Restaurant Mirazur in Menton, France by Chef Mauro Colagreco has been honoured with many rewards. Above all, it ranks number one restaurant of the world at the current World‘s 50 Best Restaurant List 2019. Reading much about Chef Mauro’s talent and the extraordinary dishes he creates, we desired to see and taste ourselves what it was about. Also, I can’t think of a better place for food lovers to celebrate a special occasion.
Our expectations were exceeded by far! Chef Mauro created a remarkable restaurant, that is though through to the smallest detail. From the high-quality organic produce sourced entirely from the own garden and region around it to the incredible hospitality of waiters wearing uniforms that represent elements of the ocean.
Atmosphere.
The restaurant Mirazur is located in Menton, a small city at the Cote d’Azure close to Nice. Placed on a beautiful hillside you can enjoy a stunning view on the steep coast and azure ocean during daylight. When we visited, in January, the sun had set and we looked at the magical lights of the nearby harbour.
Arriving at the restaurant you first notice the parking area marked with the restaurant’s sign. The building itself is hidden in tall palm trees. From the parking area commences a narrow bridge that takes you across to the restaurant’s entrance. Impressive about the building is that it’s ocean facing facade is fully covered with windows. This, on the one hand, enables guests to enjoy the coastline view and, on the other hand, lets a lot of light in the rooms creating an open and positive atmosphere.
While there are a couple of tables on the ground floor most guests will be seated on the first floor, just like us. Arriving on the first floor you’ll notice the few tables that are placed in the room, leaving a lot of space in between the different groups of guests. The round wooden tables are organized along the windowfront creating a private and comfortable atmosphere.
Food.
The moment we sat down, the waiter came to introduce himself and with him the first round of appetizers which consisted of pollen breadsticks, tiny pumpkin seed tarts and black truffle and mushroom spread on dry bread cuts. Before we finished the second round of appetizers arrived, squared narrow potato cuts on a stick and herring in a hard waffle. Both were great combination of textures and tastes.
Before starting with the menu, the garden book was brought to us. It describes all the different vegetables, fruits and herbs Chef Mauro and his team grow in their own garden.
The bread was made a course by itself which I see is becoming a new practice in fine dining. It was served with a poem by Pablo Neruda and olive oil enriched with truffles. The flavour of the fresh and light bread combined with the strong-tasting olive oil remembered of a moment in the spring when the sun comes out strong for the first time of the year.
It was followed by Gillardeau oyster with shallot cream and declination of William’s pear. I love oysters and loved this combination of the salty oyster and the sweet tasting William’s pear.
Next, Mediterranean Sea urchin with tangerine and coriander. This dish tasted quite bitter and sour. For me, it was my least favourite dish on the menu.
Mirazur’s signature dish is the salt crusted beetroot with oscietra caviar cream. Combining one of the most common ingredients of agricultural tradition with one if the most luxurious caviar is, what Chef Mauro calls, “redefining luxury”. The beetroot grew in the ground for one year before it was harvested and stored, covered with straw in the restaurants cellar throughout winter. During this process, the beetroot slowly loses its humidity and concentrates the sweetness. When young shoots appear, it is put back to the earth for a second growing cycle. This way the beetroot concentrates its aromas and sweetness conferring into a delicious taste. My personal highlight of the entire menu.
Followed by chanterelle stew with Christophine and Mediterranean baby squid. The squid held a strong sea like flavour and was perfectly balanced to the light tasting chanterelle.
Next Pansotti ravioli with whisky sauce and white truffles of Alba. This is an additional dish we were asked if we’d like to add before starting with the menu. The waiter came with a football sized white truffle asking us to smell it. Of course, we could not resist and had to add it to our menu. And we were not disappointed, such a unique and delectable mix of flavours.
Rutabaga candy an emulsion of forgotten vegetables. This vegetable is quite common in Northern Germany, were it’s called the poor man’s vegetable. However, I have never tasted it in such a light and refreshing way – just delightful.
Followed by Albacore fish with black garlic, roasted leek, licorice hollandaise. This typical Mediterranean fish was ambrosially combined with more heavy tasting ingredients like sauce hollandaise.
With the main dish, lièvre à la Royale, Chef Mauro proved his extraordinary cooking techniques and skills. This dish is not only demanding in time to prepare but also requires quite complex cooking techniques. The different type of meats were cooked to its absolute best – a dream!
Typically for French cuisine, we were served cheese before starting desserts. The cheese wagon was an experience by itself. The waiter rolled the whole wagon over to our table and opened the sides to reveal the greatest cheese variations I have ever seen in a restaurant. Choosing from this great selection was not easy, thankfully the waiter assisted with recommendations. The cheese is cut into small pieces and arranged on your plate from soft to hard and strong tasting to light tasting.
After cheese was served and napkins were exchanged, the desserts could begin, starting with a lemon tarte. Citrus fruits are typical for the Menton region and Chef Mauro and his team themselves cultivate over 150 different kind of citrus fruits in their garden. Making this dish fresh and light and creating a spring like feeling.
Followed by burnt rosemary ice-cream with olive oil from Sospel, France. This dish was my personal dessert highlight, the heavy topping with the strong-tasting rosemary combined with the light ice cream, just delectable.
Last but not least, petits fours, in the form of peanuts and leaves were served tasting deliciously sweet.
Before leaving the restaurant, you are handed the menu which lists all the great dishes you enjoyed. Also, we were given small take home boxes. Exploring it two days later to our visit, we found small delightfully tasting chocolate cakes. What a great way to bring the Mirazur experience home.
End.
All in all, I can say that the restaurant Mirazur is something different to anything I had experience before. Chef Mauro has taken this restaurant to a different level. Expecting high quality produce and unique cooking techniques from a three Michelin star restaurant, we did not expect the importance of culture and tradition the restaurant incorporated in their dishes. The team of waiters showed incredible hospitality, remembering everything we said and speaking to us in different languages.
This restaurant is foodie heaven on earth! I wish I could come back every day!
Since our visit in January 2020 the restaurant has changed its menu. Now, serving a menu called UNIVERS MIRAZUR ROOTS with four different variations, “roots”, “leaves”, “flowers” and “fruits”, depending on the journey of the moon.
To read more about the restaurant, have a look at their website.
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