Finally, a good seafood spot in Marseille! Who’s behind this venture? Marine Bottari (formerly of the Mandarin Oriental group) and Jules Mollaret (ex-La Co[o]rniche in Pyla-sur-Mer), who set sail towards the Vieux-Port neighborhood to give life to this massive restaurant with azure-colored furniture, a big marine-themed fresco and an ivy-laden terrace. The other day at lunch, served à la carte: good “half and half” pizzas (half anchovy, half cheese) cooked in a wood-fired oven; six organic shrimp (as plump as they were, the €15 price tag felt a little steep!); bracingly fresh sardines marinated with piment d’Espelette, shallots and chives; delicious mussels from Tamaris with a marinière cream and freshly made fries; cod steak plunged into a saffron-infused shellfish espuma – and for all those who don’t have their sea legs just yet, there’s a steak tartare (that we didn’t test)! And for dessert, artisanal ice creams from La Maison des Alpes and peach slices cooked in a verbena syrup – which were unfortunately a little too sweet. One piece of advice? Choose the chill lunchtime vibes over the overly Saint-Tropez dinner ambiance… // A.A.
FEELING THIRSTY? The wines served by the glass aren’t anything special, but there are plenty of organic options that should tickle your fancy sold by the bottle: De Marne et d’Argile, a Côte-du-Jura from Les Thill (€25), Amphibolite, a Muscadet from Jo Landron (€32), Morta Maio, a Patrimonio white from Jean-Baptiste Arena (€69).
PRICE: Pizzas €14, shellfish platters €21-83, à la carte €21-51.
