Italian Restaurant near La Ciotat: Italy by Sea and by Land, in Aubagne
An Italian restaurant near La Ciotat with a long menu: leave the seafront behind and head for Aubagne. About 16 km away (allow 15 to 25 minutes depending on traffic), Pepe Zino brings together Italian chefs, linguine Alla Vongole, a Fritto Misto to share, pasta, pizzas, boards and desserts, all made in-house and served at the table, 7 days a week.
About 16 km from La Ciotat
Via the D40B, the A50 towards Aubagne, then the A52 and D43C: 15 to 25 minutes depending on traffic
Sea and land on the menu
Alla Vongole, Fritto Misto, pasta, pizzas, boards and desserts, all made in-house
Open daily, bank holidays included
Lunch 11:30 AM-3:00 PM, dinner 7:00 PM-10:30 PM, booking advised at weekends
120 seats, 60 in the veranda
Room for a table of friends, free parking right nearby
Why leave the seafront for an Italian restaurant near La Ciotat
By the water, people often pick a table for the setting. At Pepe Zino, you come for what lands on the plate. The restaurant sits on the east side of Aubagne, at 100 Impasse des Martinets, and it works like a big Italian table: a long menu, Italian chefs, and time to sit down and share several dishes rather than rush through just one.
The place was imagined by Pepe Zino, the grandfather of the two founders, with a simple idea: to share the family's genuine Italian recipes, in a spirit of generosity and conviviality. To trace that heritage back, the story of Pepe Zino tells how it all began.
In practice, everything is homemade, from the pizza dough to the sauces and the desserts. When you drive 15 to 25 minutes from the bay of La Ciotat, it is to find that consistency from the first antipasto to the last espresso.
Italian chefs, an Italian manager, and ingredients straight from Italy
This is the first good reason to drive in from the coast: the chefs at Pepe Zino are Italian, and so is the manager. For them, Italian food is not a menu theme, it is their own cuisine. The family recipes go straight from their hands to your table, with no detour and no reinterpretation.
The second comes down to ingredients. A large majority arrives directly from Italy: extra virgin olive oil, PDO cheeses, Italian cured meats, San Marzano tomatoes, flours. These foundations run from one end of the menu to the other, from the boards to the pasta and from the pizzas to the desserts.
Alla Vongole and Fritto Misto from the sea, pasta, pizzas and boards from the land
Coming from La Ciotat to eat Italian does not mean turning your back on the sea. On the sea side, the menu offers linguine Alla Vongole, with clams, garlic, white wine, parsley and tomatoes (€17), and the Fritto Misto, a mix of fried fish (€14) to set in the middle of the table as an antipasto.
Then comes the land, and that is where the long menu really comes into its own. The mixed board for two (€22) brings together Parma ham, Bologna mortadella, fennel sausage, bresaola, coppa, spianata, pecorino pepato, gorgonzola and taleggio. For pasta: Carbonara Roma with guanciale and pecorino romano (€16), Cacio e Pepe (€12), Tartufo with truffle cream (€16). For pizza, from the Marinara at €9 up to the Pepe Zino, the house signature, at €18. To finish: tiramisu, cannoli or rum baba.
Before you set off, take a look at our antipasti to share, at the page devoted to our pizzas and at the full menu, prices included.
Room for a table of friends coming in from the coast
On a summer evening, are there six, eight or ten of you wanting to dine together? With 120 seats, 60 of them in the veranda, Pepe Zino has room for that kind of table. Start with an Aperol Spritz or a Limoncello Spritz (€7), share a board and a Fritto Misto, then everyone picks their pasta or pizza. The wines follow the same sea and land logic: an Italian white such as the Ohana Grillo 2025 by Maenza Vini (€22 a bottle) with the vongole, a red such as the Rricò Perricone 2024 (€30 a bottle) with the carbonara or the pizzas.
Access is step-free and the toilets are adapted for guests with reduced mobility. If the group grows to thirty people or more, partial privatisation becomes possible: our options for groups and events set out the capacities and tailor-made menus.
From La Ciotat
- 100 Impasse des Martinets, 13400 Aubagne · free parking right nearby
- About 16 km · D40B, A50, A52 then D43C
- Lunch 11:30-15:00 · Dinner 19:00-22:30, 7 days incl. bank holidays
- 09 60 37 25 97
From the bay of La Ciotat to Aubagne: a 15 to 25 minute drive
La Ciotat stretches along the coast, east of Cassis, on the bay of La Ciotat. From the town centre, the drive to Pepe Zino is about 16 km: join the D40B, then the A50 towards Aubagne, before taking the A52 and finally the D43C. Allow 15 to 25 minutes depending on traffic.
Looking for an Italian restaurant between Aubagne and La Ciotat? Pepe Zino is on the east side of Aubagne, with free parking right nearby: no need to circle for a space, which matters when your group arrives in several cars.
The restaurant is open 7 days a week, bank holidays included. In the evening and at weekends, booking is advised: you can come without a reservation, but a table is not guaranteed. On weekdays, the €14 Lunch Set (drink and a main of your choice) is served Monday to Friday at lunchtime, and lunches from Tuesday to Thursday are usually quieter.
Italian restaurant near La Ciotat: your questions before hitting the road
Is Pepe Zino an Italian restaurant in La Ciotat itself?
Which route should I take from La Ciotat?
Are there seafood dishes on the menu?
Is Pepe Zino also a pizzeria for people from La Ciotat?
Do I need to book, and are you open on Sundays and bank holidays?
Can we come as a group of friends or organise an event?
Around La Ciotat and Aubagne: more useful pages
Leave the coast behind for a real Italian meal
Book your table at Pepe Zino, 100 Impasse des Martinets, 13400 Aubagne, about 16 km from La Ciotat. Free parking right nearby, dine-in service 7 days a week.
Booking advised in the evening and at weekends