Other seafood standards that put in a way-above-par showing were the bacon-flavored, creamy New England chowder, full of clams; the tender baked clams under a light sprinkling of buttery crumbs; clay-pot roasted mussels, sweet and plump; and no-filler crab cakes with zingy Moroccan seasonings.
Try the linguine in clam sauce, a light white wine wonder, or the tortiglioni in Rolandi Sauce, rich and creamy.
The linguine alla vongole, al dente with tender clams in a light white sauce, was also tasty.
I liked the light minestrone scattered with firm green peas and squares of sweet celery and the littleneck clams in a light broth perfumed with browned garlic.
My main course of Marmite Dieppoise - a light fish stew of mussels, clams, squid and white fish - had a powerful depth of flavour without being overwhelming.
The al dente linguine, studded with plump shrimp and clams, sported a light, almost creamy sauce made from tomatoes, basil and a touch of pesto mixed with the natural juices from the seafood.
The baked clams with a light sprinkle of crumbs also delivered, as did the salads sampled: a Tuscan tomato salad and a garden salad of greens, tomatoes and cucumbers.
Pleasing but unexceptional were two seafood dishes: farm-raised South American tilapia, baked with clams in a light pomodoro broth, and grilled swordfish with an olive-caper-garlic pomodoro sauce.
His impeccably-sourced local produce and savvy cross-cultural references – tiny Sardinian gnocchi are served in a light tomato sauce with small clams from the Rhone delta, and salt-cod tartare with rocket comes with chickpea puree laced with sesame oil – has made this one of the most successful restaurants to open in Marseille for many years.
I also liked a pretty dish of filleted branzino with diminutive shrimp, scallops and clams afloat in a light saffron broth.
