Au Doyen — Restaurant in Marseille

Unbelievably Rude Staff with a Bad Attitude

Our experience at this restaurant was shockingly disappointing. Upon arrival, a waiter lazily waved in the general direction of some tables, leaving us to figure things out ourselves. We chose a four-person table, placed our jackets on the chairs, and waited patiently.

After 15 minutes of being ignored, no menus in sight, and another 15 minutes before anyone bothered to take our order, the waitress noticed we were only two people. Instead of apologizing for the wait, she rudely demanded we move to a smaller table. We agreed without hesitation, but her tone was unnecessarily harsh and condescending.

Even though the restaurant was half-empty with plenty of free tables, she insisted on lecturing us, claiming we “could not just sit at a four-person table.” When I politely pointed out that the seating confusion could have been avoided if they had seated us properly in the first place, she snapped, saying she “doesn’t have time for this conversation all day.”

The sheer lack of courtesy and professionalism was staggering. As a paying guest, I expect to be treated with basic respect, which this restaurant staff clearly does not understand. Avoid this place if you value decent service or being treated...

Had a wonderful experience at Au Doyen. We were looking for a restaurant along the harbor that wasn't touristy and it wasn't looking promising until we came across this one. We sat inside and the servers and everyone were extremely friendly. They explained the menu and were always on the same page with bringing us what we needed.

We got the mussels, whole fish, and calamari. Everything was delicious. The mussels came out piping hot and it was a huge portion. They also came out and de-boned the fish for us which was very considerate. It was very cool that they are connected to the souvenir shop next door and so we bought some stuff there and interacted with the owner, who is also very friendly.

Dessert was also delicious and we overall had a great experience at a restaurant that had surprisingly good food in a touristy part of town. The outside covered patio was full of people so they were constantly running around attending to them but appreciated how they always made time to ensure we were taken care of and never...

If you are an even vaguely liberated woman you may have had the pleasure of dining alone. If, in addition, you are unusually fortunate you might find yourself facing that eventuality in the vibrant and quintessentially Mediterranean town of Marseille. If this is you, let Au Doyen be the place. Be served by a chic maîtresse d’hôte and a staff of delightfully polite and unremarkable male waiters who won’t judge you for ordering moules frites as early as 7pm. Enjoy an expansive view of the renowned Old Port, which is undeniably THE place for seafood, while sipping a glass of vin blanc as crisp as birdsong in winter (see Haiku by Wendy Cope). The ambiance is lively yet peaceful and at the height of the tourist season, no reservation is necessary for a waterside table. Sincerely, Au Doyen provides an impeccable basis for truly immersing oneself in the pleasures that our foremothers fought for, as well as drafting a Google review....