October 2014

CHRISTIAN BUFFA

  • 100 % Marseille
 
buffa-marsoct
 

Christian Buffa is at the controls in the long-revered Miramar on the Vieux-Port. He says that from morning to night there's always a member of the family on hand to watch over their "baby".

 

"Whatever you're doing, if you do it with joy customers see that and it gladdens them. Yes, that could be my motto," says the chef. "We give of ourselves and our time unstintingly." He's delighted at the changes he sees in Marseille, like the new MuCEM museum and Hôtel InterContinental nearby. Brought up in the Panier district, Christian Buffa earned his stripes with Bocuse and at the Moulin de Mougins and has made his restaurant a gastronomic landmark thanks to his famous bouillabaisse and his cellar of 300 wines, including an outstanding selection of Provençal wines. "How do I define my cuisine? Flavoursome, copious and convivial!" As well as running the Miramar, he is joint vice-chair (with Gabrielle Galligani of the Rhul on Corniche Kennedy) of the Charte de la Bouillabaisse, a new association chaired by Alain Gargani. "Every two months, seven wine lovers – not necessarily professionals – meet up with seven bottles, bring them to a restaurant and compose a menu based on them. It's a real thrill!" Christian, who loves fine food, admits to a weakness for pizzas. "But only if they're made to the highest standards."

 


By Louis Badie