Provencal bistro€€7e
Le Cafe de l'Abbaye in Marseille's 7e sits next to the Saint-Victor Abbey above the Vieux Port, a Provencal bistro with a single daily dish and a zinc-and-wood counter cut to market.
Signature: Plat du jour, Provencal tapas, Pastis aperitif
Order: Whatever the single plat du jour is at lunch; tapas at aperitif on the terrace.
Tip: Open Mon-Fri 9am-10:30pm, weekends from 3pm; closes mid-afternoon between services.
Vegetarian canteen€6e
Mikala in Marseille's 6e on Cours Julien is a fully vegan canteen (formerly Le Cours en Vert), organic produce from the market across the street and a daily menu of seven or eight vegetable plates.
Signature: Composed salads, Vegan plates, Gluten-free bowls
Order: The composed plate of the day with the market vegetables.
Tip: Walk-up at lunch, reservation taken for evenings; lunch and dinner Tue-Sat.
Modern brasserie€€6e
Mama Shelter Marseille in the 6e runs a contemporary brasserie out of its hotel base near Cours Julien, the lavish Sunday buffet brunch and the rooftop bar the two reasons to come.
Signature: Sunday buffet brunch, Wood-oven pizza, Mediterranean grills
Order: The Sunday buffet brunch noon to 4pm, or aperitif on the no-reservations rooftop.
Tip: Restaurant open seven days; reservation taken for restaurant, not for the rooftop.
Mediterranean brasserie€€1er
Le Capucin in Marseille's 1er runs the brasserie ground floor of the Mercure Canebiere Vieux Port, chef Noel Baudrand cooking Mediterranean plates sublimated with herbs and spices.
Signature: Mediterranean specialties, Daily fish, Stuffed vegetables
Order: The daily fish off the cart at lunch with a glass of Bandol white.
Tip: Open daily for lunch and dinner; sunny terrace, family-friendly, ECOTABLE-labelled.
Marseillais pizza€€2e
Chez Etienne in Marseille's 2e Panier has cooked wood-fired Marseillais pizza since 1943, no menu, cash only, the half-anchovy half-cheese the local order since the Sicilian original.
Signature: Anchovy pizza, Half-and-half pizza, Fried supions
Order: The half-anchovy half-cheese pizza, the canonical version in the city.
Tip: Open Mon-Sat lunch and dinner, closed Sunday; cash only, no reservations, expect a queue.
Sicilian Marseillais pizza€€1er
Chez Sauveur in Marseille's 1er Noailles has cooked Sicilian-rooted Marseillais pizza since 1943 founded by Sauveur Di Paola, taken over in 2023 by a young team that kept the wood oven going.
Signature: Pizza speciale, Wood-fired pizza, Italian dishes
Order: The Pizza Speciale with mozzarella di bufala, cherry tomatoes and pistou.
Tip: Open Tue-Sat lunch and dinner; closed Sunday and Monday.