I’ve always liked Marseille, especially when on the way to theatre, but brunch there recently wasn’t up to its usual standards.
Last time I was there for brunch was served a delicious basket of breads, not so this time. We got a few slices of crusty fruit and nut laden bread, with some miniscule too sweet carrot muffins. And… service was painstakingly slow.
I started with their Moroccan blood Mary ($9), that the waiter warned me was quite spice as it was purportedly made with Absolute pepper vodka, cumin, pepper, cardamom and harissa, the North African hot sauce. Not. Although I could taste a smidgen of harissa, the drink was 
as mild as a glass of tomato juice and light on the vodka.
One friend’s shrimp salad ($17.75) with 6 grilled shrimp and fresh avocado, looked good but was oddly light on the Bibb salad greens and missing the menu-stated tomatoes. My Moroccan “shakshuka” eggs — three eggs baked in tomato sauce with a miniscule amount of ratatouille and dollops of basil ricotta ($14.50) were rubbery, as they were way overbaked in the cast-iron skilled. What were good were the crispy, well-seasoned chunks of potatoes ($3.75), they called “home fries.”
Generally Marseille serves consistently decent food. but not this time.
– bonnie
Marseille
630 9th Ave
New York, NY 10036
(212) 333-2323
marseillenyc.com
Leave A Comment