Miramar

Marseilles’ oldest fish market, on the quai de Rive Neuve, may now be a theatre (it closed for lack of space) but fish mongers travel from as far as the Italian coast to shop at the new ‘Criée’ of La Somati on the Route de l’Estaque. They have to get up early to beat Jean-Michel Minguella of the Miramar restaurant. He is at La somati every morning before returning to the Vieux Port for his daily stroll along the twenty wooden fish stalls on the Quai des Belges in front of the Miramar. Here, the stalls are painted with the fishermen’s boat names and the fish are more expensive, but that much fresher - straight from the net into Jean-Michel’s pot. He cooks in accordance with the Charte de la Bouillabaisse, and his restaurant has long been one of the most respected by Marseillais. The freshest fish is steamed over seaweed or baked in a golden salt crust, whole sea bass is flamed over fennel, and little poached dumplings of red mullet are served with a purée of fresh sea urchins. The brothers Minguella run the restaurant-Jean-Michel in the kitchen & Pierre in the dining room. Both are mines of gastronomic knowledge.