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Marseille Dinner With Locals

Check out our Marseille dinner experience to see what it’s like to eat dinner with locals in France.

We visited Marseille as strangers. Sure, we’re adventurous travelers and eaters who can find good restaurants on our own, but we wanted to interact with locals to get a better feel for France’s second largest city. That’s how we ended up scheduling a VizEat (now EatWith) Marseille dinner experience.

What Is VizEat?

Dinner with VizEat in Marseille France
Image: ©2foodtrippers

In their best incarnations, sharing services distinguish themselves by letting travelers live among locals. By renting apartments, we’ve relaxed on sunlit terraces in towns like Albi and Marseille and soaked up residential areas in the heart of cities like Los Angeles and Austin.

VizEat applies the same principles to dining, allowing travelers to eat with locals. Some of the great food traditions of the world are born around the family table, and VizEat allows diners to tap into the experience of a Nonna’s kitchen in Italy or a family dinner in China. In our case, we got to dine with a young couple in their urban Marseille apartment.

Update
VizEat now operates under the name EatWith.

Intrigued by the sharing concept, we journeyed 40 minutes on the Marseille Metro for our culinary quest. After ascending the stairway to the Metro exit, we entered an area away from the cathedrals, fishing boats, tour buses, museums and bouillabaisse.

Adjacent to the Velodrome soccer stadium, this was a more modern, nondescript neighborhood filled with large apartment towers that many modern Marseillais call home.

VizEat Host Anthony Welcomes Us with Pastis in Marseilles
Our host Anthony got the dinner party started with pastis, Marseille’s popular anise-flavored liqueur. | Image: ©2foodtrippers

Anthony, a former navy cook and food lover, greeted us with a smile and amuse bouche cups of tomatoes with chêvre. We soon met his pregnant companion Nathalie, a nursery school teacher, who would complete our dinner quartet.

Though their English was only a little better than our French, we were able to communicate easily thanks to the magic of Google Translate and the common language of food.

Our VizEat Marseille Dinner

Mauresque Cocktail in Marseilles France
Before moving to the dinner table, Anthony started the meal with Mauresque cocktails. | Image: ©2foodtrippers

Along with the hors-d’oeuvres, Anthony introduced us to the Mauresque, a popular drink in Marseille. Translating to “The Moorish” in English, this tasty aperitif has just four ingredients – Pastis (anise-flavored liqueur), Orgeat (almond syrup), water and ice cubes.

The combination of flavors results in a uniquely refreshing anise concoction that we continued drinking throughout our time in Marseille and plan to recreate in the future.

Recipe Alert
Check out our Mauresque recipe and make one at home.

Provencal Millefeuille at VizEat Dinner in Marseilles France
Our first official course was a Provencal Millefeuille. This starter showcased many of the fresh vegetables and herbs available in Marseille. | Image: ©2foodtrippers

Marseille literally kisses the Mediterranean Sea, and seafood abounds throughout the city. Fishermen pluck the sea’s bounty and sell the fresh seafood at the port and local markets. Fittingly, Anthony served us swordfish that he lovingly barbecued on his balcony.

He served the fish with mounds of rice and vegetables and then finished each plate with saffron. Paired with a bottle of refreshing Provençal Rosé, this was simple food that conveyed the essence of the region.

Swordfish at VizEat Dinner in Marseilles France
We ate every bite of the perfectly grilled swordfish served with rice and vegetables. | Image: ©2foodtrippers

Similar to seafood, local produce is plentiful in Marseille. The city teems with outdoor markets selling fruits and vegetables grown around and close to France.

Taking advantage of this available local fruit, Anthony finished our meal with a luscious vanilla custard topped with vibrant red raspberries. It was a sweet ending that lingered on our tongues as we headed back to the Metro station and toward the next adventure of our journey.

Raspberry Dessert at VizEat Dinner in Marseilles
We ended the meal with dessert, a light and refreshing raspberry concoction. | Image: ©2foodtrippers

Food can often be the gateway to understanding a different culture. Between the food and conversation that we shared at Anthony’s apartment, we left the meal with a greater understanding of Marseille, its people and its culinary traditions – along with two full stomachs.

Plan Your Marseille Trip

Marseille Port
This could be your Marseille view if you plan ahead. | Image: ©2foodtrippers

Planning Checklist

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About The Authors

About The Authors

Daryl & Mindi Hirsch

Saveur Magazine’s BEST TRAVEL BLOG award winners Daryl and Mindi Hirsch share their culinary travel experiences and recipes on the 2foodtrippers website. Since launching the site in 2012, they’ve traveled to over 40 countries in their quest to bring readers their unique taste of the world.

Disclosures

Article Updates
We update our articles regularly. Some updates are major while others are minor link changes and spelling corrections. Let us know if you see anything that needs to be updated in this article.

Sponsorship
We thank VizEat for facilitating our meal for the purpose of this article.

Original Publication Date: May 11, 2016

Andra

Monday 20th of June 2016

What an awesome idea! We love getting to know locals but we had no idea about VizEat! Thank you for sharing, we will definitely check it out ☺️

Neymar

Monday 30th of May 2016

love the idea

Shannon

Saturday 21st of May 2016

Love this idea! It's really nice that despite the language barrier, you were able to connect through food. I'll definitely consider VizEat in the future, especially if I'm going somewhere expensive ;)

Reby

Thursday 19th of May 2016

Thank you very much for your article and glad that the evening has pleased . See you soon, I hope. Anthony

Mags

Monday 16th of May 2016

Looks great! I have to agree, the best way to experience another culture is through their food.

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