La Mère Germaine Restaurant
La Mère Germaine has been feeding fishermen, film stars and discerning travellers from its prime position on Quai Courbet since 1938, and its bouillabaisse — made to the strict Marseille charter — remains one of the most authentic on the Riviera east of Marseille.
What to Order
The bouillabaisse arrives in two courses: first a saffron-gold broth with rouille and grilled croutons, then the fish — rascasse, grondin, vive and Saint-Pierre — presented whole before being filleted tableside. It must be ordered 24 hours in advance and feeds a minimum of two people.
For a lighter lunch, the salade niçoise here is made the traditional way: no cooked vegetables, just raw seasonal produce, good olive oil and locally caught tuna. The grilled whole sea bass with fennel and pastis is another house classic.
The wine list leans heavily on Provençal rosés from Bandol and Palette appellations — ask the sommelier for a glass of Domaine Tempier Bandol rosé to pair with the bouillabaisse.
The Setting
Tables on the shaded terrace sit almost at water level, with the citadel and pastel Old Town rising behind you and superyachts gliding past in front — it is one of those rare restaurant settings where the view genuinely matches the food.
The interior is warmly old-fashioned: zinc bar, framed black-and-white photos of past celebrity guests (Cocteau, Orson Welles, various royals) and tiled floors worn smooth by decades of service.
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