Grain de Sable is tucked into Rue de Baignoir, which runs under the skybridge of Marseille’s Alcazar public library, near the Vieux Port. The clientele for this excellent lunch spot is as local as it gets, and comes mainly from the library itself, particularly its 400-staff-member media center. Customers who come to Grain de Sable from farther afield hear about it de bouche à oreille (by word of mouth) and find a way to dart across the city from work to enjoy an organic midday meal. For visitors, this restaurant offers a simple, healthful and inventive meal as a welcome pause from rich food offered in many Marseille eateries.

We passed by the attractive line of tables outside Grain de Sable, and took one just inside to have the best of both worlds, with views of the guests, street scene, and the inside of this inviting little restaurant. Artfully designed in blue and melon yellow, with a pink metal staircase and mezzanine, the interior is at once uncluttered and homey, with hardwood floors, garlands of tiny lights, white trunk benches and throw pillows in the back, classic wooden bistro tables and chairs, and warm lamps.

At a table next to us, illuminated by the yellow light of a floor lamp, sat a pleasant-looking man and woman conversing quietly. He was dressed in formal shirt and trousers, sporting knee-high, Bordeaux-colored knitted socks and matching loafers. The older woman with him wore a silver bob, a pretty smock dress, tights, and taupe swede loafers. They did not look like they worked at the library, but rather had just stepped out of a storybook. The chefs did later remark that with their downtown location, they receive all kinds of people.

Owners Hannah and Benjamin took over Grain de Sable three years ago (the restaurant was first established in 2000), maintaining its name and reputation for serving simple creations using fresh, organic produce, with vegan and gluten-free options. We saw, through the back wall of widows, Benjamin preparing orders in the kitchen. The two cook together starting at seven o’clock every morning, and Hannah also serves and manages the side counter, where she prepares drinks and fresh-squeezed juice panachés smoothies. As they have many regulars, they change the menu weekly, and the dessert selection even more often. The menu includes four medium-sized dishes, a poke bowl (with the option to add chicken or salmon), a choice of desserts, and café gourmand (espresso accompanied by small pastries). Depending on how many dishes one orders, the meal cost varies from 10 to 21.50 euros; the grande formule, 3 dishes plus desert, comes to 20 euros.

We each order three dishes, dessert, and wine, covering most of the menu. The zesty soupe “green” has beans, squash, split peas, and parsley, cooked to a smooth perfection. It reminded me of the unicolor salads I used to sometimes make with my son, that if green, could include kiwi, zucchini, arugula, and mint, with green chilis in the dressing. In fact, Grain de Sable, with its fun, tasting-style menu with pizzazz, is very child-friendly, good for a mellow culinary adventure. The restaurant even has colored pencils and tiny soft toys available.

Mellow, however, might not be the best word to describe the experience of every dish at Grain de Sable. We all ordered the satisfying cannelloni stuffed with grilled eggplant, gorgonzola, and tomato sauce simmered in lemony thyme. We also tried the dahl (a lentil-based Indian dish), which was cooked with fennel, coconut milk, and sautéed onions, served over basmati rice fragranced with fresh coriander and caramelized, grilled almonds. It was spicy hot, a tasty spin on a classic, and a pleasant surprise in France, where most spicy world kitchens tend to lower the temperature of their offerings.

Hannah and Benjamin both led careers as chefs all over France before they met in Bandol, moved to Marseille, and took over Grain de Sable. Hannah points out that their itinerant experiences have an advantage over classic careers, or culinary school followed by traditional French kitchens: they gained in diverse culinary, management, and life experiences. Both did receive formal training, and Benjamin in particular also traveled the world. He cooked in Thailand, Guadeloupe, Switzerland, Belgium, and Australia, before deciding to return from Australia and dwell in the South of France for good, now with his partner Hannah.

They buy their vegetables and fruit from PPL, Plateforme Paysanne Locale (Local Farmer’s Platform), Asian ingredients from Tam-Ky in Noaille market, and Mediterranean ingredients from Anahit, a nearby Armenian grocer. When questioned about their audacity with spice in certain dishes, Benjamin quips that he pays no heed, and cooks what he trusts will be high-quality, delicious food. Fair enough. But then again, Marseille is Mediterranean-cosmopolitan, African and Maghrebi, with recent waves of young people from all over France and Europe, so the numbers are probably increasing of those who would appreciate some spicy food. The tide has turned in Marseille, and the epicurean reach of France’s second city diversifies by the month.

Published on October 28, 2022

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