Chez Michel, Marseilles hymn

“It’s a rock! … it’s a peak! … it’s a cape! What am I saying, it’s a cape? It’s a peninsula!” exclaimed Cyrano de Bergerac at the start of his famous tirade. The Chez Michel restaurant in Marseille is of the same caliber: unchanging, timeless and indestructible. This Phocaean institution is, without a shadow of a doubt, a rock, a peak, a cape… a veritable gastronomic peninsula.

Its bouillabaisse is an emblematic poem for the city that has been home to this culinary gem since 1946. “You don’t like me? Then go somewhere else!” the owner might almost exclaim. The same goes for the saffron wonder prepared by the family who own the place. A string of establishments along the Mediterranean offer this typical regional dish, but none can match the bouillabaisse served at Michel’s.

The rust is intense, in the orange tones of the sky at sunset in front of the Catalan beach. The fish are presented to customers with Marseille’s characteristic nonchalance and casualness. The broth is intense, subtly full-bodied and perfectly consistent. The seafood is cut up in front of the customer on a pedestal table… an endangered service practice. As the mistral rages outside, each spoonful of this marine treasure comforts us and reminds us that happiness is to be found at Michel’s.