SBM Offshore’s Single Buoy Moorings Research Office has become the Principality’s first entity to be part of Horizon Europe, the EU’s co-funding programme for research and innovation with a focus on sustainability and climate change issues.
With a budget of €95.5 billion, Horizon Europe is paving the way for companies with ground-breaking ideas and environmentally minded bents to do business together in the EU.
Despite Monaco not being an EU member, local companies can participate in the scheme if they are partnered with a legal European entity. This is the case for the Monaco-based SBM Offshore Single Buoy Moorings Research Office, who was selected by the government to take part in the scheme in partnership with European Scalable Complementary Offshore Renewable Energy Sources (SCORES).
They will be working together under the directive of the ‘Societal Change: Secure, Clean and Efficient Energy’ project, launched last September and piloted by Dutch Marine Energy Centre, which brings together 17 partners from 10 nations, Monaco included.
“The programme facilitates collaboration and strengthens the impact of research and innovation in developing, supporting and implementing EU policies while tackling global challenges. It supports creating and the better dispersing of excellent knowledge and technologies,” the European Commission website explains.
Their task is to demonstrate the efficient use of offshore renewable resources and how they are one of the keys to Europe’s energy transition, creating long-term low carbon and carbon free options for the public. SBM Offshore’s aim here is to develop its experience in the renewable energy market – whether it be solar, wind or wave energies – and to refine them for general use.
The budget for the SBM Offshore project is €45 million, with €34 million subsidised by the EC’s programme, but there are a few small catches. The companies involved must demonstrate “measurable goals within a set timeframe” and be willing to openly share all data and findings collected.
Monaco Life journalist Stephanie Horsman is on a quest to find the finest brunch spots in the Principality.
Growing up in Southern California, Sunday brunch was almost a religion. The whole family piled into the car and headed out to face what usually turned out to be a massive buffet that couldn’t quite decide whether it was breakfast or lunch, but was always a popular event where everyone got to eat exactly what they wanted.
It was in this vein that the idea came about that “brunching” is a serious gourmet art, always different and ultimately satisfying. In Monaco, as we all know, art is taken very seriously so the next time a free block of time crops up on a Sunday morning, head to one of these hot spots for a masterpiece of a meal…
Italian Pasticceria Cova
Cova on Boulevard des Moulins is known for its mouth-watering pastries and intimate Italian café vibe, so it’s exciting to see the Flavio Briatore-led team branch out into the brunch scene. That classic Italian hospitality and Piedmont-sourced produce comes together on a Sunday to create a cosy, delicious experience that will easily banish the winter blues.
Big appetites are well catered for thanks to a three-course table service menu that starts with coffee, freshly pressed juice and pastries, followed by a selection of classic breakfast dishes such as pancakes with maple syrup and fresh strawberries, or eggs with bacon. Then the lunch part of brunch kicks in, and a choice of the Chef’s Sunday pasta, beef tenderloin carpaccio, oozy burrata with tomatoes or Cova’s bacon cheeseburger are all on offer.
But what brunch wouldn’t be complete without sparkling? Cova do it Italian-style, so the whole brunch comes with endless bubbles of the finest prosecco. We recommend the Franciacorta Ca’ del Bosco. Prices are very reasonable, ranging from 75€ to 95€ per person, depending on the choice of prosecco. Oh, and kids are more than welcome, so why not make it a family affair?
Endless Prosecco bubbles are a highlight of brunch at Cova, photo provided
Mozza, a Riccardo Giraudi restaurant
A perennial favourite with the added bonus of live performances, Mozza’s Sunday Jazz Brunch is hard to beat. For €59, patrons can choose from a vast selection of temptations with an Italian twist served with that classic aperitif, the Aperol Spritz. Pizza, focaccia and pasta sit alongside cheeses and charcuterie, while fish and roasted meat dishes bring a more substantial lunchtime offering to the plate. A dedicated egg station serves up uovain a variety of made-to-order ways: omelette, scrambled, hard boiled or even fried with mouth-watering additions like bacon, cheese, onions, mushrooms and even chilli.
Dessert doesn’t disappoint either, with an outlay featuring freshly prepared pancakes and waffles, cakes, brioches, tarts and – of course – tiramisu. For healthy eaters, there is also a seasonal fruit salad. Children, meanwhile, will want to come back every week for the beautifully fluffy candyfloss.
Brunch at Mozza in Monaco, photo courtesy Mozza
Jazz Brunch at the Fairmont Monte-Carlo
Over at the Fairmont Monte-Carlo, brunch is kicked up a notch with a Sunday Jazz Brunch menu at the Lobby Lounge for €115, complete with wine and champagne. For those preferring to abstain, the cost is €85. Held every Sunday from 12.30pm to 4.30pm, the carte is indulgent. Seconds are sure to be in order. The pastries and sweets tray are very good too; a treat for the eyes and the belly.
A major plus here is that children are well served. Those six to 12 years of age can eat to their heart’s content for €42 and under-fives are free. There is even a Kids Club with babysitter so tinier tots can be entertained while mum and dad feast away. Reservations are recommended as this is a popular weekend destination.
Multi Michelin starred chef Yannick Alléno at his Pavyllon restaurant at the Hôtel Hermitage. Photo by Monaco Life
Pavyllon by Yannick Alléno
The jewel in the crown of Monaco brunching is to be found at the Hôtel Hermitage’s Pavyllon restaurant. It is called the “Parisian Brunch par excellence”, which is almost an understatement for this uber-elegant offering by multi Michelin-starred Chef Yannick Alléno.
Between 11am and 3.30pm, and for €135, a selection of fresh pastries await as guests sit down, followed by a creative menu offering eggs made to order and Côte d’Azur-inspired dishes like the “Goodwich”, a warm gougère chouxpastry filled with cheese and accompanied by jambon de Paris. Desserts are equally appetising, with the soufflé pancake laced with Grand Marnier being the top choice for those in the know.
What do you think of our brunch choices in Monaco? Comment on our Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram pages. For suggestions on what you would like us to cover in our new Best Of series, email us at info@monacolife.net!
