Tunisian-Algerian couscous adopted as a Marseille canteen staple after the great Maghrebi migration: steamed semolina with merguez, lamb shank, chickpeas and a harissa-spiked vegetable broth.
Where to eat it: 4 restaurants across 1 city.
Couscous arrived in Marseille with Algerian, Tunisian and Moroccan migration from the 1920s onwards, and consolidated as the city's defining North African dish by the 1960s. Le Femina on Rue du Musee opened in 1921 and serves a Kabyle barley couscous from the predominantly Berber region of northern Algeria; Chez Yassine on Noailles runs the Tunisian red-sauce version with merguez.
Common allergens: Gluten, Egg
Tip from the editors. Steam the couscous twice if you can; the Algerian-Tunisian method gives a fluffier grain. Harissa is non-negotiable at table; the broth should be mild.
Le Femina in Marseille's 1er Noailles has cooked Algerian Berber couscous since 1921, the same family carrying it across generations, the barley semolina.
Signature: Berber couscous, Barley semolina couscous
Order: The Berber couscous with lamb on barley semolina; the kitchen turns the dish all day.
Tip: Closed Sunday evening and Monday; reservation strongly recommended.
Chez Yassine in Marseille's 1er Noailles runs the late Tunisian counter Tuesday to Sunday until 21:30, brik with egg, ojja and kefteji at shared tables.
Try: Tunisian brik, ojja and kefteji
Tip: Closed Monday; cash and card both accepted, no reservations.
La Kahena in Marseille's 1er near the Vieux Port has cooked Tunisian halal cuisine since 1978, mosaics and portraits of beys on the walls, the couscous.
Signature: Couscous, Bricks with egg, Grilled merguez
Order: The mixed couscous and the brick with tuna and egg as a starter.
Tip: Open daily, book for weekend lunch when the room fills with families.
Chez Sauveur in Marseille's 1er Noailles has cooked Sicilian-rooted Marseillais pizza since 1943, the Pizza Speciale around €15, the cheapest wood-fired.
Try: Sicilian wood-fired pizza
Tip: Closed Sunday and Monday; takeaway saves the queue at peak Cash is faster than card.
More cities are in research. Want couscous marseillais covered somewhere specific? Tell us where you want to eat.