Pointe Rouge · Marseille 13008

Eating bouillabaisse in Marseille, facing the sea

In the south of the city, on the Pointe Rouge harbour, l'Estéou serves bouillabaisse the way it is served here: by reservation, with the day's rockfish and homemade rouille, on a terrace by the water.

Book my bouillabaisse→

Table set on the terrace with seafood and a glass of wine facing the sunset at l'Estéou, Marseille.

Stall of fresh rockfish and prawns on ice, garnished with lemon, at l'Estéou Marseille.

Choosing the place

A good bouillabaisse starts with a good place

In Marseille, bouillabaisse appears on many menus, from the Vieux-Port to the calanques. To enjoy it properly, the setting matters as much as the recipe: a restaurant close to the boats, working with the morning's catch and taking the time to serve the dish as it should be.

That is the choice we made at Pointe Rouge, at 1 Avenue de la Pointe Rouge (13008): the rockfish come from the neighbourhood harbour, the bouillabaisse is prepared for your table, and you enjoy it facing the Mediterranean.

All about the dish: fish, rouille and tradition

Why here

Three reasons to eat it at Pointe Rouge

The harbour a few steps away

Scorpionfish, conger, John Dory or gurnard depending on the sea: the rockfish are landed at the Pointe Rouge harbour and reach the kitchen the same morning.

A terrace by the water

Bouillabaisse is enjoyed on a terrace open onto the beach and the bay, the very setting of this fishermen's dish.

A dish prepared for your table

It is booked in advance and cooked to order, most often for two people or more, with the day's catch.

On the day

How a bouillabaisse unfolds at l'Estéou

The meal starts with the saffron broth, poured steaming over golden croutons and homemade rouille. Then come the fish, presented whole, filleted and served at the table: the two-course service of Marseille tradition.

Plan for a meal that lingers, to be shared, a glass of Cassis white in hand. When booking, mention that you are coming for the bouillabaisse and the number of guests: the kitchen plans around the morning's catch.

Whole grilled fish plated with lemon and citrus on a platter, at l'Estéou Marseille.

Before booking

Five questions to choose your bouillabaisse restaurant

A serious address answers them without hesitation. Ask them when you book, with us or anywhere else in Marseille.

01
Do I need to book the bouillabaisse?
If the answer is no, be wary: a real bouillabaisse is prepared to order, for the table, with the day's fish.
02
Where does the fish come from?
A restaurant working with the local catch can tell you which rockfish arrived that morning, and the selection changes with the sea.
03
How is it served?
Broth first, fish second, presented whole at the table. A single pre-plated dish gives the shortcut away.
04
Is the rouille homemade?
Garlic, saffron and olive oil whisked in the kitchen: the rouille and the broth say a lot about the house.
05
Can I take my time over it?
Bouillabaisse is a long meal made to be shared. A place serving it at any hour, on a production line, ignores its rhythm.

Small Mediterranean port with white houses and moored fishing boats near Marseille.

The neighbourhood

Pointe Rouge, a fishermen's harbour in southern Marseille

Away from the city-centre bustle, Pointe Rouge has stayed a harbour and beach neighbourhood: fishing boats are moored there, the sand begins at the foot of the terrace and the horizon opens onto the bay and the islands. Here, as close as possible to those who catch the rockfish, bouillabaisse finds its setting as a fishermen's dish again.

The place

Where to enjoy bouillabaisse at Pointe Rouge

Bouillabaisse is best savoured where it was born: by the water. l'Estéou seats you at 1 Avenue de la Pointe Rouge, in Marseille (13008), on a terrace open onto the beach and the boats. Book online or on +33 6 02 05 65 46, mentioning that you are coming for the bouillabaisse.

Before booking your table, discover our Pointe Rouge restaurant, our beach terrace and the Mediterranean sea view — the setting in which the two-course service unfolds, unhurried, facing the sea.

Good to know

Eating bouillabaisse in Marseille: your questions

Where can I eat a good bouillabaisse in Marseille?

Look for a place by the sea that works with the day's catch, prepares bouillabaisse by reservation and serves it in two courses. At l'Estéou, 1 Avenue de la Pointe Rouge (13008), the rockfish come from the neighbourhood harbour and the dish is enjoyed on the terrace, facing the sea.

Do I need to book to eat bouillabaisse at l'Estéou?

Yes, it's strongly advised. Bouillabaisse is prepared to order, with the fish from the day's catch: let us know when you book, online or on +33 6 02 05 65 46.

How many people is the bouillabaisse meant for?

It's a generous dish made to be shared. It's most often prepared for two people or more; tell us the number of guests when you book.

Why eat bouillabaisse at Pointe Rouge rather than the Vieux-Port?

Both shores are Marseille, but the feel is not the same. Pointe Rouge is a harbour and beach neighbourhood in the south of the city: fishing boats are moored there and the terrace looks onto the sand, the bay and the islands. You enjoy your bouillabaisse by the water rather than in the middle of the city-centre bustle.

How is the bouillabaisse served?

In two courses, as Marseille tradition demands: first the broth poured over croutons and homemade rouille, then the fish presented and served at the table.

What else can I eat if I haven't booked the bouillabaisse?

The menu follows the morning catch: whole grilled fish, bluefin tuna tartares, seafood in season, fish soup and homemade aioli, as well as pasta and pizza.

The cluster