Les pieds dans l'eau - Marseille

My wife and I arrived in this charming port on the outskirts of Marseille and,after checking in, we were steered to this family-run restaurant. We felt like distinct outsiders when we arrived, but by time we left we were charmed by the brothers and (possibly) one sister who split their time greeting and serving neighbors and friends and some vacationers with a bonhomie that comes from knowing that their fine wines and fresh seafood makes for contented patrons. My wife and I started with fried calamari that had a balance of spice, heat and crunch that made it irresistible. After consulting with one of the brothers, my wife elected to order grilled sea bass caught earlier that day, and I agreed to be the second in the dish for two that the two plus Pound fish provided. It was somewhat pricey at 50 euros (about $56), but it was delicious, with just a dab of olive oil. It was served with baby asparagus that had the perfect texture that comes only with care in preparation. The same could be said for the Hollandaise Sauce that lightly complemented rather than overwhelmed the asparagus. Not so impressive were a dry green salad and a mixture of vegetables that were novel to me and not very inspiring.

Nothing fancy, but excellent fresh fish at a reasonable price. Simple but very good cuisine. One of my favorite get away place. The restaurant has literally its feet in the water, in the middle of a tiny tiny harbor, away from the city center. Go there at sunset. Bus 19.

My wife and I arrived in this charming port on the outskirts of Marseille and,after checking in, we were steered to this family-run restaurant. We felt like distinct outsiders when we arrived, but by time we left we were charmed by the brothers and (possibly) one sister who split their time greeting and serving neighbors and friends and some vacationers with a bonhomie that comes from knowing that their fine wines and fresh seafood makes for contented patrons. My wife and I started with fried calamari that had a balance of spice, heat and crunch that made it irresistible. After consulting with one of the brothers, my wife elected to order grilled sea bass caught earlier that day, and I agreed to be the second in the dish for two that the two plusPound fish provided. It was somewhat pricey at 50 euros (about $56), but it was delicious, with just a dab of olive oil. It was served with baby asparagus that had the perfect texture that comes only with care in preparation. The same could be said for the Hollandaise Sauce that lightly complemented rather than overwhelmed the asparagus. Not so impressive were a dry green salad and a mixture of vegetables that were novel to me and not very inspiring.

Nothing fancy, but excellent fresh fish at a reasonable price. Simple but very good cuisine. One of my favorite get away place. The restaurant has literally its feet in the water, in the middle of a tiny tiny harbor, away from the city center. Go there at sunset. Bus 19.