The 7 Best Restaurants in the Old Port of Marseille, France

One of Marseille’s best bar à vins is tucked away a few blocks from the Vieux Port. Les Buvards – the city’s first natural wine bar – pours French bottles, with a number of Italian and other European gems rounding out the selection. At this intimate, unintimidating spot, owners Fred and Laetitia say they “know many of the winemakers personally”, meaning they’re well placed to help you choose. Dig into Fred’s comfort fare, including homemade pâtés, succulent boudin noir (blood sausage) terrine and the tastiest puréed potatoes. In one of the city’s tiniest kitchens, he also makes homestyle slow-cooked stews, like sausages simmered in grape must (juice with the skin, seeds and stems) given to him by beaujolais vigneron Marcel Lapierre. As is the case in many wine bars, Les Buvards is perfect for solo dining. You can also grab a bottle to go from this caviste (wine shop).

Chart your course for this local institution to taste the best of Marseille cuisine. At Chez Madie Les Galinettes, Delphine Roux cooks up a plethora of local dishes, including salade à l’ail (garlic salad), roasted lamb with parsley and garlic, and bourride – bouillabaisse’s cousin made with lemon and cream. The bubbly chef, who is the daughter of a tripe seller, is also famous for her pieds et paquets (sheep’s feet and stuffed sheep tripe). Among the few restaurants to serve such traditional dishes, Chez Madie Les Galinettes fittingly serves up postcard views of the fishing boats docked at the Old Port. Thanks to its central location, this is a great spot to visit before or after a trip to MuCEM and the Cathédrale La Major.

To find the best Michelin-star meal on the Vieux Port, just look up. From its first-floor perch, Une Table au Sud is a culinary haven hidden away from the busy cafés below. Its historic Old Port setting is juxtaposed with the contemporary cuisine of young chef Ludovic Turac, who crafts creative interpretations of classic dishes. His aïoli resembles a sushi roll, with cod brandade, veggies and garlicky mayo atop squid ink focaccia. For dessert, his geometric tarte au citron comprises cubes of lemon crème and spheres of meringue. Turac’s wife and business partner, Karine, runs the front of the house and curates the wine list, which focusses on small producers from southern France. Together, the couple ensures each dish and bottle showcase the best of the local terroir.

Beloved for its wood-fired pizzas and grilled meats and fish, La Galiote’s varied menu will please groups with diverse palates. Order like a Marseille resident with plates of panisses (chickpea fritters), seared l’Estaque sausages or grilled sardines. The moules-frites with homemade fries is a popular, and affordable, choice as well. This super-central restaurant sits on the south side of the Old Port – ideal for an al fresco lunch in the sun. Plus, La Galiote is one of the rare tables open day and night on Sundays and Mondays.