Before commenting on the food, I will echo the sentiments of some negative reviews that this restaurant is not easy to get into if you don't speak French. I speak enough French to get around Marseille independently and yet, over the phone, I was unable to secure a reservation easily and someone hung up on me mid-call twice when we were unable to communicate in either French or English - hence the loss of a star. Fortunately, my hotel clerk in Paris spoke both languages fluently and helped me secure the reservation so that I could eat Marseille's famous bouillabaisse as a glorious capstone to a journey I'd dreamed about for months.
Once in the restaurant, though, communication (all in French) was easy and the service was more than adequate, and I was able to order the traditional bouillabaisse. The universal starter of olive oil mayonnaise on small croutons was enchanting, but when the rouille came out with the first course of fish broth, cheese and croutons, I found it absolutely addictive. But of course, the real star is the fish broth, and at first I found the fish flavor a bit overwhelming and was concerned I would dislike the dish I spent so much on (yeah, more on that below), but eventually I started to greatly enjoy it and eagerly drunk up the broth. There are many small threads of fish flesh inside the red saffron broth, giving it body and texture but also an appealing graininess that really represents the gritty but homespun ambience of Marseille quite well.
All my hope was in the actual fish course to taste good, incorporating seven fish including the local varieties that are considered essential to the authentic dish, and every one of the fish was tender and came apart nicely, even if there were some bones remaining. The key, obviously, is that one sits directly across the street from the port where these fish are caught and the freshness is indispensable to a fine bouillabaisse. We have attempted to cook bouillabaisse at home and enjoyed it, getting pretty close to the texture of the fish, but there was a true depth of flavor in this broth that we have not been able to match.
All said and done, the cost of the bouillabaisse adds up to 45 euros, nearly $60 US. You'd ask, is it worth that much money, not even being a particularly tremendous plate? Objectively, maybe not, and I am unlikely to do this again, but as a cultural and personal journey, it was completely worth the price. Marseille was the city I'd heard the most about before coming to France, invested by far the most time in exploring online, and had the most desire to visit. And to leave this city without trying its signature dish would have just felt incomplete and hollow, whereas experiencing bouillabaisse while sitting in a comfortable lounge sofa watching the sun set on the Vieux-Port and the people around you celebrating the end of the day, is a feeling that far transcends a simple plate of food. It is something like that, that makes a dish like this worth the elevated price tag. And it would be hard to replicate something of that value when ordering the dish again.
But that is when you know you captured lightning in a culinary bottle, as Chez Madie did for me that July evening.
Bref, en français : Visiter ici a fait heureuse la fin de mon séjour à Marseille ! La bouillabaisse coûte un bras (45 euros), mais d'habitude c'est un bon signe de la bonne qualitè ! Effectivement, puisque les poissons sont attrapés au Vieux-Port qui est situé à travers la rue en dehors, la bouillabaisse est très fraîche et a un goût authentique de Marseille ! Je rêvais de visiter Marseille depuis janvier et donc l'expérience a valu la peine tout à fait, car j'aurai un souvenir très précieux à jamais ! read more