Caffeine Hunter

Marseille · Vieux Port

Ben Mouture

The counter at Ben Mouture with the name carved into the wall above the espresso bar and grinders, a dried flower arrangement in the foreground

Benoit Roch opened Ben Mouture in 2021 in a renovated cellar on Rue du Petit Chantier, a few streets back from the Vieux Port. Trained as an engineer, he spent his first years in Marseille working in construction and logistics before an apprenticeship with a roaster in the Drôme region pulled him toward coffee full time, and he rounded out his training at BBS in Velaux before opening his own bar.

The stone vaulted room holds space for a handful of stools and a roaster tucked behind the counter, where Roch pulls espresso and filter from his own small batch roasts. Lots like Aranga from Tanzania or Churupampa from Peru rotate through the lineup. Pastries and simple snacks round out a menu built for a quick stop rather than a long stay.