BlackBook On Location
BlackBook On Location Chef Marcel Ravin in the kitchen of his La Table de Marcel; left: Baba au rhum at Le Louis XV Alain Ducasse Monaco’s Glittery New Allure Diminutive yet glamourous, the Principality has transformed itself for the modern age without losing any of its time-tested charm. By Lanie Goodman T he biggest news on the Côte d’Azur is Monaco’s vast makeover, which starts – where else? – in Casino Square. Gone are the circling Ferraris and Lamborghinis, replaced by pedestrian-friendly sprawl where you can tuck into a platter of oysters at the Café de Paris mercifully free from the everpresent roar of a V12. This new urban layout is the final stage of the Principality’s tip-to-toe transformation, which began in 2009 with the restoration of Belle Époque icon Hôtel de Paris Monte-Carlo ( hoteldeparismonaco.com), and the construction of neighbouring One Monte Carlo’s seven buildings, which now include more than 40 designer boutiques and jewellers, as well as the new gastrocasual restaurant, Mada One (madaone.com), helmed by Michelin-starred chef Marcel Ravin. The truly game-changing approach in Monaco, however, goes beyond the names above the door: it is a deep, ongoing commitment to sustainability, highlighted by places like l’Anse du Portier, an eco-friendly district currently under construction that will add a peninsula of prime real estate with upscale apartments, a promenade and park. Elsewhere, the top hotels outshine their peers across France with strict environment-friendly recycling policies, and nowhere else in the world will you find a country with a fleet of two-euro-perday electric-assisted bikes to help you get around. › PHOTOS FROM LEFT: PIERRE MONETTA, © MONTE-CARLO SOCIÉTÉ DES BAINS DE MER 20 CENTURION-MAGAZINE.COM
DREAMBOAT 90m / 295ft
