Tapenade is the Provencal paste of black olives, capers, anchovies, garlic and olive oil pounded together in a mortar, eaten on toast as an aperitif or as a stuffing for fish and chicken.
Where to eat it: 3 restaurants across 1 city.
Tapenade was codified as a recipe in Marseille in 1880 by chef Meynier at the Maison Doree, the name from the Provencal tapeno for caper. The Provencal paste predates the recipe by centuries, but the proportions Meynier wrote (olives, capers, anchovy, olive oil, lemon) became the canonical version still served in every Marseille bistro and bouchon as part of the aperitif tapas board.
Common allergens: Fish
Tip from the editors. Pound by hand for the right texture; a food processor turns it into smooth paste, which is wrong. Some grain in the olives is the marker of real tapenade.
This is the TableJourney editorial recipe, modelled on the canonical bistro / counter version. The first place to try the dish in its city of origin is below.
Le Cafe de l'Abbaye in Marseille's 7e opens its terrace for a Provencal brunch on weekends, eggs with Provencal vegetables, charcuterie boards and the daily fish plate at noon.
Order: Eggs with Provencal vegetables and a glass of rose at noon
Tip: Walk-in only on weekends; the terrace looks at the Vieux Port.
La Caravelle in Marseille's 2e runs the most coveted balcony on the Vieux Port until 2am, jazz Wed and Fri October to May, aperitif tapas and small plates through the late hours.
Try: Aperitif tapas and Provencal small plates
Tip: Open daily 7am-2am; jazz nights pull a full room from 22:00.
Le Bouchon Provencal in Marseille's 1er on Place aux Huiles is a bistro of Provencal and Lyonnais lineage, two vaulted dining rooms and a lime-tree terrace, menu rewritten by the season.
Signature: Daube provencale, Pieds paquets
Order: The daube provencale and a glass of the house red on the terrace.
Tip: Open Mon-Sat; the upper vaulted room is the spot on cold nights.
More cities are in research. Want tapenade covered somewhere specific? Tell us where you want to eat.