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Marseille's Le Petit Nice, a three-Michelin-star icon, sold to the Saadé family

After four decades at the stoves, chef Gérald Passedat is selling Marseille's legendary Le Petit Nice to the family behind shipping giant CMA CGM.

1 min read
The seaside restaurant Le Petit Nice perched on the Corniche in Marseille, facing the Mediterranean.
Image: Le Monde

Big change on Marseille's Corniche. Chef Gérald Passedat, after about 40 years at the helm of Le Petit Nice, is selling his famous restaurant to the Saadé family, owners of the shipping giant CMA CGM.

The restaurant will keep its name. It will close for a year of renovation work, and Passedat will stay on as a special adviser to the Saadé family on the project.

A bit of background

Le Petit Nice, the seafood-focused fine-dining house founded by Passedat's grandfather, was the first restaurant in Marseille to win three Michelin stars. That was in 2008, and it has held them ever since. According to reports, the chef has no successor, which is why he is handing it over.

The Saadé family has been investing heavily in Marseille landmarks and local businesses in recent years, and this takeover fits that pattern.

What's next?

For now, the focus is on the year of works. No reopening date has been announced beyond that timeframe.

#marseille#petit nice#gerald passedat#saade#michelin#cma cgm
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Story timeline

Passedat sells Le Petit Nice to Saadé · 3 updates

See the full timeline →
  1. Le Petit Nice in Marseille earns three Michelin stars, a first for the city
  2. Rodolphe Saadé's CMA CGM group deepens its roots in Marseille
  3. Marseille's Le Petit Nice, a three-Michelin-star icon, sold to the Saadé family

What happened before and after this story. Background events not previously covered were summarised by AI.

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