July 21, 2026
Every dish we order is equally colorful – ruby pomegranate seeds, emerald peas, and melon that evoke Marseille sunsets – and throughout our lunch, locals and tourists pause in front of our plates like hungry window shoppers, curious to know more. Like PR agents, we tout the food and the restaurant’s singularity as the only gastronomic Armenian spot in town – surprising for a community that makes up 10% of the city’s population.
Owner Astghik Sargsyan opened Hamé by la Concorde as a gateway to Armenian cuisine where Armenian standards are reinterpreted with contemporary flair.A place to discover dishes you would eat in an Armenian’s home – if they happened to be professional chefs. Astghik never expected to be one. Her passion became her profession after arriving in Marseille as a political refugee with her son a decade ago, following in the footsteps of the tens of thousands of Armenians who first came to the city to escape the 1915 genocide carried out by the Ottoman Empire. After private cheffing and winning a competition to open a food hall stand, Astghik embarked on a loftier adventure: a modern Armenian restaurant.
Hamé by la Concorde: Taste of Armenian Marseille
By Alexis Steinman
Street scenes are one of the best parts about dining in France. At Marseille’s Hamé by la Concorde, outdoor dining is almost something participatory. Our table is so close to passing scooters we can high-five them. The small cobblestone street is lined with the picturesque mix for which the Le Panier neighborhood is known – pastel facades, potted plants, and street art – hence the slew of selfies snapped before our eyes.
Every dish we order is equally colorful – ruby pomegranate seeds, emerald peas, and melon that evoke Marseille sunsets – and throughout our lunch, locals and tourists pause in front of our plates like hungry window shoppers, curious to know more. Like PR agents, we tout the food and the restaurant’s singularity as the only gastronomic Armenian spot in town – surprising for a community that makes up 10% of the city’s population.
Owner Astghik Sargsyan opened Hamé by la Concorde as a gateway to Armenian cuisine where Armenian standards are reinterpreted with contemporary flair.A place to discover dishes you would eat in an Armenian’s home – if they happened to be professional chefs. Astghik never expected to be one. Her passion became her profession after arriving in Marseille as a political refugee with her son a decade ago, following in the footsteps of the tens of thousands of Armenians who first came to the city to escape the 1915 genocide carried out by the Ottoman Empire. After private cheffing and winning a competition to open a food hall stand, Astghik embarked on a loftier adventure: a modern Armenian restaurant.
Her young son, Davit, plays an integral part – so much so that Astghik calls him “the boss.” The menu is a collaboration between the two of them, using family recipes as a launchpad for new flavors. Astghik’s dad inspired the caramelized pork khorovats, Armenian kebabs, so succulent we want to suck the pieces straight from the skewer. Kufta, tender beef and bulgur balls, are paired with a riot of textures: crispy angel hair filo, creamy matsoun, fermented milk, and crunchy peas. We soak up every flavor with lavash from Hatsatoun, the Armenian boulangerie that clued us in to Hamé by la Concorde.
“Armenia is a paradise for veggies,” the soft-spoken Astghik smiles. She harnesses her homeland’s bounty using local Provence produce. The gazpacho topped with a transcendent scoop of whipped goat cheese is as refreshing as a dip in the nearby Mediterranean. On one visit, the chilled tomato soup is sprinkled with crispy lomo. On another, it bathes an olive tapenade-and-eggplant millefeuille, “both delicious ways to add salt,” says Davit.
Beauty is also an essential ingredient that Astghik honed during her stint alongside one of our favorite Marseille chefs, Paul Langlère. Her artistic plates, served by her equally aimable sister, Gayné, elicit oohs and aahs from diners in the 18-seat dining room. The familial trio moves through the small restaurant with the easygoing choreography of having known each other for decades.
La Concorde’s name is a nod to this harmony, concordance, as well as France’s supersonic plane (Davit studies aeronautics and works there when not in school.) Hamé is a spin on hamegh, Armenian for delicious, and hamestek, “welcome, please come in.” The inverse is true, for we’re equally happy to have them in Marseille. A way to dig deeper into the cuisine of a community that has shaped the city for centuries.
“Armenia is a paradise for veggies,” the soft-spoken Astghik smiles. She harnesses her homeland’s bounty using local Provence produce. The gazpacho topped with a transcendent scoop of whipped goat cheese is as refreshing as a dip in the nearby Mediterranean. On one visit, the chilled tomato soup is sprinkled with crispy lomo. On another, it bathes an olive tapenade-and-eggplant millefeuille, “both delicious ways to add salt,” says Davit.
Beauty is also an essential ingredient that Astghik honed during her stint alongside one of our favorite Marseille chefs, Paul Langlère. Her artistic plates, served by her equally aimable sister, Gayné, elicit oohs and aahs from diners in the 18-seat dining room. The familial trio moves through the small restaurant with the easygoing choreography of having known each other for decades.
La Concorde’s name is a nod to this harmony, concordance, as well as France’s supersonic plane (Davit studies aeronautics and works there when not in school.) Hamé is a spin on hamegh, Armenian for delicious, and hamestek, “welcome, please come in.” The inverse is true, for we’re equally happy to have them in Marseille. A way to dig deeper into the cuisine of a community that has shaped the city for centuries.
By Alexis Steinman Photos by Annie Etheridge
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