La Relève is a bar, a café, a restaurant and an inn all rolled into one… in short, a proper neighbourhood hangout right in the heart of Saint-Victor, in Marseille’s 7th arrondissement. Some will find it a little too Parisian, others will fall for just how right the whole place feels. Guess which camp I’m in ;-)

The perfectly preserved, old-school neighbourhood bar aesthetic tends to get most of the attention in articles about La Relève. But it would be a shame to stop there.

The wine list is exactly how we like it: full of discoveries, thoughtfully put together and very fairly priced. You’d have to be in a particularly grumpy mood not to find something to love. Our happiness came in the form of a wonderfully refreshing direct-press Syrah by the Soulier brothers.

The service? Young, dynamic, efficient and friendly.

And the food is good. Very good, actually. Without breaking the bank. At lunchtime, there’s a short and sweet menu: two starters, three mains and three desserts. In the evening, there are no reservations and plenty of small plates to nibble on — including some excellent panisses — alongside all those lovely bottles mentioned above.

That lunchtime, we devoured raw prawns with an insanely silky texture, pasta with sausage meat and gorgonzola that could have come straight out of a Roman trattoria, and a green bean salad with tarragon pesto and burrata, bursting with flavour and indulgence.

The desserts? So good we completely forgot to take a picture.

Full marks, then, for a place that somehow manages to make you feel both like you’ve lived in the neighbourhood for years and like a curious observer aboard a UFO.

Booking is essential at lunchtime; evenings are walk-in only.