Restaurant Calendal — Restaurant in Marseille

Do not miss this restaurant when in Cassis. We were overwhelmed with an abundance of choices with hundreds of tables placed in the sunshine overlooking the stunning views of the cliffs and blue water. In our experiences in France the places with the best views tend to offer mediocre culinary experiences so we went looking for a 5 star experience off the beaten path.

Ordered the seafood paella with squid ink, stuffed zucchini flowers and calamari to share. Each dish was perfection. Our most memorable meal in France.

The owners were charming and fun.

TLDR version below.

We walked by earlier in the day to see the menu ( it rotates based on products that are available in season). The owner was outside and we asked him if we would have room for two this evening. He took our name and saved us a table for 7:15 ( a tad early by most French standards in seems).

We started with a bottle of white from a vineyard just down the road. In Provence the rosé takes the spotlight in Nice, Antibes and St. Tropez but in Cassis the white wines are spectacular. They are not sweet but very well balanced with a floral undertone ( think Chamomile flower).

To start we shared the stuffed zucchini flowers. These beauties had an herb ricotta inside and were lightly pan fried to perfection.

Next up the squid ink paella. Have you ever seen anything so beautiful? The octopus was cooked to perfection, crispy on the outside but al dente inside. The flavours were rich but not overpowering. 10/10 for: ✅ the quality of ingredients ✅visual appearance ✅ deliciousness.

We considered having dessert until an order of calamari wafted past our table. I couldn't leave without trying it ( time to unbutton my pants). This calamari is nothing like the fried and overly battered offering traditionally found in Canada ( were I am from). This dish was singing with garlic and flavour. An absolute stunner!

While the food and presentation were equally spectacular, the entire experience was made the most memorable by the charming hosts owners Nico and ( a gentleman who's name I cannot seem to remember ). They were knowledgable, kind, funny and generous with aperitifs 😂

Add this spot to your bucket list of MUST TRY when in Cassis. Make a trip for it. It is...

Fantastic seafood restaurant serving the best and freshest of catches. Meat/steak options too if seafood isn’t your thing. We overheard other guests’ interactions with staff and discovered that there are vegetarian/gluten/dairy free accommodations available too should you require. We enjoyed the best mussels gratin ever (huge juicy, tasty and meaty mussels bathed in high quality tasty parsley&garlic butter topped with crisp breadcrumbs) and great calamari (perfectly crisp and lightly battered in well seasoned gram/chickpea flour served with mixed salad) as starters and then a wonderful fish of the day (today being sea bass; de-boned and served as two fillets along with a good portion of clams also served with a generous amount of vegetable and potato gratin sides) and one of the best seafood risottos we’ve ever had (stuffed full of squid, clams, 2 enormous prawns, so succulent and naturally sweet, cooked in a sublime seafood stock and delicious freshly milked cuttlefish ink, not from a sachet). Generous portions, good service (with staff speaking both French and English) and good wine. Complementary Limoncello served after the meal. Limited (4 white, 4 rose and 4 red) but superb quality wine selection. No tap water option or complementary carafe of tap water available. €6 charged for bottled mineral/fizzy water. Good quiet location on a pretty street off the main touristy quay. Pleasant outdoor seating in hot and sunny Cassis. Inside looks a little dated and dark. Toilet facilities ie cubicle (singular) is very basic, alas, but not bad. Recommendable for food and service. Booking in...

The French landed in Sydney Australia just hours after the Brits colonised us. This is a greater tragedy than Kimmie leaving Kanye. This restaurant is emblematic of that tragedy. Ive had almost nothing but overcooked fish, all over Europe. But, I'll argue that France is in Europe, but it ain't Europe. They cook fish the way it's supposed to be cooked, just until the warmth barely reaches the centre, but no more. Choose any of their fish dishes, but their take on bouillabaisse will make you focus more than a bucket of Ritalin. Perfect rouille comes aside perfectly cooked pieces of the sea...I don't think I've ever had a more perfectly cooked prawn...and too often in these dishes, the fish is poached to oblivion...chefs know that poaching can counter-intuitively dry out seafood like a blast furnace. Not so here. They feel the pain of the once living creatures and make sure you get all their energy and perfectly poach them. The rest is all the same, though like most French restaurants, the desserts don't climb the same mountain as the mains. Perhaps the best pastry chefs prefer the patisserie life. That's ok, I know where...