Une Table au Sud — Restaurant in Marseille

In the words of Johnny Rotten of The Sex Pistol’s, ‘Ever get the feeling you’ve been cheated?’, that prophetic punk rock sentiment succinctly sums up my thoughts about my experience at Une Table, Au Sud.

What an anticlimactic meal, and such a disappointing experience from start to finish. Despite strong online reviews, inclusive of a favourable Michelin guide recommendation, my husband and I found the restaurant and its chef/owner missed on every lofty culinary mark it set to hit.

Given the clear luxury price point one would reasonably expect excellence, in cooking, ingredients and service, simply put an experience. Eyes opened we booked, but on this occasion we struggled to find anything positive to say about this meal, and that was only made more tangible given the bill exceeded 200 euros.

Specifically, neither the food quality nor the cooking matched the price point. The beef was chewy, the fish tasteless and scallops were mushy and all seafood flavour lost. Perhaps the chef had an ‘off night’, but given the price point that’s just not good enough in my opinion.

I would also caution anyone with dietary requirements to be on alert. I am currently pregnant, which was flagged with staff in advance and also upon arrival (assurances were received that they could work with us), however the staff appeared to lack even the most rudimentary understanding of customary practices - which I found to be terribly concerning for an established restaurant. Given only 6 patrons were in the restaurant on the night we visited, one would have expected reasonable oversight that all meats were cooked more thoroughly/throughout and certain ‘high risk’ items omitted, neither were.

Despite lofty ambitions and considerable efforts to emulate a Michelin quality restaurant, Une Table, Au Sud fell well short on talent and execution. Although we genuinely wanted to like the night, it was a net negative experience. Whilst a regrettable experience, I opted to write this review lest others be attracted to this culinary...

A very nice and enjoyable lunch, in the heart of Marseille, with spectacular views on Vieux Port. The cuisine has deep Provençal roots with some clins d’œil to Armenia (the young Chef, Ludovic Turac, was born in Marseille but has an Armenian grandmother). It is full of the flavors from this cosmopolitan city and uses various spices from around the Mediterranean (every dish comes with a sampler of the spices used in its composition). The cooking is modern, but without the gimmicks that « modern cooking » sometimes entails. What is modern is the freshness of the ingredients (whose origins are always specified), the clarity of the preparation, the accuracy of the cooking, and the lightness of the dishes. We had the menu « essentiels », which feature two of the Provençal basics: aioli and bouillabesse. And they both taste like aioli and boyillabesse, but not in a traditional and roborative way. They are more like dreams or reminiscences of aioli and bouillabesse. The « cabillaud nacré » melts in the mouth and the aioli sauce, which is lightly emulsified, offers a pleasant accentuation that does not overpower the delicate taste of the fish. The « soup de roche » that accompanies the « rouget » of the bouillabesse, is strong and deep, as it suits to such kind of soup, but again, it does not take the main role. In both cases, there is a subtle balance between the various elements giving a feeling of plenitude but not of fullness. The meal unfolds, like a pleasant journey in the calanques, with its palette of colors and surprises. The cassis white wine was a perfect match to the rouget and the bouillabesse. The service is discreet and efficient. The tableware is original and well harmonized with the food. In short, a southern table, but rejuvenated and looking to the future. We will...

A forgettable experience compared relative to experiences at other michellin resturnats in france.

good: food presentation. service was exceptional. the staff are professional and attentive

Issues worth flagging based on my preference: the produce (meat, fish and vegetables) felt like they played a secondary role to overpowering sauces that felt at times conflicting a number of the 7 wines paired with the meal were spanish wines (a surprise to me as the information I read online appeared to flag a focus on local products)

Negatives: only table seated looking towards the city side of the resturant, Every other table in the entire resturant had harbour views or a degree of harbour outlook (we definately didn't get the same ambience as every other table as a result which is a shame and really let the experience down). this window is also right against a busy intersection and you hear every bus, scooter and car at the intersection. This made it incredibly hard to relax and enjoy. uncomfortably still/hot due to being in the corner of the secondary dining room leather chairs in a stuffy room increases discomfort due to a sweaty seat The combination of the hot and stuffy location, no view of the harbour, and constant traffic noise from the intersection below did not make for a comfortable or relaxing dining experience. It was a shame as so many reviews and the website focussed on the great view and ambience, which we did...