Centurion IDC Autumn 2020

BlackBook On Location

BlackBook On Location For all this modernisation, one thing that hasn’t changed in more than a century is the tinsel gleam that keeps bringing the global cosmopolitan set back to Monaco Ask any native Monegasque (approximately 6,000 out of 38,000 residents) about their “green monarch”, Prince Albert, and chances are they’ll praise his longtime environmental commitment, which ranges from hosting the E-Prix, an electric motorsport competition, to the Solar1 Monte-Carlo Cup boat races. For all this modernisation, one thing that hasn’t changed in more than a century is the tinsel gleam that keeps bringing the global cosmopolitan set back to Monaco. Packed into these two square kilometres is a constellation of nine Michelin stars, five award-winning spas, a year-long, cutting-edge cultural programme and much more besides. Take the latest offerings at the 1920s-style Monte-Carlo Beach (montecarlobeach.com), set back on a strip of land that juts out over the Mediterranean. The first 100% organic restaurant to receive a Michelin star, Elsa, excels in exquisite local produce, served up by new chef Benoït Witz, whose delectable signature dishes range from Bagna Cauda – fresh raw vegetables, wildflowers and warm anchovy sauce – to pasta with squid ink and a seafood-strong menu with an almond soufflé for dessert. While you’re there, reset your chakras with energising treatments, Pilates or open-air yoga at the new Le Tigre spa, which overlooks the shimmering sea at the edge of a pine forest. At the nearby Monte-Carlo Bay Hotel & Resort (montecarlobay.com), Martiniqueborn chef Marcel Ravin is now offering an exclusive dining experience for two at La Table de Marcel. Call it a feast for the eyes as well as the palate: you sit alongside the chef with a front-row vista of his kitchen brigade and watch the team whip up your own personalised menu from Ravin’s zingy mix of Provençal and Caribbean-influenced dishes. Tennis enthusiasts should book the The new-look Carré d‘Or suite at the Hôtel Metropole Monte-Carlo PHOTO STUDIO PHENIX 22 CENTURION-MAGAZINE.COM CONTACT CENTURION SERVICE FOR BOOKINGS

PHOTO STUDY FOR PORTRAIT, 1979 - © THE ESTATE OF FRANCIS BACON. COURTESY MB ART COLLECTION new Rafael Nadal suite (the 11-time winner’s favourite digs during the Rolex Monte-Carlo tournament) decked out with memorabilia; for the ultimate sea view, the latest addition is the stylish 195sq m penthouse suite 11, which also has a separate lift. For evenings that extend long into the night, Coya Monte Carlo (coyarestaurant. com) is the latest haunt at the just-remodelled Sporting Monte-Carlo complex, featuring a tasting menu of enticing platters from Peru, China and Spain – including roasted octopus with chorizo and sweet potatoes, yellowtail with green chilli – plus a lounge where locals sip pisco to the beat of a live DJ. Daytime bites are at their laid-back best inside the buzzing covered market at the Place d’Armes: scoop up a dozen mouthwatering barbajuans – a Monegasque fried ravioli stuffed with Swiss chard and parmesan – to snack on with your apéritif. For a quick uber-healthy fix, head for the cafe EOLA (eolamc.com), which, tucked away under the arcades, is short for Eat Organic Live Active and has been packed with gym-toned young professionals since opening last year. Steps away is the new flagship concept store KOMO Monaco (komomonaco.com), masterminded by pastry wizard Pierre Hermé and Michelin three-starred chef Mauro Colagreco, where you can dine on ultra-fresh Mediterranean fare, sip supercharged H 2 O at the water bar or simply munch on rose petal cream, lychee and raspberry macarons while you browse the selection of multibrand streetwear and jewellery. The lifts (no less than seven, scattered about the Principality), will take you back up into the heights of Monte-Carlo, where the effervescent art scene is thriving at the recently launched Artcurial Monaco (artcurial. com) and the Opera Gallery Monaco (operagallery.com). Don’t miss a visit, by appointment only, to the Francis Bacon MB Art Foundation (mbartfoundation.com), a non-profit institute devoted to research, housed in a jewel-box villa, with a fascinating private collection of rare paintings, furniture and photos of the British artist. For post-shopping-spree recovery, why not explore two of Monaco’s longtime stars? At the sleekly designed Spa Metropole by Givenchy ( metropole.com), you begin by a choosing a scent from its exclusive array of perfumes and each treatment is a multisensory delight. You’ll want to linger at the hotel’s plush Lobby Bar, designed by style guru Jacques Garcia, who recently spruced up the hotel’s impressive 260sq m penthouse, the Suite Carré d’Or, towering over the Casino Square. Thoroughly relaxed, stroll over to Artist Francis Bacon’s Study for Portrait (1979) at the Francis Bacon MB Art Foundation Le Louis XV Alain Ducasse (ducasseparis.com), headed by chef Dominique Lory. Highlights from the menu include gamberoni from San Remo served with rockfish gelée and caviar, Provence garden vegetables cooked with black truffles and the emblematic dessert, Baba au rhum, infused with vanilla and citrus topped with whipped cream. However appealing the Principality’s newcomers may be, sometimes there’s nothing quite like a classic. • CENTURION-MAGAZINE.COM 23