Alcoves, a raftered ceiling, white tablecloths… With its trattoria-esque vibes, Julia Sammut’s neo-tavern located directly across from her lovely Épicerie L’idéal (winner of the Fooding d’Amour award in 2017) is tickling Marseille’s fancy for Italian delights! The day we went for lunch, in the semi-open kitchen with dolcetto red-tiled walls, chef Aurélien Baron’s plates came together to the melodies of a transalpine soundtrack: a vibrant salad of Tarbes beans, al dente broccoli, raw mullet and a sensational bottarga-infused vinaigrette; a monastic pork and green cabbage ragù risotto; before a beautifully textural yuzu fontainebleau with meringue and candied calamansi crafted by the pastry chef Marine Benayoun. Other options include: pizzettas with stracchino and ’nduja, barbajuan fritters with chard and fiore sardo cheese, poached hake with a rockfish jus and rapini, ricotta tart… Mmm mmm mia! // Antoine Antoine
FEELING THIRSTY? You won’t find any beers or hot drinks on the menu that was still being put together the day we visited, but there were four cleverly chosen wines served by the glass, including a Sicilian pet’ nat’ from Aldo Viola (€6.50) and a red Patrimonio from Muriel Giudicelli (€5.80).
PRICE: À la carte €36-40.
