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 dishes: Mediterranean specialties, Daily fish, Stuffed vegetables
Must 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.
Address: 48 La Canebiere, 13001 Marseille
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.
Chez Yassine in Marseille's 1er Noailles has cooked Tunisian home plates since 2014, all-day service, no reservations, the brik with egg and the kefteji the cheap-and-fast lunch.
Signature: Brik with egg, Kefteji, Ojja, Tunisian couscous
Order: The brik with tuna and egg, and the ojja with merguez to share.
Tip: No reservations; expect a shared table and cash-friendly counter service.
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.
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.
Le Vieux Panier in Marseille's 2e on the Place de Lenche is a wood-fired pizzeria with a small terrace looking down toward the Vieux Port and the MUCEM museum on the hill.
Signature: Wood-fired pizza, Italian pasta, Mediterranean plates
Order: Any of the wood-fired pizzas; the terrace at sunset is the second order.
Tip: Place de Lenche stairs descend straight to the old port; book the terrace for the view.
Chez Yassine in Marseille's 1er Noailles has cooked Tunisian home plates since 2014, all-day service, no reservations, the brik with egg and the kefteji the cheap-and-fast lunch.
Signature: Brik with egg, Kefteji, Ojja, Tunisian couscous
Order: The brik with tuna and egg, and the ojja with merguez to share.
Tip: No reservations; expect a shared table and cash-friendly counter service.
La Caravelle in Marseille's 2e hangs over the Vieux Port on the first floor of the Hotel Belle-Vue since the 1920s, a gathering place for artists with the most coveted balcony in the city.
Signature: Aioli, Daily fish, Aperitif tapas
Order: The aioli at lunch with a glass of pastis on the balcony.
Tip: Jazz concerts Wednesday and Friday October-May; book the balcony for sunset.
Le Cafe de la Banque in Marseille's 6e in the Estrangin former banking district is a Haussmann brasserie with a wide terrace running the day's specials.
Signature: Daily lunch special, Charcuterie board, Cheese plates
Order: The plat du jour at lunch, a charcuterie board at aperitif.
Tip: Open daily from breakfast through aperitif tapas to dinner; reservations for evening only.
