Bouillabaisse in Marseille Recommendations?

[CubedTofu]

Hello all!

 

My friends and I will be on a cruise in October 2022 that will dock at Marseille from 8 am to 5 pm. We will leave the ship around 9 am to get to the free cruise shuttle which we hope will drop us off around Quai de Joliette for a Segway tour at 10 am. The tour lasts about 2 hours so we will be done by 12 pm. We're hoping to get some lunch recommendations for good/authentic bouillabaisse? I've done some research where people say that the best is kind of far from the port, but we're hoping to stay around the waterfront/Old Town area so that we can make it back to the ship before 5 pm. We would welcome any and all suggestions!

 

Thank you!

[carlmm]

You might try the Miramar right by the old port.

[edinburgher]

This should be an "experience" and not inexpensive  so can I suggest you internet search for the Bouillabaise Charter?  You should be able to find the names and contact details for the restaurants which have signed up to this, meaning they serve genuine  bouillabaise the way it should be served and with the correct ingredients.  There should also be online reviews for them.

 

It is very easy to find" so-called bouillabaise" in Marseille which is usually an inferior quality fish stew but can cost almost the same as the best.  Buyer beware!

 

We have only been one time despite visiting Marseille many times over the years.  We went to Chez Fonfon in a very pretty little port within the city.

[Hlitner]

I hesitate to recommend a restaurant since many things have changed post Covid, but Restaurant Michel used to have the real thing.  I believe they are open for lunch from noon until 1:30. That being said, real Bouillabaisse can be very expensive.   Miramar, which is more convenient to the old port, is another place that is supposed to have decent Bouillabaisse but we have never tried the place and never talked to anyone who had first-hand experience.  

 

Hank

[cruisemom42]

Few things are as contentious in Marseille than who makes the best/most authentic bouillabaisse. I am not a big fan of the genre so have never taken time to track down the authentic contenders but I do recall being told by a French gourmand in Marseille that the best places probably require a reservation.  I would suggest following the advice offered here -- do your research online.  (Look for gourmet websites and listings, not general "restaurant ratings" like Tripadvisor -- most of those reviews are put in by tourists who wouldn't know a good bouillabaisse from a mediocre one.)

[edinburgher]

Sounds very posh to say we have been to Chez Fonfon, but it was to celebrate the 50th wedding anniversary of the parents of our French friends who lived in Marseille at the time (both sadly now deceased)  it was a small group of family and close friends and as one of our several visits coincided, we were also included.  We  had mentally prepared for the (euros) size of our share, but nonetheless it was stilll quite a shock.   Having said that, we remember that experience to this day.

 

Even for locals, the best remain only an occasional treat, but when they do it, they do it well.

[MAVIP]

Too long ago that we had bouillabaisse in Marseille to give a recommendation. What we always do in France is using the Guide Michelin. Online you can use their app "Michelin Guide"  Maybe you should forget about the ***, ** and * star restaurants, as it will not be easy to walk-in. Look for the Bib Gourmand (head of that Michelin man in all their advertisements)  addresses. Bib Gourmand stands for Good quality, good value cooking.  And I dare say that all restaurants named by Michelin are offering good quality. And as said by Hlitner: a good bouillabaisse is expensive

[Hlitner]

8 hours ago, MAVIP said:

Too long ago that we had bouillabaisse in Marseille to give a recommendation. What we always do in France is using the Guide Michelin. Online you can use their app "Michelin Guide"  Maybe you should forget about the ***, ** and * star restaurants, as it will not be easy to walk-in. Look for the Bib Gourmand (head of that Michelin man in all their advertisements)  addresses. Bib Gourmand stands for Good quality, good value cooking.  And I dare say that all restaurants named by Michelin are offering good quality. And as said by Hlitner: a good bouillabaisse is expensive

We have long been fans of restaurants with the Bib Gourmand.  They are generally a much better value than a 1* restaurant and usually have excellent cuisine.  

 

Hank

[edinburgher]

Thank you Mavip anhd Hlitner.

 

Our foray to Chez Fonfon was a "one off" and was chosen by local Marseillais for a  very special celebration.  By chance we were to be visiting at that time, and as a courtesy we were invited to join them. It was chosen by them  in part due to its pretty location, (very pretty) also in part as it opened around the time of their marriage and they had dined there around that time.DH agreed to go as he knew to expect bouillabaisse and he was fine with that as no""surprises"

 

We have a number of "Bib Gourmand" restos here in Edinburgh, also a number of Michelin starred finer dining establishments , but they are not normally for us, mostly as my DH has an total aversion to anything which might serve "a tasting menu" and refuses to step foot in any which serve this.  He is not the most adventurous diner and hates the thought of food which he has not chosen being served to him and which he is expected to eat. Nor does he enjoy an abbreviated lunch menu with limited choice.  He is happiest when  able to choose from a full menu selection.

 

We had a restaurant open only around a 7 mnute walk from our home around 2018 and it was receiving amazing reviews.I was very keen to give it a try but DH refused as they only served a fixed 5 or 8 course tasting menu.( I do not know how many courses they offer now, but it is still a "surprise tasting menu"). Very quickly it received a Michelin Plate award , before it leapfrogged over the Bib Gourmand rating and was awarded  a Michelin 1 star in 2020. 

 

We are not at all food snobs and back in the day we were big on Relais Rroutiers both in Edinburgh and in France, but the UK ones dropped off a number of years ago, I think as far back as 2006 or 2007?).  There are still a couple here which used to be on the Relais Routiers list but of course  no longer have that accololade.

 

 

Edited August 14, 2022 by edinburgher

[MAVIP]

Maybe this one. I would  have a look there if visiting Marseille and craving  for a bouillabaisse:   And  do not forget to click at the "carte" .

https://youtu.be/7lXpp16tGKA      

Bouillabaisse minimum 2 persons and you willl have to reserve your table    € 50 per person  person  on this page they specify the fish they use and which are a necessity for a good bouillabaisse.    With crab....       

https://www.grandbardesgoudes.fr/carte-du-restaurant     

 

Pity I donot have an opportunity to  go there and taste.....

[Rysyonok]

On 8/8/2022 at 3:51 PM, CubedTofu said:

Hello all!

 

My friends and I will be on a cruise in October 2022 that will dock at Marseille from 8 am to 5 pm. We will leave the ship around 9 am to get to the free cruise shuttle which we hope will drop us off around Quai de Joliette for a Segway tour at 10 am. The tour lasts about 2 hours so we will be done by 12 pm. We're hoping to get some lunch recommendations for good/authentic bouillabaisse? I've done some research where people say that the best is kind of far from the port, but we're hoping to stay around the waterfront/Old Town area so that we can make it back to the ship before 5 pm. We would welcome any and all suggestions!

 

Thank you!

 

Hopefully you had a great trip 🙂 What is this free cruise shuttle that you're mentioning, and where does it go?