The neo-café craze has landed in Marseille! Fear not: this isn’t some lazy copy-paste of what’s already out there. That would be seriously underestimating the magic touch of former startup entrepreneur Quentin Maurice, who’s turned a onetime PMU betting shop into the neighborhood’s new beating heart. The main lure? A retro back room straight out of another era, plus a terrace shaded by stretched canvas awnings – an open invitation to long, lazy lunches with friends, convivial vibes and the odd scratch-off lottery ticket. The day we stopped by, the pleasures were simple and spot-on: shellfish glistening in the eternal winning combo of parsley and butter, greedily mopped up with bread from nearby Pain Salvator bakery; knife-cut Simmental steak tartare with new potatoes, treviso, radish and scallions, served with sleek, non-greasy fries dunked in patatas bravas-style sauce. Veggie option? Fregola sarda with zucchini. For dessert, a perfectly decent citrus panna cotta topped with candied grapefruit zest does the job nicely. Even the kiddos are sorted: after-school treats include artisanal ice cream from L’Éléphant Rose à Pois Blancs, pound cake from Sud·Sud·Est bakery and flavored waters. · Maria Mariaux

FEELING THIRSTY: Chimay Rouge beer (€6 for 330 ml), natural wines like Des Jours Et Des Lunes, a skin-contact chenin from Les Errances (€6 a glass or €36 a bottle), a Negroni Sbagliato (€10) or refreshing homemade lemonade (€5).

PRICE: Set menu €22 (lunch), à la carte €31-40.