Inventive and rooftops, are very precisely how you would describe this destination.

But that would be selling it short.

Crossing Bd Garibaldi, you find a part of the Canebiere that is home to the vintage market on three Saturdays a month and the fairly newish Artplexe cinema that “luckily” opened during the pandemic. Fortuitously it survived, and most importantly so did Les Reformes.  

I arrived for lunch on a random Wednesday from the entrance on Gambetta and take the lift to the 4^th floor. An eclectic space with art and vintage furniture greets me and at the end of the entry a large bright room with fierce views of the Eglise St. Vincent de Paul. Like Gail Halaban came to visit Marseille, you see directly into Marseille’s apartments and it’s mish mash skyline of architecture, from the last century artfully carved stone buildings and wrought iron balcony’s side by side to the functional 70s and sometimes brutalist design that is common in the city. I take a table on the terrace, that almost wraps around and I see later there are more seating options for times when you want to lounge around with a drink while you relax in the view.

I am a huge fan of small menus. At Les Reformes there are two entrée’s, two plats plus some alternatives and two desserts and a cheese plate. I choose the tataki with fraise & pine nuts, the Pêche du jour and the Charlotte façon Ispahan, without asking what any of it is, coupled with a spicy gin cocktail that is absolutely amazing.

The tataki arrives quickly and it is absolutely what it say it is – beef with strawberry both whole and some puree, along with pine nuts and some herbs. The steak is cooked tataki style for sure, rare, cut thicker than a tartare, though it was tasty I did find I spent some time chewing. the strawberry and the steak are not a perfect match alone, the pine nuts cleverly build the bridge between the two. Intending to have a wine with the plat, I find the cocktail is generous enough for both meals. A next time might find me seated with the cocktail first or afterwards to enjoy the wine also.

The plat consists of a moist piece of fish with a side of barley in a creamy dressing and a mint and cucumber puree, and this time the reverse is true, the parts on their own are ok, like just ok, but together they sing a symphony of texture and freshness. Looking at the picture afterwards I wish I could eat it again.

Charlotte is a rosy pink pudding of strawberry cream, but lighter than cream with layers of biscuity cake and will I ruin the surprise if you didn’t know what Ispahan* is, that there is lychee hiding in the middle. She is dressed with some syrup and pretty little (I hope) edible flowers.  

There’s delightful French music piped onto the terrase, all the dining tables are full but its pleasantly quiet. The service is very Marseille – so nice, but both my plat and dessert were delivered without cutlery, a pet peeve of mine, which was rectified immediately.  

Three dishes and a large cocktail and a small tip came in at 48.99 euros. I look forward very much to enjoying Les Reformes many times over.

*invented by Pierre Hermé, Isfahan is the combination of Raspberries, lychees, almond powder and rose essence.