In L’Estaque, you eat on the harbour first: chichis frégis and panisses from the kiosks on the seafront, grilled fish in the restaurants along the Plage de l’Estaque. For bouillabaisse there are two options. The small fishing ports of the Côte Bleue, a few minutes away by train, or Marseille’s historic addresses. Villa Byblos is on the hill right above.
At a glance: where to eat around the villa
| You want | Where to go | From the villa |
|---|---|---|
| Chichis frégis and panisses | The kiosks on L’Estaque harbour | Just below, a few minutes away |
| Fish, aïoli, wood-fired pizza | The restaurants along the Plage de l’Estaque | A few minutes |
| Bouillabaisse facing a calanque | Niolon, on the Côte Bleue | About 10 min by train from L’Estaque station |
| Charter bouillabaisse | Vieux-Port, Catalans, Vallon des Auffes | 35 min by shuttle boat in season, or by car |
| Michelin-starred dinner | Marseille and Carry-le-Rouet | By car or train |
| Market and groceries | Saturday market on the harbour, Grand Littoral hypermarket | A few minutes |
Chichis frégis and panisses: the harbour kiosks
The chichi frégi was born in L’Estaque in the 1930s. It’s a stick of fried dough made with wheat and chickpea flour and flavoured with orange blossom. The panisse is a fried chickpea fritter, usually eaten with a drink before dinner. For the full story, see our guide to L’Estaque, Marseille’s painters’ harbour.
Three kiosks share the seafront:
- Chez Magali, 42 Plage de l’Estaque. They’ve been frying chichis here since 1947: with sugar, Nutella or whipped cream, plus panisses in a paper cone. Open all year.
- Chez Freddy, 86 Plage de l’Estaque. The harbour’s other historic kiosk. People come for the panisses, fried to order. Hours change with the season.
- Lou Goustado de l’Estaco, 38 Plage de l’Estaque. Chichis and panisses all year, plain, with chocolate or with whipped cream. Expect a crowd on Sundays in autumn and winter.
Our advice: a cone of panisses for the aperitif, chichis for dessert, and get back up to the villa before they go cold.
Eating on L’Estaque harbour
The harbour restaurants line the Plage de l’Estaque, facing the boats. It’s mostly fish, eaten on terraces by the water, with a neighbourhood feel.
La Poissonnerie et restaurant de l’Estaque, 56 Plage de l’Estaque. A fishmonger that also serves at the table: fresh fish, Mediterranean sea urchins, violets (sea figs), Camargue oysters, fish soup, octopus with parsley and garlic. Aïoli is on Fridays, and bouillabaisse has to be ordered ahead. Lunch only, Monday to Saturday.
Le Littoral, 100 Plage de l’Estaque. The same family has run it for almost fifty years, now three generations in. On the menu: grilled fish, seafood, oysters, cuttlefish and swordfish à la plancha, bouillabaisse. The dining room is big and bright, and the terrace is right by the water. Open every day.
L’Hippocampe, 151 Plage de l’Estaque, on the small Lou Saran harbour, towards the Côte Bleue. You eat with the water at your feet: grilled sea bass, bouillabaisse, wood-fired pizzas. Handy when there are a lot of you. Closed on Mondays.
Le Cabanon de l’Estaque, at the Port de la Lave in Corbière, on the way out towards Le Rove. The harbour’s old clubhouse is now a restaurant, with tapas, plancha, fish plates and a terrace by the water. Closed on Sundays.
Opening hours shift a lot with the season. Check before you walk down, especially on Sundays and Mondays.
Fish and bouillabaisse on the Côte Bleue
The Côte Bleue starts in L’Estaque. Its calanques shelter small fishing ports, and the train stops at them from the local station. The rest of the coast is in our guide to the Côte Bleue from Marseille.
Niolon: bouillabaisse above the calanque
L’Auberge du Mérou, on the harbour in Niolon, in the commune of Le Rove. From the terrace you look down on the calanque, with the bay beyond. There’s grilled catch of the day, and above all the bouillabaisse, the house speciality: ask for it when you book. Open all year. Niolon is about 10 minutes by train from L’Estaque.
Méjean: fried fish by the boats
Le Mange-Tout, on the harbour of Grand Méjean, in Ensuès-la-Redonne. A seasonal shack with about twenty tables, there for more than thirty years. You go for the friture, small fried fish eaten with your fingers, for the grilled fish, and for the boats a few metres away. In summer, book ahead.
Carry-le-Rouet: the Côte Bleue’s only star
L’Oursin, at L’Hôtel Bleu, above the harbour of Carry-le-Rouet. Chef Ilane Tinchant earned a star in the 2026 Michelin Guide, with seafood cooking built on Côte Bleue produce. No other table on this coast has a star. Booking essential.
Dinner in Marseille: bouillabaisse and fine dining
In season, the shuttle boat runs from L’Estaque harbour to the Vieux-Port in 35 minutes. Out of season, you’ll need a car or a taxi.
Charter bouillabaisse
The Bouillabaisse Charter dates from 1980. It spells out what a true Marseille bouillabaisse is: several rockfish, including scorpionfish (rascasse), served in two courses, the broth first and the fish after. At the addresses below, expect about €65 to €80 per person (prices noted in 2026). Book, and order the bouillabaisse ahead if the restaurant asks you to.
- Chez Fonfon, Vallon des Auffes (7th). A family house founded in 1952, facing the little wooden boats of the vallon. Bouillabaisse and bourride.
- Chez Michel, rue des Catalans (7th). The same family since 1946, and nothing but fish on the menu. The house claims the oldest bouillabaisse in Marseille.
- Le Miramar, on the Quai du Port, Vieux-Port (2nd). A founding member of the charter, with a terrace on the harbour. Closed on Mondays.
Michelin-starred tables
Marseille has two three-star restaurants in the 2026 Michelin Guide. Book well in advance.
- AM par Alexandre Mazzia, in the 8th. Three stars. Around forty small plates that play on spice, smoke and toasted flavours, inspired by the chef’s childhood in Congo.
- Le Petit Nice, chef Gérald Passédat, in the 7th, on the Anse de Maldormé. Three stars. Seafood cooking served right above the water, using more than sixty species of fish.
- Une Table, au Sud, chef Ludovic Turac, on the Quai du Port (2nd). One star. Marseille and Mediterranean cooking with Armenian touches, in a dining room that looks onto the Vieux-Port.
A Lebanese table
If you feel like Lebanese food, Mouné, on rue Fortia (1st), near the Vieux-Port, cooks its own version with organic, seasonal produce. Closed at weekends.
Market, groceries and local produce
L’Estaque market runs every Saturday morning, from 8 am to 1 pm, on the Plage de l’Estaque by the harbour. There are food stalls and general goods. It’s the time to do the weekend shopping and have a coffee on the harbour.
Look out for brousse du Rove, a fresh AOP cheese made from the milk of the Rove goat. It comes from the hills just behind L’Estaque.
For morning bread, there are the village shops, a few minutes from the villa by car.
For a big shop, the Carrefour hypermarket at the Grand Littoral shopping centre, in the 15th, is a few minutes away by car. It’s closed on Sundays.
Back at the villa, the kitchen is fully equipped and the dining table seats 8. You can also eat on the covered terrace, facing the bay, next to the bar area.
FAQ
Where can I eat chichis frégis in Marseille? On L’Estaque harbour, where the chichi frégi was born in the 1930s. Several kiosks fry them along the Plage de l’Estaque, and some are open all year.
Where can I eat bouillabaisse near L’Estaque? On L’Estaque harbour, some restaurants make it to order. On the Côte Bleue, Niolon is about 10 minutes away by train. In Marseille, the Bouillabaisse Charter addresses are on the Vieux-Port, at Les Catalans and in the Vallon des Auffes.
Do I need to order bouillabaisse in advance? Often, yes. Many restaurants make it to order with the day’s catch. Ask for it when you book.
Is there a market in L’Estaque? Yes, every Saturday morning, from 8 am to 1 pm, on the Plage de l’Estaque by the harbour.
Where can I find a Michelin-starred restaurant near L’Estaque? On the Côte Bleue, L’Oursin in Carry-le-Rouet holds a star in the 2026 Michelin Guide. In Marseille, two tables have three stars in 2026: AM par Alexandre Mazzia and Le Petit Nice.
Stay at Villa Byblos
Villa Byblos is high on the hills of L’Estaque, facing the bay and the harbour. The sea view runs 180°, from Notre-Dame de la Garde to the edge of the Côte Bleue. The chichis are just below, the Côte Bleue a few train stops away. Four bedrooms, room for 8, and the sun going down over the sea, seen from the terrace.
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