Michelin Restaurants in Marseille
Prémices
Two friends who met while working at nearby restaurant La Mercerie have opened their own trendy bistro a few doors down, opposite the opera house. A magnificent counter adorned with zellige tiles greets guests; upstairs, the dining area is sizable. At lunchtime, tuck into a set menu, which comes at a very affordable price considering the quality of the dishes. The menu – renewed twice a month – smacks of good, modern cuisine, and features unusual combinations and trendy names such as celeriac ice cream. The home-made bucatini with spinach condiment and fried sage is a real treat, as is the delicious butternut and nutmeg tart with a subtle quince paste and physalis condiment.
Marseille - FRANCE
Mijoba
Venezuelan-born chef David Mijoba, well known on Marseille's restaurant scene, has opened his own bistro in the Vauban neighbourhood, with Notre-Dame-de-la-Garde as a backdrop. With fruit and vegetables from the region, fish (some caught locally), and spices from all over the world, his passion for ingredients is evident, with practically every dish featuring produce with a protected geographical indication. This flavoursome cosmopolitan cuisine taps into one continent after another, with lunch tending towards vegetables and dinner being more fish and seafood-based. On this occasion, lunch was a feast of raw and cooked purple artichokes from Le Garlaban, raw and marinated scallops from Deauville, served with chop suey and a beef broth with Hanoi spices and, to finish, a flaky tarte fine with caramelised apples and home-made ice cream. A fine selection of "living" wines, particularly from the Jura.
Marseille - FRANCE
La Mercerie
An avalanche of quality local ingredients, undeniable know-how and gourmet delicacies... You can count on the young team to take care of your appetite in the best possible way. As for wine, the menu is lovingly put together with an emphasis on natural wines, with a promising turnover: all the ingredients are in place for you to have a great time.
Marseille - FRANCE
Un Petit Cabanon Bouillon
In this minimalist neo-bistro just a stone's throw from Joliette metro station, the emphasis is on local produce, with a touch of creativity for good measure. The menu taps into the zeitgeist and highlights what's in season: confit pork belly; pasta, squid ink, dill and sea almonds.
Marseille - FRANCE
Kin
Chef Hugues Mbenda from Kinshasa (Democratic Republic of the Congo) delivers his Congolese cuisine in the form of a single set menu comprising several courses. This menu changes every fortnight and includes creations such as manioc crisps with sweet chilli and burnt onion cream; crispy Angus beef onglet, dibi sauce, white asparagus and puffed thiéré (Senegalese couscous). The ingredients are fresh, the presentation is meticulous and the flavours are sure to transport you. At lunchtime, Libala, the chef's first cross-cultural street food restaurant, has a simpler menu.
Marseille - FRANCE
Le Petit Nice
Le Petit Nice is inextricably linked to its city, Marseille, and to Gérald Passedat's personality. "I dive into the Mediterranean, in every sense of the word," says the chef. "It carries me and inspires me, as well as all the lands that surround it." It would be an understatement to say that he has drawn inspiration from the Mediterranean terroir (fruit, vegetables, cereals, fish, spices etc) to forge his culinary identity. For example, over 65 types of fish are used in the kitchen, from sea bream, dentex and pike-perch to whiting, comber, and sometimes even moray eel. Gérald Passedat, heir to a family of artists and once a student of Alain Chapel, the Troisgros brothers and Michel Guérard, has lost none of the pleasure he takes in cooking and in surprising and thrilling diners. A taste of the Calanques...
Marseille - FRANCE
Lauracée
There is no doubt that the boss of this house tucked away behind the old port serves only fresh produce – “I don’t know how to cook anything else!” Take a seat in the modish, comfortable interior and be prepared to enjoy deftly crafted fine food rich in Mediterranean twists. A few examples: truffle-flavoured scrambled eggs; farm-reared Bigorre pork, white beans in chorizo, hazelnut crumble and sage gravy; amber rum baba, mascarpone chantilly, upside-down pineapple and kiwi pie. Exquisite service.
Marseille - FRANCE
Une Table, au Sud
Ludovic Turac, who boasts stints at Le Bristol and Guy Savoy, is at the helm of this fully refurbished navy-blue restaurant, firmly anchored in the South of France. Using regional veggies, locally caught fish and meat from the southern Alps, the chef crafts two several-course menus: “From the Sea to the Land” displays a strong Marseillais twang, while the “Spice Crossroads” unveils numerous nods to his travels around the Mediterranean and his own Armenian roots. In short, Turac pays tribute to the countries that have influenced Marseilles’ culinary heritage. His inventive recipes are always packed with flavour and perfectly in tune with the knockout panorama over the Old Port and “La Bonne Mère” (as Notre Dame basilica up on the hill is affectionately dubbed by the locals).
Marseille - FRANCE
La Cantinetta
Since childhood, Pierre-Antoine Denis has been passionate about Italian food and regularly pops over the border to scour the country for premium produce. Chalked up on a slate, the menu spans antipasti, fresh house-made pasta and the chef’s signature dish: scaloppine di vitello. Tightly-packed tables, a buzzy vibe and a patio to the rear set the scene.
Marseille - FRANCE
Saisons
In the heart of Marseille, a stone’s throw from Place Castellane, this contemporary venue is the exuberant project of a duo of pros, both local lads. Chef Julien Diaz, who honed his talents in London and Corsica, works with sommelier Guillaume Bonneaud. Seating for thirty, a pared-down interior, depicted by wood, iron and untreated materials, spot on food-wine pairings and creative cuisine that bears witness to the establishment’s ethos, particularly in terms of seasonal and locally sourced ingredients from the Mediterranean and Corsica. The lunchtime menu is a bargain.
Marseille - FRANCE
Lacaille
This neighbourhood bistro offers no-fuss market cuisine that keeps pace with the seasons. Service with a smile.
Marseille - FRANCE
AM par Alexandre Mazzia
You need a raft of superlatives to describe the work of Alexandre Mazzia at AM, his restaurant located in a chic residential area not far from the Stade Vélodrome. A true artist of a chef who is in perpetual motion, he elevates the small-portion format to the realm of art; he is a virtuoso when it comes to spices, roasting and smoking; his childhood memories of the Congo flow through his cuisine. In his hands, the gastronomic mould as we know it has been broken, but, more importantly, it all makes sense! Take, for instance, his trout roe and wild salmon with smoked milk and roasted hazelnuts – in which the intensity of flavour is second to none – or the breaded langoustines with sesame seeds and bonito, a lemon-geranium condiment and seaweed popcorn – a pure wonder. At each sitting, the lucky few are whisked away on a unique adventure of taste sensations, enhanced by perfect service.
Marseille - FRANCE
Tabi - Ippei Uemura
Tabi, which means journey in Japanese, says it all! Born in Kyoto, the chef has adopted the city of Marseilles as his own. He incorporates locally caught fish into traditional Japanese recipes, prepared in front of customers. Food-saké pairings for aficionados. One of a kind!
Marseille - FRANCE
Peron
On the coast road, this building clinging to the rocks offers a breathtaking view of the bay of Marseille and its islands and the château d’If. A brisk sea breeze has shaken up the menu which features dishes such as local and wild fish of the day, stuffed vegetables, duck breast and beef fillet, without forgetting the ubiquitous bouillabaisse, all of which served on the splendid terrace. A genuine institution since 1855!
Marseille - FRANCE
Chez Fonfon
This family restaurant (1952) is pleasing in terms both of its contemporary interior and its seafood, freshly fished in the wooden pointu boats that can be seen bobbing about in the little port.
Marseille - FRANCE
Les Trois Forts
From the seventh floor, the panoramic view over the port is simply sublime! The contemporary dishes with a delicious Southern flavour make for a wonderful gourmet interlude.
Marseille - FRANCE
Les Bords de Mer
Subtle cuisine and a stunning sea view: what more could we ask for? Chef Camille Gandolfo, who hails from Marseille, adds a fresh (occasionally Asian) spin to her original Mediterranean recipes in a bid to showcase seasonal produce. The savvy wine list gives top billing to the organic production of the Domaine de Fontenille wine estate (AOP Luberon), which owns this elegant establishment. An impressive restaurant that takes its food seriously.
Marseille - FRANCE
Cédrat
A couple, two chefs, two different culinary formulas: at lunchtime, chef Maëlyss Vultaggio chalks up her menu on the blackboard, assisted in the kitchen by Éric Maillet, a young chef who earned his stripes working for the likes of Gérald Passedat. In the evening, the roles are reversed: he takes the lead, creating more of a fine dining menu with his partner supporting him. Dishes such as farmhouse chicken on the barbecue, celeriac confit, sorrel, ginger/lemongrass sauce and XO reduction exemplify this modern Mediterranean-style cuisine. Using organic vegetables, locally caught fish and well-reared meats, the food certainly packs a punch. Contemporary setting.
Marseille - FRANCE
Signature
The ebullient Coline Faulquier fêtes the Mediterranean virtues of sharing by means of four set menus, including two tasting menus in the evening. The ingredients are carefully selected – from organic market gardeners and wild herb gatherers, fish from the Mediterranean – and you will enjoy tucking into her classic "Aïoli", comprising a mosaic of crunchy vegetables, monkfish and hake, aioli (both as a sauce and iced), ink tuile; catch of the day served au naturel with a light black-garlic glaze, blanquette-style bone jus, Buddha's hand, asparagus… Personality, enthusiasm, flavour: a true signature style.
Marseille - FRANCE
Michel - Brasserie des Catalans
Soak up the atmosphere of Marseille in this popular restaurant on the Plage des Catalans. Here they take their bouillabaisse very seriously... and it tastes phenomenal! As you would expect, the menu proposes an exceptionally fresh catch of the day: you will see the fish in the tanks as you come in.
Marseille - FRANCE
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