Le Femina is a middle eastern restaurant in 1Er, Marseille.
Le Femina in Marseille's 1er Noailles has cooked Algerian Berber couscous since 1921, the same family carrying it across generations, the barley semolina.
Editorially verified May 20, 2026 by Lewis Vaughan, TableJourney editor. Source.
Signature dishes: Berber couscous, Barley semolina couscous
Must 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.
Address: 1 Rue du Musee, 13001 Marseille
La Kahena in Marseille's 1er near the Vieux Port has cooked Tunisian halal cuisine since 1978, mosaics and portraits of beys on the walls, the couscous.
Signature: Couscous, Bricks with egg, Grilled merguez
Order: The mixed couscous and the brick with tuna and egg as a starter.
Tip: Open daily, book for weekend lunch when the room fills with families.
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.
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.
La Kahena in Marseille's 1er near the Vieux Port has cooked Tunisian halal cuisine since 1978, mosaics and portraits of beys on the walls, the couscous.
Signature: Couscous, Bricks with egg, Grilled merguez
Order: The mixed couscous and the brick with tuna and egg as a starter.
Tip: Open daily, book for weekend lunch when the room fills with families.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
