French regional€€1er
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.
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.
Seafood€€8e
Pierrot Coquillages in Marseille's 8e on Avenue du Prado has run a kiosk and tasting room since 1972, three generations of the same family selecting oysters.
Signature: Seafood platters, Gillardeau oysters, Sea urchins
Order: The plateau for two with Gillardeau oysters, sea urchins and a bottle of Cassis blanc.
Tip: Kiosk 7j/7 from 7am for take-away; the dining room behind the counter serves lunch and dinner daily.
Mediterranean Small Plates€€1er
Epicerie L'Ideal in Marseille's 1er Noailles is Julia Sammut's general-store-gone-gourmet, a counter lunch built each morning from the shop's deli.
Signature: Mediterranean small plates, Imported deli, Daily counter lunch
Order: Whatever the daily counter plate is; the deli shelves are the second reason to come.
Tip: Closed Sunday and Monday; the dinner-only room across the street is the spin-off.
Provencal Seafood€€€7e
Chez Fonfon in Marseille's 7e sits in the Vallon des Auffes cove and has cooked bouillabaisse for the Mounier family since 1952, the fish landed each morning.
Signature: Bouillabaisse, Bourride
Order: The bouillabaisse for two, served in the traditional sequence of broth then carved fish.
Tip: Closed late January for two weeks; book a sea-side table at lunch for the cove light.
Provencal Seafood€€€7e
Chez Michel in Marseille's 7e has cooked the oldest bouillabaisse in the city since 1946, the Visciano family now in the third generation at the Catalans.
Signature: Bouillabaisse, Bourride
Order: The bouillabaisse at €80 per person, two-person minimum, the canonical reference in the city.
Tip: Reservation only; cash and card both accepted. Closed Sunday evening and Monday lunch.
Provencal Seafood€€€2e
Le Miramar in Marseille's 2e was founded in 1965 and is a founding member of the Bouillabaisse Charter, Christian Buffa in the kitchen running fish.
Signature: Bouillabaisse, Bourride
Order: The bouillabaisse at €80, served quayside with Notre-Dame de la Garde over your shoulder.
Tip: Closed Monday; the front terrace looks straight at the cathedral on the hill.