FOODIE GUIDE TO MARSEILLE
Soak up the southern French sun in this multicultural coastal city with orange-blossom lemonade, red mullet with chickpea fries and a glass or two of rosé
The best of this French coastal city
1 Bistro buzz Head to modern bistro Madame Jeanne for clams in pancetta and sherry, confit veal with homemade gnocchi, and pistou soup with roast tomatoes and courgette flowers. Organic wines come from the adjoining shop, including orange wines from the Languedoc and pale Provençal rosé. maisonbuon.com
2 Apéro with a view Head to atmospheric Café de l’Abbaye to join locals as they spill out onto the pavement to enjoy apéritifs with a view of the sun setting over the Vieux Port. Go Provençal and pair pastis with spiced chickpea fritters. facebook.com/lecafedelabbaye
3 Seafood buzz Lively seafood spot Boîte à Sardine is decorated with sardine tins, hunks of driftwood and old buoys. Here, the day’s catch is turned into simple pescatarian marvels such as calamari fried with Espelette pepper, red mullet with chickpea fries, sardines with herbs and super-fresh oysters. laboiteasardine.com 4 Levantine brunch Perch at the counter at Yima to watch chefs assemble Middle Eastern brunch dishes including shakshuka, slow-baked aubergine with tahini and pomegranate-flecked savoury granola. Order an orange-blossom lemonade to go with your meal. facebook.com/yimamarseille
5 Bottle it At sleek wine shop Chicoulon, Edouard Mireur and his sister Fanny source unique bottles from France and beyond, as well as stocking their own red, white and rosé wines. It’s worth lingering for chef Tomi’s seasonal lunches, served in the shop’s pretty courtyard – think cod with greek yogurt and spiced potatoes, quail with roasted veg and fennel soup. chicoulon.com
6 Got to gateau Join the queue outside Patisserie Sylvain Depuichaffray to choose exquisitely formed cakes such as green tea and strawberry millefeuille, or the “passionately chocolate”, made with passion fruit cream, dark chocolate and feuilletine. sylvaindepuichaffray.fr 7 Spice stop Stock up on almost every spice imaginable at Noailles district’s Saladin Épices du Monde, including myriad salt and pepper varieties (we counted 46 of the former and more than 50 of the latter), Provençal herb mixes and lavender honey. 00 33 4 91 33 22 76
8 Pizza fix Italian food, particularly pizza, is extremely popular in Marseille, and in-the-know foodies mark La Bonne Mère as the spot of the moment. Favourites to take away – or eat in at the cosy restaurant – include simple but flavourful toppings such as anchovies, cherry tomatoes and olives, gorgonzola and ham, or sun-dried tomatoes and pesto. pizzeria-labonnemere.fr
9 Dream deli Chic deli Épicerie L’Idéal is a trove of Mediterranean produce. Squeeze in around tables between shelves of olive oil and counters brimming with cured sausages and reblochon cheese, and tuck into focaccia studded with roast onions, stracciatella and Tuscan ham, or coffee and flourless chocolate cake. epicerielideal.com
10 Room service The Maison Montgrand – a hotel, café and shop in the Vieux Port – makes a great base for a visit. Sit in its colourful courtyard café and enjoy a gourmet ice lolly from local brand Emkipop (flavours include autumnal apple and pear with tonka bean), or shelter inside with a cake from top pâtissier Clément Higgins. maison-montgrand.com