When your tasty meal is accompanied by a wine pairing from a very passionate sommelier: Restaurant Une Table Au Sud (25. October 2022)

Since it was my first time in Marseille, I decided to have dinner at a place which had good ratings, and the 1-Michelin-starred Une Table Au Sud had this, so, time to try. I went for the “6-course menu ‘Marseille'” (125.00 EUR) which focusses on the regional and local cuisine instead of combining international (and more standard) flavours.

The evening started with a few amuse bouches like the “half-and-half pizza with beef inside and Parmesan on top”, “roasted tomatoes and anchovies piece a légère”, a “cold doughnut and anchovies onion cream” and “salted oriette with urchin and Figatelli green olives from beau de Provence”. And I must say, after the first couple of bites, I was quite excited about the rest to come.

The first amuse bouche was a “ratatouille pie with dried tomatoes and tomato water rots Churrek bread with olive oil from Provence” which sounded not all too appealing and looked a bit too red for my personal gusto, however, the ratatouille pie was kind of creating that feeling of ‘ratatouille’ which was super lovely. Intense flavour, interesting texture – just a great way to get your palate really started.

Then it was time for “bread with olive oil” and both were great. Frankly, the fluffy bread was a bit too buttery for me, which made eating it a bit tricky since your hands would be super sticky (which is not optimal if you’re trying to read a book in between the courses).

Then, a bit funny in terms of timing, I got a big selection of five different breads. Now, I love that, but I would also have loved to get an understanding of what exactly I was actually eating there, which was, unfortunately, not provided.

The first course was one of the courses the chef is famous for. The “Aioli (cod, raw vegetable roots, with black sepia aioli, citrus-infused anchovy oil)” did not only look interesting, it was also great in terms of flavour combination. The black sepia aioli had a nice and interesting intensity, which went well with the saltiness of the cod and was enriched by the slightly crunchy vegetable roots.

Then it was time for some art – right on your table. The plate came in the form of an ‘egg’ (well, a modern egg) and made me curious what I was to expect next.

The “lamb (“pieds et paquets” reduction, shellfish, pulpo, and samphire)” looked lovely. Especially the zebra pattern on the pasta was lovely. Unfortunately, though, it didn’t quite blow my mind when trying it. Not sure what exactly was missing, but it definitely looked more promising than it tasted.

Then it was time for a “red ball”. I didn’t quite grasp what it was (nor do I exactly remember how it tasted), but it was red :)

The next course was a “red mullet bouillabaisse, with crostini, typical sauce” and apparently, this is one of the super dishes of the chef. And frankly, here I did not agree. I mean, it wasn’t bad, no question, but the decomposed bouillabaisse didn’t really add anything to my personal flavour experience.

Then it was time for “The Lobster (soubise “gardianne de taureau” reduction with tapenade)” which was quite nice. There were different elements of lobster which, all in all, were absolutely tasty.

The “bisque” which was served with it though wasn’t really ticking my boxes, as it was too intense in terms of flavour, so I couldn’t finish it.

Then it was already time for dessert – the “calisson (seasonal fruits, bitter almond)” was lovely. Sweet, fluffy, rich. A super nice dessert to get started.

Then, it was time for “The Grand Citrus Finale (variants and textures)” which was interesting …

… especially since you got to pick ‘your’ citrus you wanted to have grated over your dessert. Ranging from rather regular ones to a bit more exotic ones. The dessert itself was quite nice, but there was a bit too much of the Moroccan spice which was on the baisser and the citrus. If it had been just on one component and not on both, I would have said, quite perfect.

Last but not least, you get coffee and snacks including a little local tartlet which was, frankly, delicious, but too much!

What I liked about the place is the interior itself, but it was also the fact that the service really does a great job. Firstly, not all the waiters speak flawless English, but everyone tries, and everyone is super friendly (instead of being annoyed), which is quite lovely. Secondly, I must highlight the work of the sommelier – one can see that he is passionate about his job. And that’s easy to spot, since, when I asked him if he offers a wine pairing, he would say there is no standard wine pairing, but he would be happy to provide me with one, with a big smile on his face.

The Une Table au Sud is quite down-to-earth and doesn’t try to be something it’s not. And while the prices are fair, the atmosphere is nice, the service is exquisite, the food is good – but not consistently. The starters were great, and so were the desserts. When it comes to the main courses, I would see a few question marks with room for improvement.

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Contact Details:

Restaurant Une Table Au Sud

Quai du Port 2

13002 Marseille (F)

Tel.: +33 4 91 90 63 53

E-Mail: contact@unetableausud.net

Homepage: http://www.unetableausud.com

About the Author: Sven

I started the blog in October 2009, while living in Milan which I definitely consider to be one of the food capitals of the world. I was in touch with food since my early childhood (as my father is a former chef). Whenever I can, I travel the world to discover new places, to meet people but mostly to try local dishes and to find hidden gems! If you know a place worth going, please drop a line to: info@thediningexperience.org. Currently, I am a member of the following food-related associations: Chevalier @Chaîne des Rôtisseurs Zurich-Ville; Membre Gourmet Dégustateur @Ordre Mondial des Gourmets Dégustateurs [OMGD]; Gesellschafter @Goldener Fisch and Member @Slowfood Convivium Zurich City.