The Present Hotel, a leap into the future
Opened last year, this 13-room establishment plays the design card. Rio rosewood and tiles oscillating between yellow and dark orange adorn the walls, while photographs, light fixtures and second-hand objects tastefully decorate this address paying homage to the architectural heritage of the 20th centuryand whose modernist facade dates from 1953. On the kitchen side, the chef with tattooed arms Alexis Bijaoui delivers a sunny cuisine reflecting the local terroir, showcasing both Vaccarès crayfish and Provençal zucchini flowers.
What we like : the rooftop “the swimming pool” and its incredible blue mosaic as well as its natural wine list.
Hotel Present5 place Voltaire, 13200 Arles
Inari Restaurant, the mystical experience
It is at the heart ofa chapel dating from 1224 that the nomadic chief Celine Pham decides to set up its first permanent address: Inari. A resolutely modern market cuisine which is available at lunchtime during a starter/main course/dessert lunch formula at 41 euros highlighting exceptional products, such as peas or Mediterranean mullet fillet. The latter is accompanied by broccoli flowers, zucchini and miso brown butter in a burst of flavors that have made the reputation of the Franco-Vietnamese cook.
What we like : the two newly unveiled terraces, the ideal place for a quiet dinner.
Inari16 place Voltaire, 13200 Arles
The Rooftop Le Sunset Arles, cheer up
L’Hotel Spa Le Calendal unveils this year its weapon of mass seduction: a small twenty-seat rooftop from which you can admire an incomparable view of the ancient theater, the Arena, the Rhone and the Luma Arles Foundation. A 360° tour of the city that can be enjoyed with a glass of Provençal rosé since the establishment makes a point of honor to introduce us to the region’s winemakers. Open from 5:30 p.m. to the first light of night, this roof terrace becomes the place to be for everything before who respects himself.
What we like : Enjoy the exceptional view in a small group.
Hotel Spa Le Calendal 5 Rue Porte de Laure, 13200 Arles
The Drum café restaurant, quite an art
Located in the heart of the Arlesian Luma artistic and cultural complexwhose immense glass tower is signed Frank Gehry, the Drum Café shares the spotlight with three other dining outlets distilled into the heart of this new kind of museum. This season, the chef Laurent Blondin signs a tasty menu in which Jerusalem artichoke and Peruvian oca find an explosive pairing with coffee, while leek is eaten in a mimosa with an arugula and bottarga pesto. Great art!
What we like : the monumental wool tapestry covering the wall of the establishment. A ten-meter-long work representing a field of sunflowers struck by the sun, imagined by the Thai artist Rirkrit Tiravanija.
Drum Café, 35 Av. Victor Hugo, 13200 Arles
The La Caye restaurant, the Camargue Latin version
Opened last April, La Caye becomes the new haunt of all cocktail lovers and in a good mood. A small neighborhood establishment that has all the makings of a big one, and whose fabulous mixological creations are signed Adrien Russotto, while the kitchen serves up gourmet tacos made with shredded bull gardianne as well as ceviche accompanied by fennel and passion fruit. An establishment that can also be discovered during the day, since the Caye treats us to finely selected wines and is transformed into small neighborhood wine merchant.
What we like : the festive and intimate spirit in which conviviality remains the watchword.
La Caye, 4 rue du Forum, 13200 Arles
And if you are looking for other very good addresses, we can only recommend reading the excellent Louis Vuitton City Guide dedicated to Arles, updated with new portfolios of this city of arts and sunshine. A new edition carried by the eyes of Flore-Aël Surun from the Tendance Floue collective and Vasantha Yogananthan… happiness for the eyes, peace of mind guided by a careful selection.
