Unique food tour in Marseille

Introduction to middle eastern pastries

The tour starts at around 11.00am, and we meet up with our guide Paul at the bottom of the Rue de la République. Once we’re all together, we head for the Noailles district.

Our day begins on a sweet note. And we find what we’re looking for in the many oriental patisseries on offer.

Zlabia. This is our first culinary discovery on this tour. Originally intended as a bread pastry, this ‘failed’ delicacy is now well known for its bright orange colour and very sweet taste. Of Tunisian origin, it’s sure to satisfy even the hungriest of palates. All accompanied by a glass of mint tea.

We head back down towards the Canebière, Marseille’s main thoroughfare. But before we do, we stop off at one of Marseille’s best-known eateries, Chez Yassine. ‘Chez Yassine’. In this Tunisian restaurant, which is always full at around 1pm, we had the chance to try a ‘brik'(savoury pastry) garnished with egg and capers, accompanied by a slice of lemon, which added an interesting acidity to our dish.

Noailles and its cosmopolitan lifestyle remain fascinating not only visually, but also in terms of taste.

In Noailles, you’ll find oriental, Asian and Provençal specialities.

The sweet and savoury moment

We then take a completely different turn, and arrive at Les frères brioches. This little restaurant specialises in brioche buns with the topping of your choice, and there’s something for everyone! Pulled pork, prawns, teriyaki beef… As you can imagine, at the frères brioches, we like to eat well!

It was during a trip to Australia that the founders of this chain discovered the concept.

These breads come in a variety of flavours that blend perfectly together. I really recommend this address for all sweet and savoury food lovers.

A bit of Marseille’s history

During this Food tour, we also had the benefit of a few anecdotes from our guide Paul. He takes us on a journey, explaining the origins of the Place du Cours d’Estienne d’Orves. We stopped in front of the statue of the architect Pierre Puget, a major figure in the town’s history.

We passed the Halles du Vieux-Port, where we stopped for a Margherita pizza from 300 Degrees. I have a weakness for Neapolitan pizzas, so I was immediately delighted. Gustatively, it’s a real treat. The dough is thin and airy, the tomato sauce is fresh and you can really taste the Italian gastronomy in one bite. It’s a pleasure to eat and everyone at the table is delighted to taste this purely Neapolitan pizza (even the flour is Italian).

Olive oil tasting

In Provence, olives are used in many things. Soap, oil, yoghurt…

Today we’re focusing on olive oil. At La Corderie, we have the chance to taste several different oils. And to do so, we headed for the Place aux huiles (what could be better?).

I’d never tasted olive oil in this way before. With a bottle of oil in hand, our host went round our little group, pouring a few drops of the elixir into our spoons.

He explains to us the particularities of the olive grove, when it is picked, how the olives ripen… Every moment has an influence on the taste the oil will have. Our host explains what ‘ardence’ is.

In Marseille, it’s also panisses. These little discs of chickpea flour are traditionally served with a good homemade aioli (sauce), just the way we like it here! We stopped off at Placette, a small local bistro serving rectangular panisses.

Throughout the tour, we chat in French and English. Our group reflects the cosmopolitan nature of our beautiful city.