Where to eat in Marseille: The city’s must-visit eateries

At La Mercerie, Chef Harry Cummins celebrates Provençal produce with daily prix fixe menus and nightly five-course feasts, paired with Laura Vidal's expert wine selections. Photo / Adrian Bautista

A diverse culinary history combined with a new wave of contemporary restaurants is helping Marseille shake off its gritty image to emerge as France’s most exciting culinary destination, writes Nicola Leigh Stewart.

Start your day by picking up croissants and baguettes from sourdough bakery T65, which uses long fermentation methods, organic flours, and ancient grains to bake its traditional French breads and pastries. For something heartier, head to Carlotta With which serves all-day breakfast, brunch, and cakes inspired by the travels of owner Charlotte Crousillat and the cooking of her Algerian-based Italian grandmother. Think Middle Eastern touches, such as homemade dukkah sprinkled on eggs and pistachio-topped pancakes.

At Cecile, savour French jambon-beurre or American pastrami in spaces crafted by local designer Marion Mailaender. Photo / DR Flo Lalanne

Come lunchtime, locals pack out Au Falafel for its Middle Eastern fare. Make sure to leave room for the traditional honey-soaked cakes and, as it’s only open for three hours a day, book in advance to snag a table. For something a little fancier, reserve at Sepia, which sits on the edge of Marseille’s oldest public garden. Chef Paul Langlere cut his teeth with chefs such as Alain Ducasse before moving back to his home town to open his own restaurant, where he puts a modern riff on French classics such as pied de cochon (pig’s foot) and mousse au chocolat. The chef is also heading up the menu at Cecile, the latest project from friend Barthelemy Tassy and his wife Erin Wasson, the American supermodel who now calls Marseille home. Pop by for French jambon-beurre sandwiches and American pastrami served up in design-led interiors imagined by Marseille native Marion Mailaender.

Craving a sandwich? Petrin Couchette offers sourdough delights with a spacious terrace to relax or grab a fresh sandwich. Photo / Adrian Bautista

Another great sandwich spot is sourdough bakery Petrin Couchette. There’s a large terrace outside to linger over coffee or pick up a rustic loaf to go. Just steps away is Marseille’s excellent grocery store Epicerie L’Ideal, which sadly closed its restaurant only recently, but you can still get freshly made sandwiches and baked goods from the deli counter inside. You can also a pick up a delicious selection of produce to stash in your suitcase, from spices to packs of artisan pasta, all chosen by owner and former food journalist Julia Sammut. Provisions Marseille is smaller but stocks a similar range of products and serves breakfast and lunch.

If you need a little afternoon snack whilst deciding on dinner (known as a gouter in French) then take a walk to Marseille’s oldest bakery, Four des Navettes, which has been handmaking the city’s emblematic biscuits, navettes, since 1781. Shaped like a boat and scented with orange blossom flower, the biscuits are traditionally enjoyed at Candlemas and are considered so good at the Four des Navettes that the Archbishop of Marseille comes on Candlemas morning to bless the biscuits and the bakery’s original 18th-century oven.

If you’re craving icecream then you’ll find spots across the city but L’Elephant Rose a Pois Blancs and Vanille Noire are the best in town.

Save your evening for Livingston, where Valentin Raffali offers innovative sharing plates and natural wines. Photo / Adrian Bautista

Whilst in Marseille you can’t miss a meal at La Mercerie, one of the city’s most lauded restaurants, from the same owners as Petrin Couchette. British chef Harry Cummins puts local Provencal produce at the forefront of his ever-evolving cuisine, which by night is showcased in a five-course tasting menu and by day comes in the form of an excellent value prix fixe menu, both perfectly complemented by a wine list curated by Canadian sommelier Laura Vidal. If you do La Mercerie for lunch then book a table at sister restaurant Livingston for dinner, where Valentin Raffali focuses on creative sharing plates served alongside natural and biodynamic wines. The menu constantly changes but the signature sourdough pizzetta is thankfully always there. Whilst La Mercerie and Livingston are part of Marseille’s new generation of creative restaurants, Mama Africa is something of a Marseille institution for traditional West African dishes after opening more than two decades ago. There are two locations, but only the address by Cours Julien has an outdoor terrace for dining al fresco.

Tuba Club, nestled on Marseille's coast in Les Goudes. Dive into seafood and savour pastis while overlooking the Mediterranean. Photo / Corner Lab

Further out of the city centre you’ll find ultra hip hotel Tuba sitting right on Marseille’s rocky coastline in the former fishing neighbourhood of Les Goudes. Chef Sylvain Roucayrol had already been receiving rave reviews in Paris before he was tapped to oversee the restaurant and newly opened rooftop terrace, Bikinis. Both channel the laidback beach vibes of the hotel’s design and setting so expect fantastic seafood and zingy cocktails (there’s also a bar dedicated to Marseille’s most famous aperitif, pastis) served up with endless views of the Mediterranean.

AM par Alexandre Mazzia is a fusion of African childhood memories and Mediterranean essence at his 3-star Michelin spot in Marseille. Photo / David Girard

And finally, if you’re looking to splurge then book a table at AM par Alexandre Mazzia. The French chef grew up in the Republic of Congo and now draws inspiration from his childhood in Africa and his Mediterranean surroundings to create a deeply personal cuisine at his three Michelin-star Marseille restaurant. Mazzia’s street food van, Michel par AM, is also located just steps from the restaurant and gives a taste of his cooking but without the three-Michelin-star price tag.

Checklist

MARSEILLE

GETTING THERE

Fly from Auckland to Marseille with Air New Zealand and Lufthansa, via Los Angeles and Frankfurt. Alternatively, fly from Auckland to Paris, via Doha with Qatar Airways, then catch the high-speed train from Gare du Nord to Marseille, which takes less than four hours.

DETAILS

marseille-tourisme.com/en