KEY POINTS:
New Zealanders based in Marseilles for the Rugby World Cup need somewhere to eat and drink. Here are my top tips:
Caf des Epices - owned by a young, movie-star handsome chef called Arnaud.
He and my friend, the TV chef Yvan Cadiou, gate-crashed my cooking demonstration with the All Blacks, threw a few clanging, provocative remarks around to the tune of French cooking being behind the times, and suggested I pass by Arnaud's tiny restaurant.
The Caf des Epices is one of those fabulous, simple places, where there's an exceptionally good chef doing fresh, honest food.
Reservations are essential.
I ate a wonderful little tart of eggplant puree topped with a fat slice of beefsteak tomato, topped with goat cheese mousse, topped with tomato sorbet.
Le Restaurant du C.A.M. - owned by chef Michel Bjeannin, who was also present at my demonstration with sommelier Franois Roy.
Michel describes his favourite recipe thus: take a smile and lots of care and wrap it in kindness. His dishes are very refined and seasonal, like all the good cooks in Marseilles.
The best part though is the location - right on the water at L'Estaque,a picturesque fishing village just outside Marseilles.
La Brave Margot - owned by ex-rugby player chef Claude who cooks traditional, regional dishes in his little restaurant, across the square from the aforementioned Caf des Epices.
My new best friends from the C.A.M. took me there, and who did we find in the cramped kitchen but ex-owner and chef of the famous Miramar restaurant in Marseilles.
This guy is retired but as he lives across the road, he pops in from time to time to stuff a fish or stew some octopus.
Xocoalt - owner Thierry Maino is a third generation chocolate maker whose motto is "Nine people out of 10 love chocolate. The tenth is lying."
The chocolates at Xocoalt are tiny, perfectly formed mouthfuls of ecstasy which seemingly melt right through your throat and into your heart.
Thierry and his father say it's not so much the percentage of cocoa solids that count in good chocolate, but the origin of the beans.
The chocolate comes from Tanzania to Madagascar to Cuba and is all from the best crus or growths.
They have no preservatives so have to be eaten within a week - isn't that terrible? My favourite is a black lemon ganache, decorated with a jazzy transfer on top.
Black lemon is a thick black paste from Syria and I'm desperate to get my hands on some.
I plan to become very good friends with these people.
La Part des Anges - wine bar on rue Sainte rocks - full of cigarette smoke, really good bar food and a terrifying wine list.
Making choices becomes more challenging as the evening goes on.
Bon appetit!
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Caf des Epices
- 4 rue Lacydon, Marseilles
- 04 9191 2269
C.A.M.
- 1 Plage de l'Estaque, Marseilles
- 04 9103 6077
La Brave Margot
- 22 rue de la Guirlande, Espace Bargemon, Marseilles
- 04 9190 8341
Xocoatl - 28 Grand rue, Marseilles
- 04 9190 2291
La Part des Anges
- 33 rue Sainte, Marseilles
- 04 9133 5570
- Detours, HoS
