Since it’s a port city, it makes sense that Marseille’s signature dish is the overwhelming bouillabaisse fish stew. As long as you love fish, you should deal with this problem at least once. Avoid cheap versions: anything under €45 (£38) is considered cheap. Other local dishes are similarly sustainable: stainbeef stew in wine; And le grand aioli, hot cod surrounded by a full floor show of vegetables, shellfish and, of course, garlic mayonnaise. To do it full justice, you’ll need a chilled bottle of Provençal rosé (or Cassis white). Marseille, France’s oldest city, also has many foreign influences. Check out fine food from Mahgreb, Africa, the Middle East, Asia and of course Italy along the coast.
For more Marseille inspiration, check out our guide to the city, its best hotels, nightlife and things to do.
Le Petit Nice
Undoubtedly, Marseille’s most beautiful, most creative table, its three Michelin stars and its jaw-dropping prices come from here. The restaurant is located on the ground floor of the Le Petit Nice hotel and overlooks the salt water directly; A tranquil setting for Gérald Passédat’s imagination and technical mastery. The French chef uses fish that no one would ever think of, in dishes that no one would ever think of, at prices that very few people can afford. Lunch menu is €195 (£165), cheapest dinner menu is €310 (£262). Meanwhile, the on-site bistro Le 1917 offers fine cuisine at a slightly more affordable price.
To contact: passat.fr
Reservations: Necessary
Price:%s: £££
Chez Michel
Most people traveling to Marseille will, at some point, seek out bouillabaisse, the city’s iconic full-front fish dish. It comes in two servings: First the broth as soup, followed by a solid pile of fish. Among the best is Chez Michel near the Catalan coast. The decor hasn’t changed much since it opened in 1946; instead the focus was on cooking and the white-coat serving ceremony. Likewise when they want £67 per shot. Of course it’s expensive, but the Visciano family has been running the business for three generations. They are tackling a hugely difficult task.
To contact: restaurant-michel-13.fr
Price:%s: £££
Reservations: Necessary
L’Epuisette
Apparently growing from the cliffs of the small urban fishing village of Vallon des Auffes, L’Epuisette juts out magnificently to the sea, and its kitchen takes care of everything that swims in it quite magnificently. Guillaume Sourrieu’s place has been a Michelin-starred reference point in Marseille for years. It continues to be great. The six-course menu comes in at £82. I doubt you will be disappointed.
To contact: l-epuisette.com
Price:%s: £££
Reservations: Necessary
AM by Alexandre Mazzia
Not far from the Vélodrome football stadium, AM is the brightest new star in Marseille’s gastronomic firmament. For someone with three Michelin stars, Mazzia seems extremely humble; However, the price is not as you would expect. Mazzia, who spent part of his youth in the Congo, adds color, spice and invention to his dishes; But you’ll have to feel rich to appreciate it. The cheapest lunch menu is £165, the cheapest dinner menu is £249. If you have that kind of money I wouldn’t hesitate.
To contact: alexandre-mazzia.com
Price:%s: £££
Reservations: Necessary
Chez Fonfon
Fonfon is a landmark nestled in the Vallon des Auffes, an unlikely little fishing port in the heart of the city, and it makes bouillabaisse the way it should be done. It’s not cheap (€65 / £55), but you get what you pay for: first the stock served as soup, then the five-fish stew with all the bragging rights. Opened in 1952, the family-owned restaurant has also spent time perfecting other fish dishes and southern specialties.
To contact: chez-fonfon.com
Price:%s: £££
Reservations: Necessary
Le Relais 50
The restaurant connected to the Hotel La Résidence du Vieux Port starts with the advantage of the best setting – right next to the Vieux Port, with a terrace more or less in the water. It lives up to this, with a vaguely retro decor and creative Med cuisine. If you are going to have lunch or dinner around the old port you really should; the beating heart of the city; Then Relais 50 must be the most serious competitor according to your traditions. Its price-performance ratio helps make it stand out.
To contact: hotel-residence-marseille.com
Price:%s: ££
Reservations: Necessary
Le Perón
A Marseille classic perched on the rocks on the cornice, just above the sea. The food is expensive but expertly prepared, especially in the fish section, and this brings with it a feeling of exclusivity. By day, the outdoor wooden terrace offers perhaps the most unrestricted sea views in Marseille. At night the light extends just beyond the windows; The needle pricks coming from the boats and islands that are a little further away make the night both endless and intimate.
To contact: restaurant-peron.com
Price:%s: £££
Reservation: Necessary
Chez Madie Les Galinettes
This friendly, lively establishment in Vieux Port is a reference point for Provencal specialties, both fish and meat (including a rare chance to eat lamb testicles in France). There’s contemporary art on the walls, a terrace out front, and the best of Marseille on your plate. The beef daube in wine may be the best in the city, and the bouillabaisse isn’t bad at all either.
To contact: madielesgalinettes.com
Price:%s: £
Reservations: Necessary
Esplaï du Grand Bar des Goudes
From the center of Marseille, take bus N° 20 to Les Goudes, where the city’s last road leads to arid rocks, deep streams, a small fishing port and ramshackle huts where real Marseilles spend their weekends drinking pastis and barbecuing fish. generations. Here you will find the almost extremely pleasant Esplaï du Grand Bar des Goudes; The seafood here is good, the bouillabaisse and bourride are top-notch (and cheaper than the upscale establishments in the centre), with direct harbor and sea views. It’s smack dab and the atmosphere is perfectly Marseille, picaresque at its best.
To contact: grandbardesgoudes.fr
Price:%s: ££
Reservation: Necessary
Signature
Coline Faulquier is the young leader of a young team that has already secured a Michelin star for this place a street or two behind the football stadium. His is a contemporary take on Mediterranean cuisine, heavy on fish, as you’d expect in Marseille. Aioli – crispy vegetables with hake and monkfish with the necessary sauces – is already famous. Lunch menus start from £41 and dinner menus start from £106.
To contact: signaturemarseille.com
Price:%s: £££
Reservation: Necessary
How do we choose
Each restaurant on this curated list has been tried and tested by our visiting destination expert to give you the insider’s perspective. From neighborhood favorites to Michelin-starred restaurants, we cover a variety of budgets to best suit every traveler’s taste, and we consider food, service, best tables, atmosphere and price in our recommendations. We update this list regularly to keep up with the latest openings and provide up-to-date recommendations.