We meet a brand new local figure on the hotel terrace. With slicked-back hair and a devastating smile, young chef Ilan Tinchant has just taken over the reins at L'Oursin, the hotel's gourmet restaurant. This native of Marseille, who carries a deep love for his city in his heart, is thrilled to be working by the sea, gazing out at the Frioul Islands and the Marseille coastline from his kitchen. It's a coastline he knows well, as it provides the salty flavors for his exquisite seafood cuisine: "Julien Diaz, head chef at the Saisons restaurant, introduced me to all these incredible flavors. He taught me how to forage for sea purslane, sea purslane, and sea fennel, also known as sea fennel. I love walking along the paths of the Blue Coast to harvest these plants along the rocks."

He has created a seven- or eight-course tasting menu for the hotel. A journey for some, an odyssey for others, these maritime escapades are an opportunity to discover the signature dishes of this 28-year-old chef, such as cuttlefish served in different textures, confit in its ink, tempura, and garnished with a cloud of garlic, or oysters served au naturel with a drizzle of pink peppercorn oil, condiments, and a touch of caviar: "The menu will evolve with these signature dishes that we will find throughout the year, and others whose inspiration will come with the seasons."

During our visit, zucchini had just given way to artichoke, which, blending with new iodized flavors, expressed a whole new taste that captivated us:

"The change of season gives me lots of ideas: with autumn comes mushrooms, and I'm also thinking about a fish pie, which will encourage our customers to come back and discover new flavors."

This ode to the sea has become the DNA of Ilane Tranchant's cuisine, who readily admits that he is not a big meat lover: "I find that iodine has a modernity in its aromas. Sea herbs, trace elements, and seafood are an endless source of inspiration." However, resources are limited, and the chef is aware of this. Concerned about environmental issues, he is keen not to source his produce solely from the Mediterranean: "70% of our fish comes from Mediterranean fishmongers. I only want to offer the very best, and just because we are a stone's throw from Marseille, I'm not going to make customers believe that all my fish comes from the surrounding area: that would be an ecological aberration because we have a duty to respect fishing cycles and seasonality. Furthermore, we must not forget that the Mediterranean Sea is one of the most polluted. As a gourmet restaurant, we serve beautiful 4-5 kg pieces, and it is increasingly rare to find such treasures in the Mediterranean."

A love of good produce that is about to take concrete form on the plate in another way, since the chef is also setting up a virtuous circuit for all the plant-based ingredients in his cooking: "I'll soon be working with two local market gardeners, including a young man who has just set up shop and grows fruit and vegetables from fairly rare seeds. He's building a greenhouse that will supply L'Oursin exclusively.

L'hôtel bleu, from €180 per room
1 Bd des Moulins, 13620 Carry-le-Rouet
Restaurant l'Oursin, lunch €90, dinner €145 and €185