after hearing so much about the fish market at marseille's old port, i was expecting something far…read moremore grandiose, along the lines of tokyo's tsukiji, perhaps. but when i scanned the quai des belges from my hotel balcony at around 7:30 this morning (the market opens at 8), i came to the conclusion that the fish market must be closed because i saw no signs of life there. lo, individual fishmongers gradually appeared and set up shop from 8 onwards, and by 9 or so there were a good dozen or so of them offering up some very fresh (some still alive and flopping around) denizens of the mediterannean sea. a tv crew filming something about a grisly old timer hawking mollusks added to the atmosphere, and i couldn't help but think that if i actually lived in marseille, this would be where i came to get my fresh fish. still, i couldn't help but get the impression that the heyday of this well-known fish market had long since passed.

Fresh seafood, quick service, and reasonable prices? It's hard not to appreciate this spot…read more The good: -Tasty seafood - simple, tasty preparations and quite an offering of raw delights -Great price point - probably the most reasonably priced fresh seafood I found on my trip -Efficient - order at the front, carry your drinks/prepared items to a table of your choosing, and the other items will be brought to you by a server when ready -Convenient location walking distance from the water The could-be-better: -My razor clams were too sandy :( Overall: recommended! My only regret is not getting the sea urchin.

Don't be worried about the line, it moves very fast!…read more You will need to self serve bread, sides, sauces, desserts and beverages on a tray as you wait to get to the cashier. Digital menus with the day's offerings are available in both French and English. You need to order all of your food (no additions w/o getting back in line) We ordered a combo of their imperial prawns, langoustine, oysters, and sea urchin, along with a bucket of steamed mussels and fries. We were given a buzzer after ordering and food was delivered to the table after we found a seat. Everything we ordered was delicious, super fresh, and well priced considering the tourist-y area. The langoustines and prawns were especially good! I would eat here over getting bouillabaisse any day They provide a handy lemon scented wipe, but there are also clean bathrooms down stairs.

You need to understand this place is very busy and if you are looking for special treatment - it…read moreisn't on the first time. We went two nights in a row and we struggled to communicate but it was all very well received and all good humour. The food was great; the wait staff quite funny and the man at the front was very on the ball. It feels like a family business. The moules poulette for me were the best thing on the menu. We returned because we liked the food and we liked the staff... a definite must!

This was a terrible restaurant. Bad food and even worse service. If I could give this zero stars, I…read morewould. My husband and I went here on a Monday afternoon for lunch. My husband wanted bouillabaisse but they were out. The waiter basically ordered for him. I ordered (in French) the moules Provençales. The waiter said he thinks I should try a different moules dish (I think they were out of what I asked for and this was his way of hiding it). I said ok. Twenty minutes later, it arrived at the table and it was terrible. The mussels were cold and the cream sauce he assured me I'd like was disgusting. I sat there not eating while my husband finished his appetizer. My husband had ordered a salad. After 20 minutes it never came. After another 30 minutes I finally asked for the check. I went to pay for the meals and he asked me if I liked it. I told him not at all and gave him my credit card to pay. He said I didn't have to pay if I didn't like it but I told him I would just like to get out of there asap. He insisted I not pay at which point I put my credit card away and said "fine." At that point he exploded and said we had to pay for what my husband ate. I was like OMG, I tried to pay you. Just take my money so I can leave. As the credit card was processing, he said in English that he'd be happy to have us gone I told him I l'd be happy to leave. At that point he said a gay slang word in French about me to the wait staff and they started laughing. I told him he was a terrible person.

Delicious seafood and excellent service! Came for oysters- they were very fresh. A lot of locals at…read morethis seafood store and restaurant a 10 minute drive outside of Aix.

In addition to dining at the restaurant, you can also buy to take home, eat at benches there, or…read morehave a picnic in the small garden. The seafood is very fresh and priced reasonably. The fish soup is quite mediocre, served lukewarm, so should best be avoided. Frites are a bit soggy but the small moules are quite succulent. We waited an incredibly long 45 minutes for our plateau, but the service staff are friendly and pro-active.