La Mercerie ★ 4.5
15 by the glassCours Saint-Louis (Marseille 1er)
A Cours Saint-Louis restaurant in a former haberdashery, with chef Harry Cummins's tasting menus and sommelier Laura Vidal's natural-wine pours.
The list: A former-haberdashery restaurant from chef Harry Cummins and Montreal-born sommelier Laura Vidal of Paris Popup, pouring Vidal's natural-wine picks with a five-course Cummins dinner
Tip: Book the five-course dinner with the wine flight; the Friday-to-Sunday three-course lunch is the value option for the same kitchen and cellar.
Cave de la Tour ★ 4.4
14 by the glassVieux Nice
Nice institution since 1947 in the Vieux Nice, pouring local and broader French wines by the glass with a shaded terrace and full-day service.
The list: Founded in 1947, one of Nice's oldest wine bars, with French regional wines by the glass and the bottle and food to soak them up. Shaded terrace and long-haul service from breakfast to evening
Tip: Closed Monday; the shaded terrace is the place to be for an early-evening glass before dinner in Vieux Nice.
Atelier Renata ★ 4.3
12 by the glassMarseille centre
A doorbell-entry, communal-table Marseille spot from former musician Erika Blu, serving cucina povera with Italian wine and lo-fi music.
The list: An Italian-led communal-table room from former musician Erika Blu, pouring Barolo and other Italian bottles to a cucina povera menu in a Persian-rug-and-old-stove setting
Tip: You ring the doorbell to get in; the room is small and the meals are communal, so book ahead and plan for a slow, conversational evening.
Razzia ★ 4.2
10 by the glassLa Plaine (Marseille 6e)
A Rue Fontange La Plaine cafe-bar from Axelle Poittevin and Thomas Benayoun, pouring natural wines into the evening alongside competition-level sandwiches.
The list: A Rue Fontange cafe-bar that opens early for La Marzocco espresso and stretches into lunch and evening with a sandwich menu and an evolving by-the-glass natural wine list
Tip: Razzia is a morning-to-evening La Plaine spot; the boeufato tonnato sandwich at lunch and a chilled natural rose at sundown are the two visits to plan.
Premices ★ 4.1
12 by the glassNear Vieux-Port (Marseille 2e)
A two-story near-Vieux-Port spot with 60s lighting, banquettes and a tiled bar, with seasonal cooking and natural-wine pours.
The list: A two-story spot near the Vieux-Port with 60s lighting, banquettes and a delicately tiled bar, with seasonal lunch menus and a small natural-wine list across the evening
Tip: The veggie option on the lunch menu is the canary for the kitchen's seasonal sourcing; ask for the wine pairings from the natural list.
Banh Mei ★ 4.1
10 by the glassVieux Nice
A Vieux Nice Vietnamese-French fusion spot with a curated natural-wine list and a quiet evening soundtrack.
The list: A Vietnamese-French fusion spot in Vieux Nice with a curated natural-wine selection across the evening, the local listening-style spot for a low-key wine-driven dinner
Tip: The natural-wine list is short and rotates; let the room recommend a pairing to the banh mi rather than ordering blind.