In August last year, I spent a week in the south of France based at the Marseille Vieux Port.  The large port is the oldest in France and there are hundreds of places to eat.  This can make it a hard place to choose somewhere good and we made a few mistakes.  Along the port many restaurants look the same and you can’t always go by the fact that if restaurant is full of people that the service will be good or your meal will be great.  Here are my 5 best options for food in Marseille Vieux Port. Scroll down to the bottom to see a map, where all the restaurants are located in Marseille.

Tip: If staying in a hotel, ask the staff at reception or concierge for recommendations, they know the best places and will often make reservations for you, which is great if you don’t speak the language.

 

1) Toinou – Seafood restaurant

My absolute favourite place to eat was Toinou.  If you a lover of seafood like me then this is a must.  Toinou is based north of the port and is restaurant and fish stall.

The restaurant is hidden away but is well-known by locals and came highly recommend by one of the receptionist at our hotel.  The concept is self-service and when we arrived there was a long que outside the door, but the wait was well worth it.  It starts off canteen style where you que up with circular silver trays and you choose from a selection bread, wine and deserts options. There are signs with many different seafood options and prices.  Not sure what to choose? We asked for help from a staff member who was very helpful.   You pay and are given a red disc that flashes and vibrates each time a dish is ready.  You are then seated and food and drink are brought over to you.

We opted for 20 fresh prawns served on ice (too many), sea bass and lobster and two portions of fries, with a glass of wine and soft drink.

People: 2

Price: Quite expensive but its seafood and totally worth it!!!!!

Meal: We had lobster and shared sea bass and prawns.

Address: 3 Cours Saint-Louis, 3001 Marseille

Opening Hours: Daily 11.30am – 10pm Mon-Thu 10.30pm Fri-Sun

Staff: Very helpful

Rating: Good value for money compared to most places in Marseille.

8.5/10

 

2) La Quid Du 7eme

 

La Quid Du 7eme, was based in our hotel (Radisson Blu Marseille). The menu is small, but the food is decent, based along the port, sitting outside you can people watch, or catch a sunset. We ate here a few times as it was very convenient.

People: 2

Price: Quite expensive for what you get but tastes good.

Meals: Prawn Stir Fry & Steak and fries, Chicken and potatoes.

Address: 38-40 Quai de Rive Neuve, 13007 Marseille, France

Opening Hours: 12-2.30pm for lunch, 7.30pm – 10pm for dinner.

Staff: Very friendly

Rating: Good decent food. Even better at is was attached to the hotel we were staying in, so very convenient. They have live music some evenings so check when booking.

Tip: Check trip advisor for discount offers. (We got 25% off one evening).

7/10

3) Le Collins

Le Collins is based on the on port, it is located next to numerous other restaurants that all look the same and specialise on mussels and fries.

People: 2

Meals: We had mussels and fries.

Price: Reasonable

Address: 42 Quai du Port, 13002 Marseille, France

 

 

Opening Hours: 12 noon – 11.30pm

Staff: Nothing to shout about, but nothing bad either.

Rating: Good decent food, dining outside does attract flies which is annoying.

6/10

 

 

 

4) Le Cote de Boeuf

Le Cote de Boeuf is a steak restaurant, the menu is wide and varied, we sat outside and there was also live music. Tip: make a reservation or you may struggle to get a table.

People: 2

Meals: We had fillet steak, the restaurant was recommended by our hotels and was a great suggestion as we love steak.  We forgot to take pictures of our meal but it was lovely.

Price: Expensive but worth it.

Address: 35 Cours Honoré d’Estienne d’Orves, 13001 Marseille, France

Opening Hours: 12-2.30pm for lunch 7pm-11.30pm for dinner.

Staff: hmm the thing that lets them down.  If you want a steak medium well, or well done be prepared to send you food back a couple of times.  (chefs can be a little precious).

Rating: Great steak, great atmosphere with live music. [We ate outside but the also have indoor opens perfect in winter].

7.5/10

 

 

 

5) Oscars Bagels

Oscars is a great place to grab a quick bite to each, it is based on the port and has a wide range of products and beers and the service is great, the staff are friendly and it is reasonably priced in what is an expensive area.

People: 2 lunch snack

Meals: Bagels and beer and sodas.

Price: very reasonable, great value.

Address: 8 Quai de Rive Neuve, 13001 Marseille, France

Opening Hours: 11am -10pm

Staff: Very helpful and friendly.

Rating: Great bagels and snack options.

8/10

 

Map of Marseille Vieux Port

 

Have you been to Marseille? Where was you favourite restaurant?

 

* All images are my own unless stated.