4 Monaco restaurants with stars
France's much anticipated gastronomic guide, the Michelin Rouge 2012 is out on Thursday. In the new edition, Monaco has lost one of its starred restaurants, the Mandarine at Port Palace Hotel. It's not really surprising since chef Patrick Raingeard left the hotel's roof terrace location to open a new restaurant at Cap Estel. Elsewhere, the scene in Monaco remains unchanged, with all starred restaurants located within the Principality's luxury hotels:
- 3 stars Le Louis XV Alain Ducasse (Hotel de Paris)
- 2 stars Joel Robuchon Monte Carlo (Metropole Hotel)
- 1 star
Vistamar Monte Carlo (Hermitage Hotel)
Yoshi Monte Carlo (Metropole Hotel)
Further afield, the PACA region has done well, particularly in the Alpes Maritimes, where two new 2 stars and six new 1 stars were awarded (a seventh 1 star in the Var):
- 2 stars
Mauro Colagreco of the Mirazur in Menton
Jean-Denis Rieubland of the Chantecler in Nice's Negresco Hotel
Of note in the 1 star category is David Vaque's Bistrot Gourmand in Nice, a hidden gem of a restaurant to those in the know over the past year or so. Let's hope it doesn't go the way of many Michelin starred places we've visited recently, which seem to lose their soul after gaining a star. Michelin are notoriously secretive about their modus operandi and in the past 10 years, the number of restaurants awarded stars has increased by 15% in France.
Michelin 2012 goes on sale 1st March, 24.90 euros, and wherever you choose to eat, bon appetit!
