Mezze in Aix-en-Provence: Our Plates to Share
What Are Mezze and Why Share Them?
Mezze, also spelled meze or mezzé, are the small plates set down in the middle of the table for everyone to dip into at their own pace. The word reached us through Turkish, which borrowed it from Persian, where it refers to taste and flavour. It travelled with the food itself, from Lebanon to Turkey and on to Greece. More than a starter, it is a way of eating: you order for the table, taste a little of everything, and the meal turns into a conversation.
At AROM Restaurant, 44 Rue Espariat, we do not serve a classic Levantine mezze spread. Our menu does, however, open with a section that captures its whole spirit: the Plaisirs à Partager, our shared starters. Seven small plates, priced from €11 to €15, designed to land in the centre of the table and take you around the Mediterranean in a few bites. Spain joins in with the Pan Con Tomate and the Patatas Bravas, Greece with the Santorini Delight, the Amalfi Coast with the Dolce Positano and the Levant with the Orient Express, while mussels and tuna keep seafood lovers happy. To place these plates within the wider mezze family, our guide to what mezze really are traces their origins and the best-known specialities.
The Wikipedia article on meze covers the regional variations, from the Greek taverna to the Lebanese table, while AROM's full menu gives the exact make-up of each plate.
The Ancient History of Mezze Around the Mediterranean
Serving a run of small dishes before the main meal, or instead of it, is a habit that goes back a long way around the Mediterranean basin. Every shore gave it a name and its own customs. In Greek tavernas, mezedes come with ouzo; in the meyhane of Istanbul, they keep company with raki; in Lebanon, a mezze table can line up several dozen preparations. Further west, Spain came up with tapas, bites served at the counter as you move from one bar to the next, while Italy has its antipasti and, in Venice, the cicchetti of the bacari.
Everywhere, the principle stays the same: variety, small portions and a table you share. That is the idea AROM chose to place at the top of its menu, deliberately mixing accents. Pan con tomate, born in Catalonia, sits next to a honeyed feta that recalls the Greek islands, Italian-style vegetables and keftas lifted with zaatar. This free-roaming Mediterranean cooking is explored further in our guide to Mediterranean food in Aix-en-Provence.
Our Mezze-Style Plates to Share at AROM
Gratinated Mussels
A seaside classic and a cousin of the cozze gratinate of southern Italy. The mussels are topped with whipped butter, garlic and parsley, covered in breadcrumbs and gratinated, with a house seasoning that makes all the difference. A plate to pick at while it is still hot, priced at €14. Allergens: molluscs, gluten, milk, eggs.
Orient Express
The Levantine wink on the menu: a duo of French beef keftas set on creamy hummus, served with ajo blanco and finished with zaatar. The hummus brings softness, the keftas indulgence and the zaatar its herbal, nutty sesame note. It is the plate closest to mezze as most people picture them, at €15. Allergens: nuts, sesame, milk.
Tuna Vibes
A thinly sliced fresh tuna carpaccio, dotted with homemade yogurt, kiwi and lime. The sharpness of the lime and kiwi wakes up the fish while the yogurt rounds everything off. A fresh, almost summery plate that is ideal for opening the meal, at €15. Allergens: fish, milk.
Santorini Delight
A feta pastry with honey and sesame, reminiscent of the honeyed feta served in Greek tavernas. It comes surrounded by tomatoes, grilled almonds, pomegranate and mint, playing the saltiness of the cheese against the sweetness of the honey and the crunch of the almonds. Served at €14. Allergens: gluten, milk, nuts, sesame.
Patatas Bravas and Pan Con Tomate
The two Spanish tapas on the menu. The Patatas Bravas (€11), bravas-style potatoes, come with a white sauce, mild harissa and fresh herbs. The Pan Con Tomate (€15) reworks Catalan pa amb tomàquet on a soft garlic focaccia, with a heirloom tomato compote, extra virgin olive oil, basil and Serrano ham aged for several months. Allergens: milk, eggs and gluten for the bravas; gluten and sulfites for the pan con tomate.
Dolce Positano
A tribute to the Amalfi Coast: a duo of zucchini and artichokes with ricotta, pesto, toasted pine nuts, Italian olives and basil. It is the most vegetable-led plate of the set, served at €14, in the spirit of the antipasti Italians share at aperitivo time. Allergens: milk, nuts.
Hummus in Aix-en-Provence, at the Heart of Our Orient Express
Many searches for mezze in Aix-en-Provence start with hummus, and that makes sense: this chickpea purée with tahini, lemon and garlic has become the best-known mezze in the world. At AROM, it is not served on its own with pitta bread but as part of a more composed plate, the Orient Express, where it forms a creamy base for a duo of French beef keftas. The contrast works straight away: the smooth hummus softens the meat, which keeps all of its character.
Keftas, those spiced minced-meat balls, go by similar names across the eastern Mediterranean: keftedes in Greece, köfte in Turkey, kefta in the Levant. Here they meet two other traditions. Zaatar, a blend of dried herbs, sumac and sesame seeds widely used in Lebanon and Syria, perfumes the plate; our spice guide looks at where it comes from and how it is used. Ajo blanco, an Andalusian preparation made with almonds and garlic, adds an unexpected freshness and links the dish to the Spanish tapas elsewhere on the menu.
For a balanced table, the Orient Express pairs very well with the Santorini Delight and the Dolce Positano, in the spirit of a Mediterranean restaurant in Aix-en-Provence where you hop from one shore to another. You can also order our dishes for delivery in Aix-en-Provence through Delicity, or share them on our terrace in the town centre when the weather is fine.
How to Build a Table of Small Plates to Share
The beauty of the shared starters is how easily they combine. For two, over a long aperitif, the Pan Con Tomate and the Patatas Bravas make a very Spanish opening at €26 for both plates. Seafood lovers may prefer to pair the Gratinated Mussels with the Tuna Vibes: €29 for a duo from the sea, one hot and gratinated, the other raw and tangy. At a restaurant in central Aix-en-Provence for a light lunch, one of these pairings may well be enough.
For a table without meat or fish, three plates stand out based on their ingredients: the Dolce Positano, the Santorini Delight and the Patatas Bravas, €39 in total. If you follow a strict diet, let the staff know: allergens are listed on the menu and the team can confirm every detail. For four or more, the easiest option is to order all seven plates for the table, €98, and let everyone taste everything, just as mezze tradition intends. The benefits of eating this way are covered in our article on the health benefits of Mediterranean food.
Small plates can also lead into a main course. After a Pan Con Tomate, the Galician-Style Linguine, with octopus and mussels, carry the Spanish journey on; after the Orient Express, the Faux-Filet Tagliata or the Gnocchis & Truffle round off the meal. Mains, tartares and desserts are all on the menu, and if you are still deciding where to eat, our page on finding a good restaurant in Aix-en-Provence will help you choose.
How AROM Prepares Its Mezze-Style Small Plates
A small plate forgives nothing: with three or four ingredients, each one has to be right. That is why the AROM menu spells out exactly what goes on the plate: French beef for the keftas, fresh tuna for the carpaccio, heirloom tomatoes and extra virgin olive oil for the pan con tomate, Serrano ham aged for several months, Italian olives and toasted pine nuts for the Dolce Positano. The yogurt in the Tuna Vibes is homemade, and so is the seasoning on the gratinated mussels.
The menu also lists the main allergens dish by dish: sesame in the Orient Express and the Santorini Delight, nuts in several plates, molluscs in the mussels, fish in the Tuna Vibes. That transparency makes it easy to build a table with confidence, even when guests have different needs. Every recipe is kept up to date on our Mediterranean menu, and the team is always on hand to guide your choices.
The Art of Sharing Mezze with Friends or Family
You do not order mezze the way you order a starter. Custom has it that the plates go down in the middle and everyone helps themselves in no particular order. At AROM, the shared starters are made for exactly that moment: set them on the table, pass the plates around, go back for the one you liked best. They make a great opening before a main course from our menu, or a full meal in their own right once you order several.
The setting matters as much as the plate. On our terrace on Rue Espariat, this sharing format really comes into its own in good weather, at lunchtime as well as in the evening. A large table is best booked ahead: for more than six people, a call to +33 6 32 38 44 82 lets the team get your table ready before you arrive.
Whether you live nearby or are just passing through, our restaurant in the heart of Aix-en-Provence welcomes you Monday to Sunday, including all-day service on Sundays from 10am to 11:30pm. For any question, get in touch directly, or have your meal brought to you with our home meal delivery through Delicity.
Frequently Asked Questions About Our Mezze in Aix-en-Provence
What exactly are mezze?
Mezze are small plates served together in the middle of the table and shared among guests. The tradition runs all around the Mediterranean under different names: mezze in Lebanon and Turkey, mezedes in Greece, tapas in Spain, antipasti in Italy. At AROM, that spirit lives in the Plaisirs à Partager section of the menu: seven shared starters priced from €11 to €15, inspired by those different shores.
Does AROM serve a traditional mezze platter?
No, we do not offer an old-style mezze assortment. Our menu opens with shared starters that follow the same principle, using recipes from several countries: Pan Con Tomate and Patatas Bravas from Spain, the Santorini Delight from Greece, the Dolce Positano from Italy. Hummus is still on the table, in the Orient Express, alongside French beef keftas, ajo blanco and zaatar.
Which shared plates does AROM offer in Aix-en-Provence?
The menu lists seven plates to share: Gratinated Mussels (€14), Orient Express (€15), Tuna Vibes (€15), Santorini Delight (€14), Patatas Bravas (€11), Dolce Positano (€14) and Pan Con Tomate (€15). You can order them one at a time or several for the table, to open a meal or to make a full meal of them.
Are there vegetarian small plates to share?
Based on their ingredients, three plates contain neither meat nor fish: the Dolce Positano (zucchini, artichokes, ricotta, pesto, pine nuts, Italian olives, basil), the Santorini Delight (feta pastry, honey, sesame, tomatoes, grilled almonds, pomegranate, mint) and the Patatas Bravas (white sauce, mild harissa, fresh herbs). If you follow a strict diet, please tell the team when you order.
How much do the mezze-style plates cost at AROM?
The shared plates range from €11 for the Patatas Bravas to €15 for the Orient Express, the Tuna Vibes and the Pan Con Tomate. A duo for two therefore comes to between €25 and €30, and all seven plates together for a large table cost €98 in total.
Are allergens shown on the menu?
Yes, every dish on the AROM menu lists its main allergens. Among the shared plates you will find, for example, molluscs in the Gratinated Mussels, fish in the Tuna Vibes, sesame in the Orient Express and the Santorini Delight, and sulfites in the Pan Con Tomate. If you have an allergy, the safest option is to mention it when you book on +33 6 32 38 44 82.
Can we come as a group to share mezze?
Groups are exactly what these plates are made for. Booking is recommended at weekends and during the high season, online or by phone. For a table of more than six people, a call to +33 6 32 38 44 82 lets the team set up your table in advance.
Can I order the shared plates for delivery in Aix-en-Provence?
AROM delivers through our partner Delicity, which covers central Aix-en-Provence and the surrounding Pays d'Aix. The dishes available are shown directly in the app when you place your order. You can also call +33 6 32 38 44 82 to collect your order in person at 44 Rue Espariat.
Discover All of AROM's Cooking in Aix-en-Provence
The shared starters are only the opening act. Next come the salads and tartares, from the Tuna Tartare made with Mediterranean bluefin tuna to the Hand-Cut Beef Tartare, then mains such as the Faux-Filet Tagliata, the Veggie Moussaka or the Gnocchis & Truffle, before desserts like Mamie's Tiramisu or the Beautiful Profiteroles. We welcome you at 44 Rue Espariat, right in the centre of Aix-en-Provence, 7 days a week, and our page on Mediterranean cuisine in Aix-en-Provence introduces the whole house.