7 Classic Food Experiences to Try in Marseille

Elegant and edgy — and offering a distinctively warm southern welcome — Marseille is a place where an increasing number of food-focused travellers are making pilgrimages. Come for the pastis — the anise-flavoured spirit that sings of Provencal summers, invented in the city in 1932 by native Paul Ricard. And stay for the unique blend of North African and French flavours found on local bistro menus and in street snacks such as panisse (chickpea fritters) and food truck pizza — also born here in the 1960s. Don’t leave without sampling bouillabaisse, the nation-defining seafood soup with humble roots in the port city’s fishing communities.

1. Shop Like an Emperor

Head to warren-like emporium Maison Empereur on the central Rue des Récolettes, established in 1827. Its creaky floors, set over two storeys, are packed with every imaginable kitchen gadget, from traditional fluted copper canelé moulds to an arsenal of Japanese sushi knives, plus local delicacies like olive oils, fleur de sel sea salt and herby syrups that showcase flavours of the French south.

2. Try Street Food Favourites

Street snacks are a Marseille staple; the modern pizza truck is said to have been invented here in the 1960s. Grab a moitié-moitié (half-and-half) pizza: one side topped with cheese (usually emmental), the other with anchovies and tomato sauce. Or take the 35-minute ferry from the Vieux Port to L’Estaque, where beachfront kiosks such as Chez Magali are famed for their panisse (chickpea-flour fritters).

3. Embrace Anise

Pastis, the anise-flavoured spirit synonymous with French summers, was invented in Marseille in 1932, by native Paul Ricard. Learn all about its history — and similar liquorice-like aperitifs including Pernod — at Maison Yellow. The museum, bar, tasting room and shop is set in Les Docks, a beautifully converted 19th-century warehouse, part of the revamped dockside north of the Vieux Port.

4. Eat the Best Bouillabaisse

The classic French fish soup hails from Marseille and it’s where the most feted versions can still be found — alongside some inspired innovations. Try it in a crusty baguette with the soup and garlic-saffron rouille as side dips at Pain à l’ail, a cheery little cafe behind the Vieux Port. Or as an affordable takeaway from nearby Bouillabaisse Turfu, made with fish from sustainable stocks. Head south of the city to the cliff-backed beachy bay of Les Goudes, to splash out on a rich, refined and award-winning version, at glamourous Grand Bar des Goudes.

(Meet the Marseille Chefs Championing Bouillabaisse, France's Favorite Fish Dish.)

5. Hit the Roof

Marseille has no lack of rooftop spots for sundowners. But if you want good-value drinks, friendly service and VIP Vieux Port views, Hotel Hermès is the spot. Settle in at its modest top-floor terrace, glass of local rosé in hand. The blush-pink sunset views extend across the rooftops to the beautiful limestone mountains that form Marseille’s backdrop, over its elegant port and out to sea beyond.

(A Guide to Marseille: Beaches, Bouillabaisse And Street Art On the French Med.)

6. Get Local Gelato

A 1950s-style emporium near the Vieux Port, Ciao Amore looks kitsch but takes gelato seriously. Made on site in small batches, Italian classics include pistachio and stracciatella. For bolder offerings, try Arachidic (salted peanut cream and caramel) and C’est Marseille BB! — a paean to the city’s boat-shaped, citrussy navette biscuits, crumbled over orange blossom gelato with salted pistachio.

7. Go Fine Dining

Marseille does a fine line in restaurants doing exceptional bistronomic food (gastronomic menu, bistro-style setting). Prosper, off lively Cours Julien, is just that. Moorish-Iberian-influenced dishes include tortilla with green harissa and cuttlefish crudo. Afterwards, you can tour this hilltop quarter’s hip bars and arty graffiti — or come on a Wednesday morning for the organic market.