We wanted to find a spot that would serve a Fruit de la Mer platter, but for some reason a lot of…read moreplaces were closed on Monday evening, so I found this spot on Google Maps and decided to venture out beyond the Old Port area. Being American, I made us a 7:15pm reservation. When we arrived the restaurant was empty, with only two tables occupied... my wife started to get a bit nervous. But we then remembered that any reservation before 8 is a very American thing to do! Around 8pm the restaurant began filling up with locals; we were at the right spot! Being out of the Old Port area, we didn't pay tourist pricing and probably had the best lobster we've had in a long time. The service staff is very friendly and interacted with us in English. They were having fun and were very attentive to us in explaining the menu. If you're in Marseille, this spot is a "Can't Miss"!

A must for seafood lovers. We came in for lunch just as they opened and already there were two…read morepeople sitting at tables. This restaurant seems to specialize in raw and cold (crab and lobster) seafood, and it is excellent. We ordered oysters, uni, and clams and all were amazingly fresh, clean, and flavorful. There was no mignonette or any sauce and everything was served with butter and bread. The combination was surprisingly good. The oysters and clams were briny and bright, while the uni was pure umami and not oceany like Santa Barbara or Hokkaido varieties often are. They have an English menu, and the wait staff were attentive and spoke English as well. Worth a special detour if you're ever in Marseille. Update since being in Nice: We have yet to find a place in Nice that even compares. We were hopeful that Peixes, with its incredible number for 5 star reviews, would be comparable. While decent, they were not even in the same class.

A new concept that makes a lot of sense: a local seafood market that becomes a sort of "fish house"…read moreand cooks up some of its products on limited occasions, namely Friday evenings. We were a group (works really well for groups!) and we had shrimp and oysters to start, along with a simple wine that was perfectly matched to the food. Everything was really fresh. Next, a choice of either local grilled sea bass or daurade (in French, bream in English?), a good size fish, perfectly cooked and with a side of homemade fries TO DIE FOR. They kept offering me more but I tried to stay reasonable... Chez Claire is one of the best restaurants I've been to in a while, just a combination of good things: came out feeling good and not stuffed, having eaten excellent fresh seafood, being treated well by nice people, and all at a very reasonable price, probably not even half of what restaurants on the port would charge for a lesser meal. The style of cooking was simple but good which really enhanced the fish. The hosts were really nice and friendly, and dynamic. The only thing I can think of that was missing was explanation about the seafood as they clearly know a lot about their field, and I think its enjoyable and interesting to learn, but that's just me, and I admit I didn't think to actually ask them on the spot. The other remarkable aspect is the neighborhood. Belle de Mai neighborhood It is not a place known for evenings, restaurants or tourism, and you have to find it, so it is definitely off the beaten track for many people including both Marseillais and tourists. But it's near the Friche Belle de Mai, and it's also an authentic neighborhood that is pretty cool to walk through (like for an afternoon) once you've seen the more mainstream sights.

From the owner: Le Bar de l'angle Ce bar est ouvert en non-stop toute la journée et propose une restauration très…read moresud, le midi, avec à la carte pâtes fraîches, poissons et coquillages. Sur demande, vous pouvez aussi manger une bouillabaisse.

From the owner: Fraîcheur irréprochable De la vente au détail de tous coquillages, fruits de mer et dérivés au…read moreservice d'écailler, la Maison Henry porte toutes les casquettes du royaume de la mer. Le vin est aussi de la boutique : un large choix permet d'allier les coquillages et avec un breuvage venu de la terre.

When I'm in Marseille, France, a visit to La Villa is a must! I've been there twice and Thierry…read more(owner) who is good friends with one of my doctors, personally took care of us. The restaurant has a very warm ambiance with real trees sprouted from the ground. Large tarps serve as the "roof" of this restaurant. It's quite unique. Our party of 7 all ordered the lobster and linguine special as our entree. For appetizers, we ordered escargot, dumplings, salads, seabass, truffle pizza, and some other special local dishes. The food was amazing. What really stood out the most for me was the pizza with generous amounts of shaved black truffle. This was notably the best pizza I've had in my life. We had an assortment of desserts and wine. It was quite a memorable dinner!

I love this restaurant. As a first-time visitor to Marseille, we asked our hotel concierge for a…read morecasual but elegant place to dine in the city, and we were recommended to eat at La Villa for dinner. Not only did we love the place and the food that evening, we went back again and again that week! Everything was very tastefully done, from the entrees to the appetizers to the desserts, and the wait staff was unfailingly polite and helpful. And most of all, every item on the menu that we ate -- and we ate there about 3 times that week -- was absolutely delicious. I highly recommend La Villa to anyone visiting Marseille.

From the owner: Rendez-vous d'habitués Cette adresse à l'accent typique d'un petit bar de village provençal, situé…read morepourtant au cœur de la 2ème ville de France, propose un des cafés les moins cher de la cité. Le patron est un personnage haut en couleurs, sa gouaille et son accent marseillais valent le détour. En terrasse ou au comptoir, il faut profiter d'une carte simple de brasserie à l'heure du déjeuner.