‘Food is the key to understanding Marseille’: a gastronomic city tour

for more than 80 years. These foods embody the heritage, diversity and conviviality of Marseille.

since, apart from eating, the best way to understand this complex city is to walk it.

, choosing the no-fuss spots this city does so well.

croissant and a coffee, and admire the view of the Bonne Mère, the famous church that soars above the port.

, Tunisian fresh lemonade.

concentrates the natural sweetness of the grapes without added sugar. The juice bar also acts as a non-alcoholic neighbourhood watering hole, “a gathering place”, smiles owner Yannis Amokreze.

, a chickpea flan of Hispano-Algerian origins, illustrates the influence of travel and trade on Marseille’s cuisine. People and their recipes have come through the port for 2,600 years, their diversity giving Marseille its signature sauce on and off the table.

the city’s famous chickpea fritters in its signature fish and chips. All are served with the bonhomie of a booze cruise. Solo diners will appreciate the counter seating.

hour, the post-work drink that is sacred in France.

serves natural wines and charcuterie such as porchetta made in-house by owners Auregan Dean and Mathieu Zurcher, who are part of Marseille’s new gastronomic guard.

, part anchovy, part emmental, is Marseille’s briny and French spin on the snack brought here by Italian immigrants in the 19th century.

to soothe our stuffed bellies and, more importantly, share a dose of conviviality. Which is the most important ingredient in Marseille.