The best and most fun restaurants in Marseille, France
Marseille is tough underrated. We could easily make a case for why this city in the south of France deserves a place on your summerbucketlist. deserves. But that is not necessary – we already have a long list of Marseille tips ready for you.
Once notorious as the heroin hub for the US, the port city got a complete facelift in 2013 when it was named European Capital of Culture. Thanks to an investment of over half a billion euros, the city has flourished. Add to that 300 days of sunshine a year and voilà: Marseille became a hit.
The city is not complete without bouillabaisse – that iconic fish stew – but there is so much more to discover and taste.
These are the best and nicest restaurants in Marseille.
Wine bar meets street food fine dining. One of the hippest spots in town, where fine dining en streetfood meet each other. The chefs and concepts change, but the focus always remains on fresh ingredients from the Mediterranean.
The wine list? Mostly filled with natural wines. But let the team know what you fancy – they’ll find the perfect match.
Newer than new, because it has just opened – but already a promised name for the city. The first hifi bar from Marseille, or listening bar. Exactly the place that was missing in the emerging Camas district: a audiophile bar with small dishes, carefully selected wines and good sound throughout the room.
The three owners – Maeve, Gaël and Grégoire – wanted to create the atmosphere of a cosy neighbourhood café, where you sit down at the bar and enjoy everything that comes on your plate. Everything here is about balance: dimmed lighting, vintage tableware, modern wooden furniture and… a disco ball by Flore Faucheux. The mood is set.
As for the kitchen: it's a B2B of female chefs behind the stove. An evening at Double Zero means one thing – you never know when the evening will end.
Natural wine and small plates. Quality food, a great atmosphere and full of locals. Now, those are the words we want to hear when we talk about hospitality.
Acudo is a neo-bistronomic restaurant where the cuisine moves with the seasons – with an emphasis on sharing and conviviality. What is absolutely fantastic: the wine cellar with a carefully selected range of more than 90 wines (red, white, rosé and sparkling), which you can drink on the spot or take home.
At lunchtime, Acudo offers a refined and affordable menu, which is renewed every two weeks. In the evening, there is a more extensive, gastronomic menu that changes every two months
Seafood lovers Attention: put this spot on your hot spot listA stone's throw from the local bakery, Anthony Abelaud (former director) has opened L'écaillerie – a restaurant full of impressive seafood platters.
Not a monotonous menu, but a range of local delicacies with which you can create your own maxi party can compose: sea urchins from Carry, Marseillaise shells, Camargue oysters, muge in carpaccio…
The icing on the whelk (from the Mediterranean)? The dishes are served with a totally insane black garlic mayonnaise.
And if you haven't had enough of the sea, try the amazing tapas dishes from chef Cheickh Diouf: a sparkling jumped of girolles in parsley, topped with a soft-boiled egg; sea bass ceviche – nicely balanced – with Tiger milk, coconut and coriander; and a creamy gorgonzola with mascarpone, served with pistachios and rustic bread.
Everything here comes fresh from the sea and they combine that with a dose of good service and fine wines.
With a young team at the helm, this restaurant gets one serious recommendation after another. Sounds like something you just want to try yourself. And we'll add to that by mentioning that they are at Our have a seasonal gastronomic menu with French and Mediterranean influences. All ingredients are local, seasonal and – most importantly – incredibly fresh. Who are they? Chef Matthieu Roche and his wife Camille Fromont.
This wine bar is without a doubt one of the most cosy and inviting places in Marseille. The focus is on natural wines and a compact but tempting menu. For some it may be a bit too hip, but don't let that put you off.
Once inside, you are welcomed by a service that you will rarely encounter anywhere else: friendly, enthusiastic and always willing to help you make the perfect wine choice. The wine list is carefully composed, with a variety of natural wines that perfectly match the atmosphere and the offer of the bar.
Fun for the wine connoisseur, but just as good if you just want to try something new.
This is one of those places you can go to all day long. Yes, they are known for their lunch, but for your first shot of caffeine in the morning or a glass of natural wine at the end of the day, this is also the place to be.
We wouldn't be surprised if you return several times during your trip. At least we did…
French cuisine is delicious, but sometimes (sorry!) you want something different – go to this modern izakaya. Asian influences, then, at Robato. They connect Osaka and Marseille, and that sounds as delicious as it tastes.
Robert Petrenko is the ramen and soba chef, and they claim the title of best ramenrestaurant from Marseille. But it didn't stop there – they continued with the beloved Japanese dishes.
From family recipes such as agedashi tofu and Japanese curry, to streetfood-classics such as karaage, gyozas en yakitoris – we want everything.
Le Coin Coin is a lively bistro in the heart of Marseille. Located a stone’s throw from the old port, in the city’s first arrondissement, it’s cozy inside – just like the atmospheric patio. Not just any bistro, but one with a twist.
The menu is semi-vegetarian and not entirely contemporary, and tells the story of Marseille and its Mediterranean. Influences from everywhere are palpable, echoes reverberate through the city and through the dishes.
Denk: Cromesquis of Canard – delicious croquettes filled with slow-cooked duck meat and Comté, lightly seasoned with fresh chili and served with apple ketchup. Or Poulpe Fiction – a decadent octopus salad on brioche toast, with mayo, mustard seeds and sucrine.
And the wine? It flows freely – natural wine, or at least organic.
Marseille has a rich history of Moroccan influences, and Babouche knows how to perfectly combine these with what people are looking for today: a tasty, casual dining experience.
The menu offers dishes that are simple, but surprisingly tasty – without too much fuss. Not normally good lamb (phew), and the kefta tagine makes us want to go straight to Morocco after Marseille.
Marseille, what an abundance of good restaurants you have. And if we only list the best of the best, Matza should certainly not be missing.
You can eat delicious Mediterranean food there – on the terrace that feels like you are in Greece, or inside, both are equally nice. On the menu: a wide range of vegetarian mezzes, fish tartare and grilled dishes.
In Marseille, they knew for a long time that brioche would take over the sourdough trend. And at Café Brioche, you will find nothing but richly filled brioche buns.
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