Visiting Marseille without tasting Bouillebaisse (the local seafood stew) would be like visiting Beijing without setting foot on the Great Wall. At least 5 kinds of sea fish should be used to cook an authentic Bouillebaisse, while many restaurants will add crabs and green-lipped mussels to enhance the depth of flavor. The stew also calls for Mediterranean spices such as garlic, saffron, fennel and parsley. The reddish-yellow cooked stew has a very thick appearance, and has two elements to be enjoyed: the fish soup and the flesh of the fish.

In order to guarantee the authenticity of the ingredients, the waiter will show you each of the seafood elements for you to inspect before being sent off to the kitchen. Snacks and desserts are also part of the offer. The fish stew is equivalent to an appetizer. The authentic way to eat it is to crush garlic on top of a slice of toast smeared with local mayonnaise, and then dipped into the fish stew to get the full flavor of the Mediterranean seafood. After enjoying the fish stew, a large selection of fish is sent to the table for you to taste a variety of seafood.

Recommendations for Authentic Local Cuisine in Marseille

Pastis de Marseille is more or less synonymous with French liqueur, and is the most popular aperitif in France. It can be found in many well-known cocktails, such as the Snowball and Shanghai cocktails. However, in the Marseille area, the only way to drink pastis is neat with just a little water. A number of jazz bars can be found near the Old Port, as well as wharfs, making for a great atmosphere!

Pastis is very similar to absinthe, differing in that it has a higher concentration of wormwood. When poured over ice, it becomes a cloudy milky white, which is its famous characteristic. It is generally around 25% ABV, and has a light, slightly bitter taste. Normally, when pastis is mentioned in a coffee shop, it is Pernod or Ricard which are invariably being referred to. These two brands have become almost synonymous with pastis.

Pieds et paquets is a specialty of Marseille. The outer layer of the dish is made from local sheep’s tripe, which is stuffed with garlic, parsley and salted pork, and then wrapped into small pouches with sheep's hooves, taking on the appearance of oversized dumplings. White wine, tomato and spices are then added, and the dish is stewed for several hours. When the bones dissolve into the juices and the meat of the trotters comes off from the bone, it’s time to serve up.

This is a unique dish to eat. After biting into the crispy outside of the sheep’s tripe, you are hit with the salty, fragrant taste of the salted pork, which together with the richness of the soup, makes for a truly memorable mouthful.

Navettes, sweet pastries in the shape of a small boat, are a specialty of Marseille. Appetizing, with a crispy texture, they are generally made entirely by hand. In the port city of Marseille, these boat-shaped treats carry the meaning of having a safe journey. Each year during Candlemas, which falls on February 2nd, the Archbishop of Marseille visits the Four des Navettes bakery to bless their oven. The Navettes that are baked on this day become the food of a “Sacred Blessing”.

Four des Navettes is Marseille's oldest bakery, with a history dating back almost 300 years. The bakery uses simple packaging, and the biscuits, which have a hint of orange blossom, can be served with tea or coffee. Also in Marseille is the Place aux Huilies, where visitors can buy a variety of beautiful tins (filled with Navettes, of course!) featuring Impressionist landscapes. The biscuit tins range from a few euros and up.

La Soupe au Pistou is a vegetable soup from Marseille. Red peas, bamboo shoots, carrots and potatoes from the south of France are cut into small pieces, then cooked together with Provencal garlic sauce. The garlic sauce containing basil, garlic, tomato and olive oil gives this country soup its delicious flavor.

The people of Marseille enjoy this soup dish with a glass of Provencal rosé or dry red wine. As for dessert? It can only be authentic French macarons! For those who find seafood overpowering, and are not fond of meat, this vegetable soup is the perfect choice - and you won’t have to worry about the calories!