Overlooking Marseille, Notre Dame de la Garde has long been awaiting a gourmet and sincere stopover. A place for good food, where pilgrims and tourists with their panniers and smartphones could finally enjoy a form of gourmet pleasure, without being robbed. And the people of Marseilles have understood this and are coming back home. That was the challenge facing "La Bonne Mère", a restaurant opened by a group of young siblings ready to take up this not-so-simple challenge. Don't expect incredible decor or a rooftop. Here, the room is still in its original state, despite some efforts at decoration. The addition of a small grocery store selling monastic crafts makes the place more convivial than it used to be. And the silver Madonna is enthroned in the middle of the room, almost giving it a 70s disco Madonna look. Let's funk! On the plate, the menu is inspired by the great tradition of Provencal cuisine. The famous yellow guidebook (le Reboul) is prominently displayed on the shelves, no doubt a good omen. The short menu concentrates all the food and drink on a single recto-verso page. It's an easy-to-read and effective promise, making it easy to choose. Start with mussels stuffed with fennel, panisses de l'Estaque or this very spring-like starter based around brousse du Rove, worked with a few broad beans, peas and red onions. To continue: a generous Marseille sausage with onion confit and mashed potatoes, not forgetting the chef's fish soup. For the latter, two fillets of wolf come on top of the plate, and the rouille is good. We only wish the very basic Gruyère had been replaced by a more gourmet cheese. The dessert menu is full of twists and turns, sometimes far from Provence. The only dessert of note is this brousse with roasted apricots, honey and caramelized almonds. Simple, good and generous. The short wine list offers something to quench your thirst at very reasonable prices (between €20 and €40). And it's said that at the bottom of the 4th bottle, you can see paradise! The restaurant is open exclusively during Basilica opening hours. And on summer evenings, the fun continues "al fresco" with the food truck facing the sea, always with the same team.
Chef
