Estello are welcoming couples to the town centre in a warm atmosphere of fine cuisine, soft lighting and clinking glasses.

Other restaurants, such as Le Pavillon de la Source and Chez Suzanne, don’t necessarily offer a dedicated menu, but are still great options for a romantic dinner in a pleasant setting that’s perfect for sharing.

Around Aubagne, the local villages also offer Valentine’s menus, each with its own atmosphere: Brasserie du Cours in Auriol, La Fenière in La Bouilladisse, La Sérena in Roquevaire, Les Deux Minots in Belcodène, Chez Claudélina, La Notté or Le Lilo near Saint-Zacharie, and Le Mattilio in Peypin. From friendly bistros to more intimate dining, there’s something for everyone.

And to round off the evening, a screening at Le Pagnol cinema, in the heart of Aubagne, can also be a lovely interlude for two, to share before or after dinner.

Insider tip: book ahead and let the chefs take care of the rest.

Well-being and cocooning

There are those who love going out, and then there are those who just want to relax.
For them, Valentine’s Day takes on the air of a wellness interlude: bathrobe, subdued lighting, sweet scents, and telephone on silent mode.

At La Destrousse,La Mémoire de l’Eau invites you to slow down for a moment: treatments, a Zen atmosphere, suspended time to reconnect with yourself and your partner.

Les Sources de Pasithéa guest house in Saint-Zacharie is a cosy refuge, a cocoon where you can shut out the noise, eat a good meal, read, sleep, do nothing… in short, put the couple back at the centre for an evening or a weekend.

And for those who prefer to stay at home, you can put together a ‘home spa’: candles, soft music, a hot bath and a tray of local produce for the two of you to enjoy. The important thing is not the address, but the intention.

Artisanal Valentine’s Day: workshops and gift ideas

Giving a bouquet is nice. Creating something together is a little more unexpected, and leaves a mark that lasts longer than the flowers.

There’s no shortage ofclay, ceramics and craftspeople in the region. Why not book a workshop for two, to model, decorate and create an object with four hands? Right in Aubagne town centre, the ” Et le gris devient bleu ” workshop offers creative moments in clay, accessible even to beginners. A morning bowl, a decorative piece, a unique souvenir that simply says: ” It was our Valentine’s Day in Aubagne “.

On 14 February, another original idea will be added to the programme: a Japanese-style bookbinding workshop, a technique from the East in which the pages are threaded together around a personalised hardback cover. The result is a unique notebook and the pleasure of learning a new skill together.

When it comes to gifts, there’s plenty to choose from locally: ceramic jewellery, unique pieces, homeware, gourmet gift boxes… enough to add a little territory to every gesture of love.

And for the latecomers (or those allergic to supermarkets), the Tourist Office shop is a veritable Ali Baba’s cave: souvenirs, local creations, last-minute ideas that are never impersonal.