Aix Cours Mirabeau an Italian Trattoria That’s Child-friendly

With petits-enfants (my grandchildren) to cater for, I was pleased to visit the family-friendly Italian Trattoria, which replaced Quick in Aix centre-ville. I remember searching for this very type of place with two increasingly hungry little girls – we ended up with a ‘Pizza Capri while sitting on a bench. Not that that’s a bad thing with so much to see in the Cours Mirabeau, pigeons notwithstanding, but sometimes you want a bit more!

IT – Italian Trattoria Aix-en-Provence
37 Cours Mirabeau
13100 Aix-en-Provence
Open daily: 11 am –10:30 pm
The menu reflects the family roots of the restaurant chain’s Calabrian founders.
Some ingredients and products come from Italy.

Cours Mirabeau History

Cours Mirabeau is a street and, more than a street, it is the very heart of Aix. The French word cours comes from the Italian “corso,” meaning promenade.  In 1651, Archbishop Mazarin used the site of the old ramparts as the base for a new street – now the famed Cours Mirabeau.  The central road, which divides the old town into two sections, was once reserved for the exclusive use of the aristocracy.  Now we can all enjoy walking along the wide sidewalks beneath the beautiful canopy created by the double rows of plane trees. The original trees along the Cours were elms, but the plane tree, a Sycamore common in the region, replaced them (until now!).

The Cours Mirabeau is one of the most popular and lively places in town.  Originally there were no shops on the street, only the residences of the wealthy. Today, both sides are lined, not just with elegant houses but also shops and banks. The side that gets the longest hours of direct sunshine is where the cafés and restaurants have set themselves up. They line the street from the imposing Rotonde Fountain at the foot of the street to the statue of Roi René at Place Forbin, the top of the Cours. Continue reading about this famous avenue in Aix-en-Provence.

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