Tabi - Ippei Uemura

The story

Tabi - Ippei Uemura | Japanese Contemporary Dining in Marseille, Michelin

A View and a Philosophy

On the Corniche Kennedy, with the Mediterranean stretching to the Château d'If, Tabi is the realisation of a simple dream: a place where Japan and Provence meet without artifice. The dining room and the adjoining Kai sake bar both face the sea, grounding every meal in a sense of place.

Chef Ippei Uemura was born in Shiga, trained in Kumamoto, and arrived in France over twenty years ago. Marseille adopted him as firmly as he adopted it. He is a member of the Collège Culinaire de France, teaches at the local hotel school, and has become an ambassador between Marseille and Japan. At Tabi, he practices what he calls Kaizeki nomade – the art of applying classical Japanese kaiseki to the terroirs he discovers on his travels. Here, that means a Kaizeki provençal, where the rigour of Kyoto meets the warmth of the Mediterranean.

The People Behind the Table

Tabi was born from the friendship of three people: Chef Uemura, former Olympique de Marseille footballer Hiroki Sakai, and economist Jean-Baptiste Jaussaud. Together they built a restaurant that honours both the producers and the sea.

The kitchen’s rhythm is set by local farmers and foragers – oysters from the Baie de Tamaris, honey from La Manufacture du Miel, olives from Valensole, mushrooms from Marseille, truffles from Maison Plantin. Their names are displayed on the wall behind the chef, a reminder that this Japanese contemporary cuisine stands on Provençal soil.

Chef Uemura is also a passionate fisherman. He practises ike jime, the Japanese technique that spares fish unnecessary stress, and champions lesser-used Mediterranean species to encourage sustainable fishing. His tartare of tuna Nakaochi – scraped with a shell to preserve tenderness – is a direct homage to old Japanese fishermen.

Even the tableware tells a story. Many of the plates and bowls are designed by the chef himself, then crafted by artisans from across Japan – Koda Yaki, Arita Yaki, Ishigaki Yaki. A bowl for yubiki tuna includes a pouring spout so the broth can be finished tableside.

Two Experiences, One Address

Tabi operates as a tasting-menu gastronomic restaurant, with options like the seven-course Le Rêve and the twelve-course Le Voyage – both built around seasonal produce and precise Japanese technique. A shorter lunch menu, Mer et Terre, is available Tuesday through Friday. Next door, Kai is a sake bar with a terrace, serving nigiri, tataki, and small plates alongside a curated selection of sakes from Kyoto, Niigata, and beyond. The sake list is notably deep, with sommelier-led pairings available for the tasting menus.

Michelin has recognised Tabi with a Recommended distinction, confirming what locals have known since the doors opened: this is a kitchen where every gesture, every ingredient, tells a story. And the view doesn't hurt either.