The 2024 edition of the Rallye Monte-Carlo Historique has come to an end, with Michel Decremer and Jennifer Hugo clinching the victory in their Opel Ascona 400.
Ahead of the final stage, the famous Nuit de Turini on 6th February, Prince Albert II of Monaco made an appearance on the Quai Albert Ier to wave off the drivers as they prepared to head in the direction of Sospel.
Before the eclectic mix of vehicles left the Principality, however, Prince Albert took his turn behind the wheel of a Deutsch Bonnet Coach Frua, a replica of the very car that Prince Rainier III drove during the Tour de France Automobile in 1953, as he completed a lap of the iconic Monte-Carlo Grand Prix circuit.
The final leg of the epic rally, which had begun in cities across Europe in late January, saw the fleet take on the Sospel-Col de Turini route. The next step should have been the La Cabanette-Col de Braus portion of racing, but adverse weather conditions forced its cancellation.
Among the competitors was Daniel Elena, a celebrated Monegasque figure in rallying, who has achieved significant success, notably winning the Monte Carlo Rally seven times alongside Sébastien Loeb.
Unfortunately for Elena, it wasn’t to be this time as the rally was ultimately won by Michel Decremer and Jennifer Hugo in their Opel Ascona 400. Their consistent performance throughout the stages earned them the top spot and they finished with 960 points to mark Decremer’s second win at the Rallye Monte-Carlo Historique.
Close behind, the team of Schon and Giammarino in an Austin Mini Cooper S secured second place with 1030 points. The third position went to Aiolfi and Merenda in a Lancia Beta Coupe 1800, who finished with 1090 points.
Click on the images below to see more from the Monaco-hosted section of the event:
Belgium has come to Monaco with the opening of Smakelijk! – an authentic Belgian brasserie in the heart of Le Meridien Beach Plaza offering the best of this northern European cuisine.
From waffles to beer, fries to chocolate, Belgian food is some of the most mouth-watering in the world.
It is for this reason that General Manager Vincent Clinckemaillie and Culinary Director Chef Laurent Colin decided to transport Belgian cuisine 800 kilometres south to the Principality of Monaco, creating the first ever authentic Belgium brasserie at the Le Meridien Beach Plaza.
“The idea is to be very authentic and genuine,” Clinckemaillie told Monaco Life during a recent press lunch. “We have Belgian food, but we’ve also taken the Belgian hospitality. It’s all about friendship, authenticity, and simple but good food.”
Authentic Belgian cuisine in Monaco
Smakelijk, pronounced smaak-lek and meaning Bon Appétit in Flemish, aims to take guests on a culinary journey that is both familiar and exotic.
This journey should always begin with croquettes – a stand-out dish at Smakelijk that includes both grey shrimp and cheese croquettes. The tomatoes stuffed with shrimps and mayonnaise is another classic that you’ll find on any top-10 foodie list for Brussels. Grey shrimp are tiny yet flavourful, and hold a special place in the heart of Belgium’s seafood tradition.
The croquettes at Smaklejk are a signature dish of this chic new Belgium Brasserie. Photo by Monaco Life
Another menu highlight is the Liège meatballs, hailing from the south of Brussels, which are surprisingly sweet, sour and light; while the mussels in garlic and parsley sauce is always a crowd pleaser.
Chef Laurent Colin and his team have taken the best of Belgian cuisine and added a slight Mediterranean touch. For example, the humble ‘Eel in the Green’ dish is recreated here using cod fish, served on top of a vibrant, herby green sauce that is finished with vegetables.
Every good restaurant needs a signature dish, and both Vincent Clinckemaillie and Chef Colin agree that that it is the vol-au-vent – a famous, deliciously flaky pastry filled with chicken, cream sauce and mushrooms, and theatrically finished table-side with a burst of creamy sabayon. There are three variations here – the classic, a vegetarian option, and a gastronomic version featuring confit duck and pan-fried foie gras because this is, after all, Monaco.
Served alongside most dishes are fries – Belgium’s national pride – which are lovingly recreated according to tradition. Freshly-cut potatoes are cooked twice, firstly blanched to cook the inside, then deep fried in beef fat to cook the outside. The result is perfectly crispy, flavourful fries that are served with an array of sauces, like garlicky aioli and spicy samurai, promising a flavour-bomb with each dip.
The desserts at Smakelijk are equally decadent and comforting: the Brussels waffle served with chocolate and whipped cream; crème brûlée with vanilla from Madagascar; Callebaut hot chocolate soufflé; and speculoos cheesecake are among the proud ambassadors that can be enjoyed at any time of the day.
Getting the tick of approval
The Belgians are among the top five most prominent nationalities in Monaco, so there’s a certain amount of pressure on Vincent Clinckemaillie – who is not from Belgium – to get this right.
So, about a month before opening, and leaving nothing to chance, the general manager of just over a year took his team on a journey of discovery to Brussels.
“We visited the Grand-Place, we had a guide explain to us the whole story of how Belgium was built and the origins of the gastronomy; we tasted real croquettes and vol-au-vents in the city, and we had dinner with the ‘King of French Fries’ – the biggest seller in Brussels – who gave us some advice,” says Clinckemaillie.
“And I can say that we are not far off the best that we tasted in Brussels,” adds Chef Colin confidently.
The real test will come on 8th February, when Monaco’s Belgian community come together for a private gathering at Smakelijk.
“We really want to have the blessing of the Belgian community,” says Clinckemaillie.
Art nouveau style brasserie
Like the menu that is steeped in tradition, the brasserie itself has been inspired by yesteryear, but enhanced with a nouveau twist. Adjamé design studio has put together a décor that is full of character: a harmonious mix and match between kitsch and contemporary with leather booths, vibrant colours, striped prints and second-hand service consoles enhancing the vibe of this new gourmet adventure.
A taste of discovery with every sipserie
The epicurean exploration of Belgium continues with a curated selection of Belgian beers with infinite nuances of flavour: bitter, floral, citrus, spicy, herbal, fruity…
Head sommelier Jonathan Durante has also created an exclusive list of wines with a Brussels accent. Wine lovers are encouraged to discover new vintages and crus from the Gudule Winery, which produces only 100% organic wines.
It tastes good
Smakelijk is a wonderful celebration of Belgian gastronomy, of cheeky indulgences and the joys that only fries cooked in beef fat can bring. The motto: “ça goûte bien” (it tastes good) is all that matters here, and for a place like Monaco, there is welcome comfort in that philosophy.
Smakelijk offers continuous service from 12pm to 11pm. Starters are priced from €14, mains from €22 and desserts from €14. A special lunch menu includes starter, main, water and coffee for €26.
In a clash that pitted the two frontrunners of France’s Betclic Elite basketball league against each other, AS Monaco came out on top with a convincing 89-71 victory over Lyon’s LDLC ASVEL. The result solidifies the Roca Team’s status at the top and extends their unbeaten run at home to 11 games.
On Tuesday 6th February, AS Monaco showcased why they are the team to beat in the Betclic Elite by delivering a strong performance against Lyon-Villeurbanne (LDLC ASVEL) that concluded 89-71.
Going into the game, AS Monaco had been just two points ahead of their closest rivals in the domestic league after a recent setback over the weekend that saw the Rouges et Blancs lose out to Bourg-en-Bresse.
Starting evenly with a first-quarter tie at 21, AS Monaco seized control after halftime through aggressive tactics and strategic play. Mike James stood out, contributing 17 points, four rebounds and five assists to once again affirm his key role in Monaco’s offense.
Élie Okobo also shined for Monaco, with a solid 14 points, three rebounds and an evaluation of 18 to his name. The positive result was further enhanced by Matthew Strazel and Alpha Diallo, who contributed 11 and 10 points respectively.
Post-match, Coach Saša Obradović remarked on AS Monaco’s performance: “We lacked energy in the first half, we were soft in attack. In the second half, we made the effort and that allowed us to make a difference.”
This victory marks Monaco’s eighth win in eight encounters against LDLC ASVEL.
While the attention of both teams will now be on the EuroLeague, with 18th-placed LDLC ASVEL heading to Spain to face Baskonia on Thursday 8th February and fifth-placed AS Monaco set to visit Bologna on Friday 9th February, the two teams will meet again in less than a week for the Round of 16 in the French Cup.
The game will take place in the Salle Gaston Médecin on Tuesday 13th February at 8pm. Click here for tickets.
24-year-old Monegasque swimmer Lisa Pou has qualified for the upcoming Paris Olympic Games after finishing just seven seconds behind the race winner of the 10km open water swim in Doha.
Originally from France, Pou is a naturalised Monegasque citizen and regularly competes in the colours of the Principality for the AS Monaco Natation club.
She rose to prominence by winning the 10km event at the Martinique Open in April 2022. That victory earned her qualification for the World Championships in Fukuoka, Japan, in the summer of 2023.
She went on to win the Prom’Swim in Nice’s Baie des Anges in October and picked up two bronze medals in the 800m and 1,500m Freestyle events the following month at the French National Championships.
Most recently, however, at the World Swimming Championships in Doha, Pou secured a ninth-place finish in the challenging 10km open water event. By coming in the Top 13, the result has won her qualification for the Paris Olympics, which will begin on 26th July.
The Doha event was a close one, with 24-year-old Pou finishing just seven seconds behind the race winner, Sharon Van Rouwendaal of the Netherlands.
Pou’s qualification for the Olympics makes her the first Monegasque to ever represent the Principality in this discipline.
A chlorine spill at the swimming pool of Charles III College has sent a group of students and staff to hospital and lead to the evacuation of the school.
The accident occurred at around 10am Wednesday morning as technicians were undertaking a routine maintenance of the school’s swimming pool. A chemical reaction is said to have generated toxic vapours that spread to the classrooms, with students in 6e and 5e classes particularly affected.
According to the Monaco government, two maintenance staff and five students were taken to the Princess Grace Hospital Centre and released without concern.
“As a precautionary measure, a partial evacuation of the school building was ordered,” said the government.
School is expected to return to normal on Thursday.
Just ahead of its grand reopening, the two Michelin starred Blue Bay restaurant has joined the prestigious Grandes Tables du Monde club, in what is another major coup for Chef Marcel Ravin and Monte-Carlo SBM.
The Blue Bay at the Monte-Carlo Bay Hotel and Resort gained its first Michelin star in 2015 and a second in 2022.
On Sunday 4th February, its latest distinction was awarded at the 68th Congress of Grandes Tables du Monde, a prestigious ‘club’ that represents and promotes the world’s best restaurants.
The event, held at the Lasserre restaurant in Paris, saw the introduction of 17 new members including the Blue Bay. The restaurant now joins an exclusive list that includes the three Michelin starred Le Louis XV – Alain Ducasse, the three Michelin-starred Mirazur in Menton, and the two-starred La Chèvre d’Or in Eze.
In accepting the award, Marcel Ravin said he was proud and honoured to join the prestigious association, and took the opportunity to announce the reopening of his restaurant on 14th February, after a five-month transformation.
Monte-Carlo Bay Hotel and Resort, photo source: Monte-Carlo SBM
The Blue Bay metamorphosis
According to Monte-Carlo SBM, owner of the Monte-Carlo Bay Hotel and Resort, the Blue Bay transformation is the culmination of a dream for Martinican Chef Marcel Ravin, a story that began to be written with the cooking and tableware, and which is enriched today by the creation of a link between the plate and its environment, in a setting that enhances the cuisine as much as the service.
“The new Blue Bay – Marcel Ravin is an ode to life, nature and the richness of the Caribbean, with a new immersive gastronomic experience, and a completely revisited menu,” says the group. “A true restaurant within a restaurant, La Table de Marcel offers a new, even more exclusive experience reserved for eight guests. The Blue Bay – Marcel Ravin is a culinary journey, at the heart of the gastronomic renewal of the Monte-Carlo Société des Bains de Mer group.”
