After the two reputed gourmet bouillabaisses, it was time to try the bargain bones version as part of a €17 set menu I found wandering past.
Not as exotic, not as good, but similarly not bad for the value.
Decide your price.
The first stop in the quest to try all the best bouillabaisse in the city.
The furthest away and the highest reputation.
It was good but maybe a little too expensive and refined for me.
I definitely preferred Miramar (http://eatlikeushi.posthaven.com/restaurant-miramar-marseille-10-2009).
It's possible a serve for more than 1 would have been more impressive.
- Escargots de Bourgogone au Beurre Persille €12.4
- Les Tartares 100% Pur Boeuf 200g Le Classique (jaune d'oeuf, oignons, cornichons et capres), salade verte et pommes de terre maison €16.8
Bouillabaisse number 2. The most touristy spot but actually the one I liked the most.
- Socca €
- Pates pistou €7
Menu Lavinal €25
- Filets de hareng marines en salade
- Confit de canard, puree de pommes de terre et salade verte
- Tarte du jour
Formule midi €11
- Salade de riz
- Fricasse de volaille et puree de courgettes
- Tarte aux poires
Although it wasn't Marseille, I really wanted bouillabaisse. It is apparently quite difficult to find outside Marseille, let alone a good one. Well it's lucky Le Brulot has one on the menu, and my Airbnb host recommended it. The online menu says €55 and 24h notice. Unfortunately they are closed on a Sunday and so pre-ordering for Monday night wasn't possible, as hard as I tried by an online booking (which was successful then rejected on Monday) and calling to ask. However when I arrived and saw the restaurant menu, it was now €65. Per person. €130 for 2 people. What the hell? Good thing I couldn't get it.
Drifting into the restaurant from the heavy wind and rain, it seemed to be the busiest restaurant that Monday. Everyone around was French and nearly all the tables filled up. It must be testament.
One waitress served the entire underground area with rock walls and netting and some fake plants. It was quite nice (although a little dank) under there. She worked hard and smiled.
The set menus are wonderful value, as long as you are hungry enough to get through it. The Menu Cigale €28.9 is enough food for any 1 person certainly, or you can do like the table next to us and overorder then get takeaway. The Menu Gastronomique is only if a dish you really really want features there alone €44.9.
- Cassolette d'escargots (Burgundy snails in parsley butter) x12 - delicious little beasts in parsley butter. Could have used a touch more salt;
- Soup de poissons, maison (homemade fish soup) - this is what I dreamt of. Thick bouillabaisse soup base, just without the €100 of fish. It was beautiful and warm and filling with melty cheese to stir through and a strong garlic rouille on sliced croutons. Simply magnificent. The complimentary bread served with the meal wasn't the best, but once soaked in soup became a delight;
- Granite de poire au Calvados (pear granita with Calvados) - refreshing granita with strong alcohol at the base;
- Filet de boeuf (filet of beef grilled in wood fire with Vigneron sauce) - ordered medium-rare but served rare (the way I like it). Simply seasoned and very tender. The wine sauce didn't add much in my opinion. The vegetables were stewed almost like a ratatouille. The potatoes were thin and crisp but strangely they had inflated and were like balloons and empty inside. Still good!;
- Cotes d'agneau aux herbes de Provence (lamb ribs grilled in wood fire) - lamb ribs were in fact a cutlet and a chop, magnificently soft, pink and tender and flavoured with herbs. The accompaniments were the same as the beef;
- Mesclun au chevre chaud (green salad with warm goat cheese) - by this time I was very full. The moderately strong cheese came on a slightly unnecessary piece of bread (well necessary to balance the flavour but unnecessary extra carbohydrates/food);
- Tarte aux pommes (apple pie cooked in wood fire) - sadly the wood fire dessert was a disappointment. It was cold (ie. wood fired long ago) with ok apples, but terrible base that was hard, firm and thick. Really bad;
- Chocolate cake with orange - on the other hand this one was ok, but very sweet.
Overall the meal was excellent, with only the dessert being a disappointment. Next time I would order the Cigale menu again with the soup de poissons, lamb or the excellent smelling (from the greedy next table) gratinated lasagna, and try the wood fire creme caramel.