The Reef—one of Long Beach’s longest-running restaurants, nestled between the Maya Hotel and The Queen Mary—has officially reopened its doors as a restaurant. And it left may locals wondering: Why did it take so long?
“We’ve always wanted to be a restaurant,” owner John Tallichet said. “It’s always been our spirit, but the pandemic changed all that. Across the past six or so years, we’ve been really focused on using our banquet rooms for events and amping up our catering. And we had to wait for the right time to shift gears back into full-time restaurant service.”\
The pandemic changed the restaurant rhythm of everyone—including The Reef. Like many large-format restaurants, The Reef shut down its dining room in 2020. When private events were allowed to return, the venue leaned into catering and banquets, keeping the property alive through celebrations rather than regular restaurant service. For six years, the dining room remained closed to the public, making The Reef feel both present and absent. Yes, still hosting memories. Still perched on the waterfront. But no longer part of the city’s everyday dining conversation.
The time has now come for its. With a staff that is beginning to navigate the return to restaurant service—one cook told me that his brain was, rightfully so, still in “banquet-mode” after six years of catering—the hope is that one of the best views of Long Beach from a restaurant can also become the place it once was. That is, a popular, friendly social space that is as good for a dinner as it is for just a drink.
The lingering effects of the pandemic are still very much present—but the evolution of The Reef’s surroundings has helped usher in its reopening.…