The port city of Marseille is a food lovers’ dream, with a seemingly infinite number of restaurants, coffee shops and street food options available. Read on for my personal recommendations of the best places to eat in Marseille.
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(UPDATED 2024)
One of the most awesome things of all about the French city of Marseille is the fact that, despite its location on the coast of Provence, the city isn’t perhaps what you’d think of as being traditionally ‘French.’ Like all port cities, Marseille contains such a massive mixture of cultures. And it naturally follows that a place that contains so many different cultures will also contain a whole load of different foods from these cultures. So, do not stick just to French food when you visit Marseille; the city’s mixture of cultural backgrounds is what makes it so unique, and this is a great opportunity to sample all kinds of dishes you might have never heard of before.
I’ve been visiting Marseille regularly for years now, and have ran all over the place discovering all sorts of intriguing places to eat, drink and be merry, whilst religiously jotting down my favourite places to eat in the city, to pass on to anyone who wants a tip-off. I haven’t included our fave kebab shop (although I’m pretty sure its name is Kabul King and it’s on the Rue de la République in case you’re interested; they do great fries), or the bakery and greengrocer located opposite our rehearsal studio which saved me from starvation countless number of times. Because you’re capable of finding your own fave fries and croissants and clementines, I’m sure.
Read on, dear pals, to find out my all-time top places to eat in Marseille! And prepare for a mouth-watering fiasco!
Before we start. What food should you try in Marseille?
Before I get on to the restaurants and cafes themselves, let’s talk about the actual local dishes that you should really be sampling if you head to the capital of Provence.
Number one is bouillabaise, which is basically a fish soup served as the starter, normally followed by a main dish of the fish that was used to make the stock for the soup. As a seaside city, Marseille is obviously in prime location to be serving you with some downright awesome fresh fish. As long as you stay away from the plastic-menu restaurants with photos of the food, you’re pretty much guaranteed to get something tasty.
Secondly: navettes. Navettes are very hard biscuits which are traditionally flavoured with orange blossom and shaped like little tiny boats. They sell these in pretty much every bakery in the city, although there are also specialist navette bakers like Four des Navettes who focus solely on making these boat-shaped biccies. Confusingly, these days the word ‘navette’ also means ‘shuttle bus’ so be careful if you google where to go for a navette. You could end up in a bus back to the airport if you’re not too careful.
Where to Go in Marseille…from the Tourist Hotspots to the Completely Obscure
Bistrot L’Horloge
Rustic French bistro near the harbour.
If you’re looking for a cozy place to get a glass of wine or two, this is the prime location, pals.
An unassuming little bistro just back from Le Vieux Port, the atmosphere here is just downright lovely. Every plate of food looks, smells and tastes absolutely exquisite, and in my opinion the bistrot has the perfect combination of atmosphere and deliciousness to make a truly brilliant meal. The kitchen serves French classics, and a meal here is really a treat.
Bistrot L’Horloge, 11 Cours Honoré d’Estienne d’Or.
The Cup of Tea
Cosy tea shop filled with musical memorabilia, near Le Panier.
This little ‘tea and books’ cafe is near Hotel de Ville and the Le Panier area, and if I’m honest it’s got the air of the Harry Potters about it. A dark wooden interior filled with tins and tins of tea, shelves of books and walls of old music memorabilia, it’s a beaut little place to stop for a cuppa and a people-watch. They do serve food as well, although personally I’ve only ever gone as far as a croissant situation when I’ve visited. Definitely go for a tea over a coffee, as this is what they really do well.
Cup of Tea, 1 Rue Caisserie.
Emilie and the Cool Kids
Trendy chain serving great coffee and brunch options, in the city centre.
There are actually several of these cafes in the South of France (and one in Reykjavik, apparently). This is the place to go for a decent coffee, a decent lunchtime salad or bagel, and a very decent, freshly-baked, cookie. It’s not the location for a full on traditionally French experience- unless you decide to get the French menu instead of the English one- but the food is nice and fresh and the deco is a retro-lover’s dream.
Also, they have an abundance of avocados which is brilliant for the vitamin-deprived cruise ship employee like myself.
Emilie and the Cool Kids, 54 Rue Vacon.
Chez Fanny
Sandwich shop specialising in a Tunisian classic.
Chez Fanny is an absolute GEM. My pal introduced me to the hole-in-the-wall sandwich shop specifically so I could try a fricassé, which he described excitedly as a savoury donut sandwich. Actually that’s not a bad explanation of this Tunisian treat- the ‘bread’ part is fried dough, and the filling normally consists of tuna, olives, boiled egg and harissa (give or take a few things). It was DELICIOUS.
Fanny does serve other things, like classic sandwiches, tarts and burgers. And customers can hop onto a bar stool at the little corner-shop’s unassuming windows to consume these, or take them away in a good old paper bag to nibble on while you walk. Good one, Fanny. I’m a fan.
Chez Fanny , 28 Rue Bonneterie.
Twist Avenue
Gimmicky-but-tasty chimney cakes in a bright environment.
I went into Twist Avenue for the first time because I thought it was a creperie. But oh no sir, this is no pancake place. Twist Avenue has basically taken the concept of the Hungarian Chimney Cake- sugary dough which is wrapped around a cylindrical spit and baked- and turned it into something that’s all a bit ‘hipster’ by adding fillings and toppings and side orders. Both sweet and savoury twists are on the menu, and the normal-sized twists will fill you up to the brim (although mini versions are sold here as well).
Twist Avenue, 99 Bis Rue Henri Fiocca.
Cookiss
Freshly baked cookies in Le Panier.
Sticking to the sweet treats for a bit, Cookiss is a brilliant little coffee and cookies spot, almost adjacent to Marseille Cathedral. It couldn’t be in a more convenient location, pals! This beautiful spot sells coffee as well as an array of doughy, freshly baked cookies to take away. There are plenty of flavours to choose from, but once they’re gone they’re gone.
Cookiss, 7 Rue Four du Chapitre
Carlotta With
Beautiful restaurant in the Vauban area.
You’ll find this cavernous cafe and restaurant in the Vauban area if you decide to make the steep walk up to Notre Dame de la Garde, and it may well be a welcome relief from the trekking, know what I’m saying!?
The interior is all very minimalist- think concrete flooring and white and grey tiled counters- and there’s also some tables outside the front if you fancy sipping a coffee and watching the world go by from out there. I’ve only ever gone for a coffee-and-pastry combo here (v v good), but there’s also a full lunch and dinner menu which is filled with French and Mediterranean treats and looks delish.
Carlotta With, 84 Boulevard Vauban.
EMKI Pop
Fancier-than-your-usual ice pops.
Continuing in the Vauban area, as it’s just so lovely, a few doors down from Carlotta With is EMKI Pop. EMKI Pop sells gourmet ice lollies made from all natural and seasonal ingredients; you can get your lolly with a topping, with a coffee or with a side order of cookies if you fancy. Or, skip the whole lolly part and go for something like an açai bowl instead.
EMKI Pop, 80 Boulevard Vauban.
Toute Une Histoire
Patisserie selling downright delicious cakes and bread.
This little bakery doesn’t look like much either outside or in, but I can honestly say it sells some of the best cakes and pastries I ever tried in France! (And I feel like I’ve tried a fair few.)
The lady running the place is a lovely lass, and if I’d have had room to try everything in there I would have done without a doubt; delicate pastries decorated with creme patissiere and fruit, classic croissants and pain au chocolat, and loaves of bread are all baked here. And when I saw that she also sold canelés- dense, chewy cakes originally from Bordeaux– I obviously had to get one. One of those, and one of several other things as well.
Toute Une Histoire, 4 Cours Pierre Puget.
Douceur Picante
Gorgeous Comoran restaurant with an ever-changing menu.
Loated in Le Panier, the oldest part of Marseille, this Comoran restaurant serves up a choice of three dishes every day- one vegetarian, one meat, and one fish. (In case you’re not sure, Comoros is a little African island nation in the Indian Ocean.)
I felt a bit like I’d been invited into the very higgledy-piggledy kitchen of the lovely lady who was cooking our dinner for us in the very same room we ate in, filling the whole place with amazing spicy smells as she bustled about chatting to the other lady who worked there. Obviously as they were talking in French, and my French is pretty bad/mal, they may well have been talking about, and laughing about, us; but it was hard to tell and the food was so good that I wouldn’t have minded anyway.
Douceur Picante, 17 Rue de l’Évêché.
La Jardin d’á Côté
Classic French restaurant with plenty of outdoor seating on a square.
We sat outside on Le Cours Julien at this beaut little bistro, tucking into a very hearty stew involving beef and red wine and onions and having a very grand old time in the winter sunshine. French classics are all the rage at this bistro, and our waiter was a hilarious man who was all too happy to give us advice as to the best things to eat on a Winters Day in Marseille.
When a fight broke out between two homeless lads over the way (one guy had stolen the other guy’s wine bottle), the heroic waiter burst in to interrupt the scuffle and ran back to declare- ‘It is the same argument with those two every day. Ah, beautiful Marseille!’
I mean, he was kind of joking but I think Marseille is beautiful, in its own unique way.
Le Jardin d’á Côté, 65 Cours Julien.
Biba Brunch
The top spot in Marseille for brunchstagrammers, in the centre of a great shopping area.
Biba Brunch, as you might expect from the name, does brunch really really well. And this pretty little restaurant with its peppermint green and gold decor exterior an array of gorgeous woven chairs and white tables, and colourful dried flowers arranged, also does a fantastic job of attracting the instagram crowd.
You’ve got to hand it to them, even putting the decor to one side, the restaurant serves fantastic brunches, juices and smoothies, so this one definitely gets my vote for best brunch restaurant in Marseille.
Biba Brunch, 4 Bis Rue du Jeune Anacharsis
Marafiki Coin Tropical
Gorgeous Central African Kitchen in Le Panier.
Thanks to its relatively high population of African immigrants, Marseille does African food with a French twist, really, really well. There are plenty of African restaurants to pick from, and Marafiki is a great one. This teeny-tiny restaurant and bar is in a quiet lane in Le Panier, and the juxtaposition of the traditional looking alleyway with shuttered windows, against the African textiles used to decorate the outdoor terrace of Marafiki, is really beautiful.
The smells wafting from the kitchen are also just fantastic. This is a fabulous spot to enjoy a meal on a summers day (or evening), and on the day I visited, there was also a brilliant guitarist serenading diners- who was then joined spontaneously by a chorus of teenage girls, who were dancing on the square below.
Marafiki Coin Tropical, 4 rue du Refuge
