la marinière, marseille.

For fresh seafood overlooking Marseille's Vieux Port, La Marinière is a must. Showcasing the likes of moules frites, bouillabaisse and seasonal seafood platters, La Marinière can be found along the Quai des Belges amongst the hustle and bustle of the busy French port. I went along a couple of times during my stay in the South of France, both times enjoying some great quality fish dishes at pretty reasonable prices.

Although you can't find it online, the menu features grilled sardines for €15, Provence scallops for €18 and bouillabaisse starting at €18, with daily house specials. On my first visit, I enjoyed the grilled seafood platter, which was €26 for large tiger prawns, red gurnard, prawns and sardines. There were chips and bread alongside, which I hardly had room to finish. This was a real treat for seafood lovers.

On my second visit, I went for the timeless French dish of mussels and fries, also known as moules frites. I went for the classic marinière sauce, which is made of fresh cream, white wine onions and celery. These are then steamed to perfection and serves with fries for lapping up the creamy, garlicky sauce. It was a generous portion which rounded off my trip perfectly. I did notice not all of the mussels had been de-bearded which was a shame. It's not dangerous but more of a expected preparation etiquette from a chef, I just found myself cutting that part off myself.

Overall La Marinière is an excellent taste of Marseille which I thoroughly recommend to fellow seafood fans. The restaurant is nearby a busy road and does get loud traffic and people rushing around, but lost in my book I barely noticed. Lone travellers will be pleased to know that dining in Marseille wasn't awkward at all, and I happily perched up with a glass of wine and seafood platter on a few occasions.

Have you been to La Marinière for their classic French seafood? What are your favourite restaurants in Marseille or the South of France?