Zerma Burger

Things are sizzling away under the burger weights of the inimitable Jérôme Benoît, alias Jéjé Barbu, the chef who’s well-known by bellies in Marseille! For his umpteenth culinary resurrection, the founder of Mémé and Il Capriolo (which have since been sold) teamed up with the owner of Buzzmann, Georges-Mohammed Chérif, who is also a restaurateur in his spare time (Onassis, Poissonnerie Kennedy), and the Amsallem siblings. A talented team who are ready to send out smash burgers that won’t leave you feeling sluggish, in Ella Aflalo’s former restaurant Yima on Rue d’Aubagne, now boasting a massive plancha and an impressive duo of fryers. All that remains from its previous iteration are the seventies suspension lamps and the Tamegroute tableware, upon which indulgent specimens now parade out: sandwiched between a potato bun made at the Pain Pan! bakery, two Charolaise steak patties which were flattened before our very eyes, topped with melted bleu de Bresse cheese, bacon and mushrooms for the Blue Smoky burger; or cheddar aged for 24 months for the Cheese burger; or even a heat-wave-inducing sriracha sauce for the well-named Chili burger… Hungry for more? There’s homemade coleslaw, fried chicken and French fries, and depending on the boss’s stock (and mood), cheesecake, brownies, cookies or seasonal fruit salad – an unexpected, but more than welcome surprise. // Folayemi Abimbola

FEELING THIRSTY? : In addition to classic sodas (€2.50 a can), there’s locally brewed Zoumaï beer (€4 for 330 ml), homemade lemonade (€2.50) and even a few wines (€6 a glass), whose selection changes regularly.
PRICE: : Burgers €12-15, fried chicken €7, sides €3.50 to €4.50, desserts €4-6.