Bouillabaisse is buffet style?

Hi Guys!

For those of you who've tried bouillabaissein Marseille, I'm wondering if you'd know this - I'm planning to go to this supposedly famous bouillabaisse place in Marseille called Chez Fonfon during my upcoming Med cruise to the port. At 50 euro per person per dish, I'm wondering if this dish is like a ... buffet sort of thing. In other words, if one person from my group orders it, then everyone else has to order it too....

I ask this because we're a group of 4 and would only like to give bouilabaisse a try but also want to order some other dishes just for variety sake. Not sure if this will be allowed.

Anyone input will be highly appreciated!

Thanks fellow cruisers!

Hi Guys!

 

For those of you who've tried bouillabaissein Marseille, I'm wondering if you'd know this - I'm planning to go to this supposedly famous bouillabaisse place in Marseille called Chez Fonfon during my upcoming Med cruise to the port. At 50 euro per person per dish, I'm wondering if this dish is like a ... buffet sort of thing. In other words, if one person from my group orders it, then everyone else has to order it too....

 

I ask this because we're a group of 4 and would only like to give bouilabaisse a try but also want to order some other dishes just for variety sake. Not sure if this will be allowed.

 

Anyone input will be highly appreciated!

 

Thanks fellow cruisers!

I hope someone replies to you re this question that may know something about it because it sounds VERY $$$ to me at 50 euro per per PER DISH..France can have some really high end restos,but this just sounds over the top. I know people have had great bouilabaisse in Marseille,but never heard anyone say this high a price. I am guessing it is a tasting dish menu that some restos have and you would get to pick which dish(s) you want to try. If not I would hope you could cancel and someone would give you the name of a good place just to get your bouilabaisse.

I just read the thread re restos in Marseille,and I will stay with what I wrote in my reply..I am sorry,but 50 euro per dis per person is just way to much.

If you want good real bouillabaisse, that's the going rate (at least €40 p.p. up). The dinner is in 2 servings: fish soup and then the poached fish (at least 5, all should be cooked just right) after that. There is a minimum order for 2 diners too. Depending on the restaurant, not everyone has to order the same thing.

Just remember that most French restaurants quote prices TTC (tout compris - all included which means service charge/tip + tax) so that's all you pay, not add another 20-30% as you would in North America.

Spend 2 nights in Marseille at the beginning of a 5 month sojourn in France last winter and nearly 2 weeks in Provence on the way home thus researchd it..

I would also say that €40 is about the right price. Many places will only make it for a minimum of two people. No, it's not a buffet style and if you order Boullabaise you certainly won't want something else, it is extremely filling.

Alternatively, you could order a fish soup as a starter. Not quite the same, but generally very tasty.

I think that price sounds about right. Some restaurants might actually charge more than E50 for authentic Bouillabaisse and at that price you want to make sure you are getting the true dish.

Because so many restaurants in the city and surrounding area advertise "authentic" Bouillabaisse (which isn't) and were considered to be tourist traps charging high prices for mediocre food and giving an underwhelming "Bouillabaisse experience", those restauranteurs who did actually serve authentic quality Bouillabaisse got together a number of years ago and created a "Bouillabaisse Charter". Only those who serve traditional quality Bouillabaisse are permitted to be members and should display their membership. If you search on the net for Bouillabaisse Charter Restaurant Members Marseille, you should find the website easily. It lists all members. You can then compare reviews, prices etc and decide which you might prefer.

Chez Fonfon is one of the most famous restaurants in Marseille and sits in an charming little mini port where you would least expect to find it, but there are others too.

Whichever you choose, do reserve ahead as they can be busy with tourists and locals alike. Local people will go to celebrate a special occasion such as a birthday or anniversary.

It is not inexpensive to make and a lot of work goes into it.

It is a meal in itself, usually the soup comes first then the fish. You should definitely not order a starter, but could go for dessert if you still have a corner to fill.

I think that price sounds about right. Some restaurants might actually charge more than E50 for authentic Bouillabaisse and at that price you want to make sure you are getting the true dish.

 

 

 

Because so many restaurants in the city and surrounding area advertise "authentic" Bouillabaisse (which isn't) and were considered to be tourist traps charging high prices for mediocre food and giving an underwhelming "Bouillabaisse experience", those restauranteurs who did actually serve authentic quality Bouillabaisse got together a number of years ago and created a "Bouillabaisse Charter". Only those who serve traditional quality Bouillabaisse are permitted to be members and should display their membership. If you search on the net for Bouillabaisse Charter Restaurant Members Marseille, you should find the website easily. It lists all members. You can then compare reviews, prices etc and decide which you might prefer.

 

 

 

Chez Fonfon is one of the most famous restaurants in Marseille and sits in an charming little mini port where you would least expect to find it, but there are others too.

 

 

 

Whichever you choose, do reserve ahead as they can be busy with tourists and locals alike. Local people will go to celebrate a special occasion such as a birthday or anniversary.

 

 

 

It is not inexpensive to make and a lot of work goes into it.

 

 

 

It is a meal in itself, usually the soup comes first then the fish. You should definitely not order a starter, but could go for dessert if you still have a corner to fill.

Thank you Edinburgher! I'm planning to pay a visit to Chez Fonfon with my parents, so we'll be a group of 4. We kind of want to try different dishes, so we're thinking of ordering 2 starters, 1 bouillabaisse, and one of those fish of the day thing. Do you think the restaurant will allow that? I mean, if we just order 1 bouillabaisse, they're not gonna charge us 4 heads, right? Not sure if you'd know the answer, but just thought I'd ask anyway. :)

Thanks in advance!

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If you order the boullabaise for 2 persons and then whatever else you fancy, no, there shouldn't be a problem. As Edinburgher said, you won't need a starter before a boullabaise.

If you order the boullabaise for 2 persons and then whatever else you fancy, no, there shouldn't be a problem. As Edinburgher said, you won't need a starter before a boullabaise.

Thanks LondonTowner!

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I

"Bouillabaisse Charter". Only those who serve traditional quality Bouillabaisse are permitted to be members and should display their membership. If you search on the net for Bouillabaisse Charter Restaurant Members Marseille, you should find the website easily. It lists all members. You can then compare reviews, prices etc and decide which you might prefer.

 

Chez Fonfon is one of the most famous restaurants in Marseille and sits in an charming little mini port where you would least expect to find it, but there are others to fill.

This is excellent advice. Two years ago my DH took me to Chez Fonfon for bouillon...can't spell it. It is off center, out past the Prado, and very quiet. There is a more famous place on the Vieux Port that I would like to try someday. The Miramar at 12 quai du Port. You must reserve!

I liked the starter broth like soup more than the later serving of stewed fish.

Price is correct. Very labor intensive and these fish are over $ 15 a lb.

The Miramar on the Old Port is even more expensive (65 Euros a head last time I looked) and to my mind is a stuffy and atmosphere-free tourist trap. I haven't eaten at Chez Fonfon but it's a lovely setting and very popular with locals (though further from the cruise ship terminals).

As I think some one has said, it's usual to order bouillabaisse for at least two people (and many restaurants also require it to be ordered 24 hours ahead), so the others in your party could order something different.

The Bouillabaisse Charter is a little bit of a gimmick in my eyes, but it does assure a certain level of quality. More about bouillabaisse: http://www.marvellous-provence.com/gastronomy/food/bouillabaisse-of-marseille

I hope someone replies to you re this question that may know something about it because it sounds VERY $$$ to me at 50 euro per per PER DISH..France can have some really high end restos,but this just sounds over the top. I know people have had great bouilabaisse in Marseille,but never heard anyone say this high a price. I am guessing it is a tasting dish menu that some restos have and you would get to pick which dish(s) you want to try. If not I would hope you could cancel and someone would give you the name of a good place just to get your bouilabaisse.

Here's a link to a recipe for homemade bouillabaisse to help you understand the dish:

http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/BOUILLABAISSE-238411

By the time a cook has purchased the ingredients to make the stock for simmering the fish and shellfish plus the 3 lbs of mixed fish and additional shrimp and clams (many recipes also call for lobster) you'll have no problem understanding why a restaurant might reasonably charge 50 E per person for this meal.

Although this recipe says it will serve six to eight people, the shocking thing about a properly made bouillabaisse is that even an order for two to share, requires about the same amount of fish and shellfish. The authentic version simply requires that much fish and shellfish to get the same depth of flavor.

To the OP...

About a dozen years ago, my husband and I ordered bouillabaisse at one of the name restaurants in the main port area. The meal began with soup like the one in the above recipe. After that course was served, the waiter wheeled a cart to the table which had a platter of about six whole fish on it. These were the fish that had been used to make the soup. Six whole fish. Two diners! The rest of our meal consisted of all those fish and some side dishes. I'll state the obvious: we could not finish all the fish.

Having looked at Chez Fonfon's menu, they also present the bouillabaisse as a two-course dish. That means your companions will want/need to order at least one appetizer to share or they're going to be sitting there twiddling their fingers while the bouillabaisse sharers are eating the soup.

If you're concerned about the price or want more variety, consider ordering the Rockfish fisherman's soup as a starter and then, ordering a variety of dishes. Or have one member of your party order the bourride (fish stew) as an entrée. Neither of these is exactly the same as bouillabaisse, but both capture the spirit of the dish: lots of fish varieties enlivened with a mashed garlic/chili pepper/olive oil/bread crumb mixture. In fact, if you're not thrilled to eat lots and lots of plain poached fish -- bouillabaisse's second coure -- the bourride is probably a better idea.

Frankly, bouillabaisse can be a very expensive mistake for someone who has mixed feelings about fish and shellfish and a waste of great rouille and/or aioli if it doesn't get used.

Bouillabaisse is not a delicate dish. With all that garlic and chili, it is lusty and assertive. With all that fish and shellfish, it is about abundance. Above all, it is delicious.