OUTSTANDING The Maybourne Riviera juts out over the sea prawns flavoured with pastis and other local recipes—and a wide variety of signature cocktails made with Monaco orange (don’t miss the Negroni Monte-Carlo 1956, a tribute to the year that Prince Rainier and Grace Kelly were married). Dance off dessert at the Tam-Tam Room lounge where live bands and DJs heat up the atmosphere. Another talk of the town is the recently opened contemporary-style restaurant The Niwaki (theniwaki.com), a gastronomic haunt discreetly set back across from the Larvotto beaches. The brainchild of Samy Sass – owner of the renowned festive night spot the SASS CAFÉ and longtime Japanophile – The Niwaki’s handpicked award-winning chefs have created an exquisitely prepared menu of authentic Japanese cuisine. From out of the kitchen come unique flavourful dishes, dreamed up by corporate chef Shahar Dahan – crunchy tuna aburi, smoked Chilean bass, smoky barbecued chicken with lime-soaked broccolini, Black Angus beef tataki – expertly paired with a vast selection of sake and rare whisky by sommelier Rob Willey, plus a sushi bar, and a sleekly designed private back room for special occasions. Over at Casino Square, hogging the limelight is the brand new Les Ambassadeurs by Christophe Cussac (metropole.com), a much-awaited bistronomic addition to the Hôtel Métropole Monte-Carlo. A tribute to the Métropole’s former luxurious 1920s restaurant frequented by Europe’s crowned heads, aristocrats, and diplomats, Cussac pays homage to Belle Époque luxe with a signature menu of refined contemporary Mediterranean cuisine, plus a trolley of tantalising pastries by renowned pâtissier Patrick Mesiano. And talk about style – the airy dining room, completely refurbished by design guru Jacques Garcia, is an understated elegant mix of cream, beige, and chocolate brown, the perfect backdrop for the rigorous simplicity of chef Cussac’s modern classic cuisine. And coming this autumn: Amazónico (amazonicorestaurant. com), a two-level rooftop brasserie atop the Café de Paris in Casino Square, a celebration of Brazilian and Peruvian culinary adventures with tropical and Latin American influences. Add to that live jazz and resident DJs, with an exclusive speakeasy bar and a jungle-style setting. Nice Côte d’Azur Airport to Monte-Carlo: 19miles/31km SPA DAYS IN SAINT-TROPEZ Beyond the worn cliché of Saint-Tropez as a hedonistic playground, wellness and energy reboosting have become paramount. And the talk of the town this summer is the spectacular reinvention of the sleekly refurbished holistic Sisley Spa at Hôtel Byblos STÉPHANE ABOUDARAM | WE ARE CONTENT(S) A RIVIERA ORIGINAL Perched in the heights of Roquebrune-Cap-Martin, MAYBOURNE RIVIERA (maybourneriviera.com) is an eyecatching Jean-Michel Wilmotte-designed hotel – a block of white concrete and glass jutting out over the edge of a cliff on the Grande Corniche – is a veritable game-changer in the Côte d’Azur’s luxe offerings. With a clutch of restaurants and bars, a holistic spa and 69 sleek modernist-inspired rooms and suites (some with private pools), the dazzling plunging views of sky and sea, cruising yachts and hang-gliders are visible from just about every corner of the hotel. Up in the top-floor restaurant Ceto, expect an exquisite ode to the Mediterranean dreamed up by three-Michelin-star chef Mauro Colagreco and at the poolside, chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten’s healthy menu features his unique combos of vegetables and haute-snacking. There’s nothing quite like cocktails at magic hour, when the sea turns orange and pink and le beau monde flocks to the two terrace bars. At any hour, the shuttle takes guests to the Maybourne Riviera’s newly redesigned Amalfi-inspired beach club by the rocks. with an oceanliner deck restaurant serving Colagreco’s tasty grilled lobster and clam linguine. NetJets 63
