France Guide
Corsica
Bars and cafés
1 Le Grand Café Napoleon 10 cours Napoléon, opposite the préfecture Allegedly the oldest café in town, with Second Empire decor and a troisième âge clientele. The bar inside was the scene of a famous shootout during World War II, when a cell of key Resistance members was disturbed by the Italian caribinieri and forced to flee, guns blazing. The €16 lunch menu ranks among the best midday meal deals in town.
2 Au Grandval 4 rue Maréchal-Ornano. Lively neighbourhood bar that's famous for its collection of antique photos of Ajaccio (mostly evocative portraits). Only a couple of doors down from Le Jockey, which stays open later.
3 Le Jockey 1 rue Maréchal-Ornano. An Ajaccien institution, renowned above all for its extraordinary list of wines, which you can order by the glass or bottle: Saint Amar, Cantemerle, Morgon, Sancerre, Chasse-Spleen, Châteauneuf du Pâpe and all the local stars. The decor's a quirky but cosy hotchpotch of ephemera and old memorabilia, with a soundtrack to match.