When the Toche sisters decided to open up their own place, they came up with Cantoche! It’s a sunny spot tucked in between the Noailles neighborhood and Marseille’s historic harbor, where Louise (in the dining room) and Julia (in the kitchen) – both of whom used to work at L’Épicerie L’Idéal – have left a trail of Mediterranean breadcrumbs for you to follow: on the terrace that feels eternally like summer, at the bar decorated with colorful Moroccan bejmat ceramic tiles from Franca, and on the plates – which of course are jam-packed with UV rays! Duly devoured the day we went for lunch: cheeky slow-cooked pork and nigella seed croquetas that got along swimmingly with their miso mayonnaise; roasted octopus whipped into a frenzy by balsamic and petimezi (a syrup made from Greek grape must) and paired with a marinated zucchini and coco de Paimpol bean salad, all sprinkled with parsley, shallots and green onions; and for the final indulgent course, a strawberry financier with subtle notes of anise, served with whipped cream – instead of the chocolate tart which sold out before we could order it. On Thursday nights, it’s all good vibes, with a kémia atmosphere and great wines! // Victoria Bout
FEELING THIRSTY? Homemade kombucha and a short selection of all natural wines: a local white from the Château de Roquefort (€5.50 a glass), Tuff Nutt, an Australian pet’ nat’ (€32 a bottle), a Venetian red from Sassara (€35)…
PRICE: Appetizers €8-9, mains €16-19, desserts €6-7.
