Tetro

On a harbor where most seafood restaurants are little more than tourist traps, the new spot from Raphaël François (who trained at Les Eaux de Mars) gleams like a gold coin at the bottom of a coral reef. After drifting between pop-ups (Le Vin sur la Main) and private dinners (in the Saména calanque), the chef has dropped anchor in this former Armenian restaurant, just a stone’s throw from La Criée, delighting guests with his exquisitely briny cuisine. The day we stopped by for lunch, seated on the outdoor deck of his monastic hideaway, he sent out a sublime wave of plates: tender panisse to be slathered (or not) with mullet roe taramasalata, served with peppery raw radishes; delicate spring garlic tempura paired with bleu d’Auvergne sabayon; incredible Carmargue palourdes blanches clams and Swiss chard, served in a light lamb bouillon; stunning mussel bouillabaisse bathed in rock fish soup and rouille, crowned with a fillet of barely grilled bonito, blushing pink and utterly divine; before a well-made meringue topped with whipped cream, raw strawberries and strawberry compote. Truly the seafood spot of your dreams – and reservations are a must! // Simone de Bavoir and Laszlo Dela

FEELING THIRSTY? A selection of natural wines: Copinages Et Crustacés, a Languedoc white by Fanny Daher (€5 a glass); Brézème, a roussanne from Martin Texier (€42 a bottle); and S.L.T., a red from the Domaine AntocyÂme near Montauban (€29). There’s also Marseille-made kombucha by Zéma (€6 for 330 ml) or apple juice made near the Étang de Thau (€3 for 250 ml).
PRICE: : Set menus €20-25 (lunch), plates €11-17, cheese and/or dessert €8.