Italian Trattoria€€6e
La Cantinetta in Marseille's 6e on Cours Julien opened in 2006, a trattoria spinning northern Italian winter cooking and southern Italian summer plates.
Signature: Fresh pasta, Risotti, Northern Italian braises
Order: The ravioli and tagliatelle in winter; shellfish and crustaceans in summer.
Tip: Closed Sunday; reservations strongly recommended for the patio.
Modern Mediterranean€€6e
Limmat in Marseille's 6e at the foot of the Cours Julien stairs is Swiss-French chef Lilian Gadola's daily-changing fish and vegetable kitchen.
Signature: Daily market menu, Fish and vegetable plates
Order: Whatever blackboard menu is up that day; the kitchen reads the market each morning.
Tip: Small room, book ahead for evening; closed Sunday and Monday.
Provencal Seafood€€8e
Chez Aldo in Marseille's 8e is the rare Provencal seafood room that also runs a wood-fired pizza oven, the kitchen built around the fish off the morning.
Signature: Bouillabaisse, Wood-fired pizza, Grilled beef
Order: The bouillabaisse if you stay, the anchovy pizza if you walk in for a quick lunch.
Tip: Closed Sunday evening and Monday; cash and card accepted Booking recommended for weekends.
Seafood and Shellfish€€7e
L'Ecaillerie in Marseille's 7e on Rue d'Endoume is Anthony Abelaud's seafood room, Cheickh Diouf in the kitchen with shellfish from Carry and Camargue plus.
Signature: Carry sea urchins, Marseille clams, Mullet carpaccio
Order: The carry sea urchins and the mullet carpaccio with the black garlic mayonnaise.
Tip: Open Wed-Fri evenings, Sat-Sun all day; reservations only Sat and Sun lunch.
Mediterranean€€€8e
Tuba Club in Marseille's 8e is a fisherman-cabanon kitchen in the Goudes village, 80 seats on a rock terrace above the Mediterranean with Sicilian.
Signature: Grilled fish, Provencal marinades, Mediterranean salads
Order: The grilled fish of the day; the cabanon kitchen runs simple and salt-driven.
Tip: Reach by bus 19 from Rond-Point du Prado or taxi; book six weeks ahead.
Middle Eastern€€1er
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.