BOUILLABAISSE

In Marseille, a meal of bouillabaisse is a must. The stew (a mixture of seven or eight different Mediterranean fish and shellfish, with garlic, herbs, tomatoes, onions and olive oil) was created here by local fishermen. Some fish considered absolutely necessary for the dish – rascasse, galinette – can be found only in local waters. Restaurants jealously guard their secret recipes. Several claim to be keepers of the flame, so to speak.

Here’s a rundown of a few places that could have come right off the pages of Marcel Pagnol’s Marseille novels:

• Le Miramar (12 Quai du Port, 13002, Marseille, ☎ 33 04 91 91 10 40, contact@bouillabaisse.com, www.bouillabaisse.com, €€€€). Michelin, which rates this family-run restaurant with three crossed forks and one star, says it is the reference for bouillabaisse. Expect to wait 20 minutes for the preparation and to pay €48 per person for the dish. Don’t worry, you won’t be hungry for anything else.
• Chez Michel (6 Rue Catalans, La Corniche, 13007 Marseille, ☎ 33 04 91 52 30 63, fax 33 04 91 59 23 05, €€€€). Slightly scruffier and retro, but with a star from Michelin nonetheless, Chez Michel is considered another conservatoire of bouillabaisse. The same family has been dishing up seafood here since 1946.
• Chez Fonfon (140 Vallon des Auffes, 13007, Marseille, ☎ 33 04 91 52 14 38, fax 33 04 91 52 14 16, chezfonfon@aol.com, www.chez-fonfon.com, €€€€). Don’t let the basic décor and raffish ambiance fool you. Bouillabaisse takes lots of time and bags of ingredients to make, so expect to pay for it. The tiny port of Vallon des Auffes, south of the Vieux Port under the Corniche John F. Kennedy, is a real working fishing port. Chez Fonfon has served locals here for for more than 50 years.