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.
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.
3 editor picks for Tapenade in Marseille, ranked by editorial score. All Marseille signature dishes · Tapenade across every city.
La Caravelle ★ 4.4
2e · 34 Quai du Port, 13002 Marseille
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.
Le Bouchon Provencal ★ 4.3
1er · 6 Place aux Huiles, 13001 Marseille
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.
Le Cafe de l'Abbaye ★ 4.2
7e · 3 Rue d'Endoume, 13007 Marseille
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.