Down a few steps beneath the Cours Masséna market, the Absinthe Bar serves the green spirit in the traditional French way — with a slotted spoon, sugar cube, and a slow drip of iced water from a fountain. They have a dozen brands on the back bar and someone behind it who can talk you through the differences.
The vaulted cellar is small and easy to miss; it gets going late and stays busy. There are also Edith Piaf records and accordion sing-alongs some nights. It is the only place in town that takes its absinthe seriously, and worth a stop even if you order something else.