Month: October 2026

Vaccines for Covid-19 are now available in pharmacies across the Principality and are fully covered for socially insured residents, joining the seasonal flu vaccines accessible since 15th October.

The Prince’s Government reminds the public that vaccination against both viruses offers crucial protection against severe complications and health risks, particularly for vulnerable individuals.

Annual seasonal flu vaccination is recommended for adults aged 65 and over. It is also strongly advised for pregnant women, individuals with obesity, those with specific chronic illnesses, and residents of long-term care or medico-social facilities regardless of age. Furthermore, vaccination is recommended for individuals living with infants under six months at risk of severe flu, as well as those residing with immunocompromised persons.

Priority individuals receive a coverage voucher allowing them to obtain the vaccine or receive their jab directly at a pharmacy.

Updated access rules and prescriptions

Access procedures for other residents have evolved this year. Individuals aged over 15 can now receive their flu vaccination directly in pharmacies. However, those wishing to collect the vaccine for administration by their general practitioner or private nurse must now hold a prior medical prescription.

The Prince’s Government highlights the importance of vaccination among healthcare workers and professionals in regular contact with at-risk individuals. Vaccinating staff protects practitioners individually while reducing the risk of transmitting respiratory infections to patients.

Covid-19 protocol and dual injections

The recommended target groups for Covid-19 vaccination match those for the seasonal flu. Any resident wishing to be vaccinated against Covid-19 can receive the jab directly in a pharmacy or collect it for administration by a doctor or nurse. A medical prescription remains required prior to receiving a Covid-19 injection from a nurse.

Both vaccinations can be administered at the same time, provided different injection sites are used.

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Photo Credit: Pexels – Polina Tankilevitch 

A menu of three starters, three mains and three desserts might sound like a modest proposition. Replacing them every week is anything but. At Mona, Chef Tristan Romain has taken on a challenge that gives his cooking more freedom — and his guests a reason to keep coming back.

There is a moment with the butternut squash soup when I find myself trying to place the spice. A little chilli? Curry. Then there are the mussels: an unexpected addition that makes me reconsider what I thought would be a familiar bowl of autumn soup.

That ability to build flavour, to introduce something that catches your attention without overwhelming the dish, is what I particularly enjoy about Chef Tristan Romain’s cooking. His new menu gives him considerably more scope to exercise it.

Developed in discussion with the group, the concept moves Mona away from its previous Lebanese and Mediterranean focus towards a broader bistronomic approach. Rather than changing the menu at the turn of each season, Tristan now writes a new one every week.

“We choose our seasonal produce, then create our dishes, starters and desserts according to what the market offers us and what nature offers us,” he says.

The distinction is in how closely the kitchen can respond to those ingredients. The season still sets the framework; what is available that week determines what is served.

Following the chef’s instincts

During my visit, warm goat’s cheese came with focaccia soldiers and salad leaves, while a veal chop was prepared piccata-style with heritage root vegetables. The roasted scallops, served with broccoletti and chimichurri, were a particular highlight. So were the coquillettes with crispy guanciale and a delightfully subtle use of butternut squash.

The squash appeared in both soup and pasta, but to quite different effect. That is part of Tristan’s skill: knowing how much to draw from an ingredient, and what to put alongside it.

A cheese platter has its place among the final courses, accompanied that week by vanilla-infused vegetable jam. The sweet choices were a waffle with accompaniments and a walnut tart, each offering a separate direction to finish the meal.

The wider concept releases Tristan from the expectation that every dish must belong to the same culinary tradition. Some spices and influences remain from the previous menu; others can now enter the kitchen.

“We used to really limit ourselves to Mediterranean and Middle Eastern cooking. Now we’ve broadened things a little,” he explains. “Sometimes we even have slightly Asian notes, without necessarily going into sushi or anything like that. We’re freer to do what we want, in a manner of speaking.”

He prioritises French produce and sources as locally as possible, while acknowledging that not everything can be obtained nearby. The aim, he says, is to avoid ingredients that have travelled around the world before reaching the restaurant.

The work behind a short menu

For the diner, a weekly menu offers variety. For the team, it creates a relentless deadline.

“Every month, I have to come up with twelve starters, twelve mains and eight to ten desserts,” Tristan says. “Sometimes it isn’t easy, especially making sure we don’t repeat something we did a month ago.”

There is also the work of turning each idea into a dish that can be delivered consistently, then making sure the people serving it understand what is on the plate. Familiarity has barely had time to settle before the next change arrives.

Tristan discusses ideas with maître d’hôtel Julien and asks colleagues what they like eating and what they would like to see on the menu.

“It’s always easier for them to sell something they already like and already know,” he says.

He describes the undertaking with an almost nonchalant confidence. Yet there is nothing casual about the commitment. Producing a good new menu is one task; doing it again the following week, and the week after that, is a much bigger one.

Having led the kitchen from the start, Tristan now has greater latitude to cook according to his own instincts. It is satisfying to see a chef whose ability is already apparent being given more room to use it.

For residents in the building, the changing selection makes eating downstairs a more interesting regular proposition. For the public, it offers a different kind of loyalty: returning for the chef’s judgement, rather than a particular dish.

The French have long done this with the plat du jour; Chef Romain takes the idea to another level by changing the entire menu. For me, it has the appeal of being invited into a chef’s own kitchen to taste what he really wants to cook at that moment. I would happily return for that soup, but I’m just as interested in what comes next.

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Main photo credit: Cassandra Tanti, Monaco Life

The Agence pour la Valorisation des Produits Agricoles (AVPA) hosted an international gastronomic event in Monaco on Thursday 22nd October, bringing together two distinct sensory disciplines: extra virgin olive oils and European-origin teas.

The tasting gathering took place at La Table d’Élise in Monaco, where the AVPA convened its gastronomic jury for the 23rd International Contest of Oils of the World, Southern Hemisphere Edition, alongside a special tasting of European-origin teas as part of the 9th International Contest of Teas of the World – AVPA Paris.

Presided over by Palace expertise

The gastronomic jury was presided over by Gilles Brunner, former Head Chef of the Prince’s Palace of Monaco, President of the Grand Cordon d’Or de la Cuisine Française, board member of the Escoffier Foundation, and Disciple of Auguste Escoffier. 

Reflecting on the host city, Brunner highlighted the natural synergy between the Principality and the organisation’s mission:

“I tend to say that Monaco is always the ideal venue to bring together quality people,” Brunner told Monaco Life, adding: “The AVPA is a truly wonderful agency that showcases agricultural products, so naturally, Monaco is a capital for highlighting these products.”

A two-tiered evaluation model

The competition relied on a rigorous, two-tiered judging process designed to balance technical precision with commercial reality. According to AVPA Chief Operating Officer Ksenia Hleap, all submitted entries first underwent a blind technical assessment.

For the olive oil category, samples were sent directly to the Olive Technical Centre (CETOLIV) in Aix-en-Provence for rigorous testing. To maintain total objectivity, oils were served in dark blue cups to prevent colour from influencing panel ratings.

Only entries exceeding the category average advanced to the gastronomic jury. This secondary panel comprised active industry professionals, including restaurateurs, chefs, and fine delicatessen owners, who evaluated the products from a consumer perspective.

“The technical scores are adjusted by the gastronomic jury to reflect market reality,” explained Hleap. “An oil might hit every technical parameter, but it still needs to resonate with the end consumer.”

Shared sensory standards and terroir

To maintain consistency across evaluations, all AVPA jury discussions are conducted in French. This ensures a common tasting language, avoiding regional differences in how flavours are described.

This year’s Southern Hemisphere olive oil entries featured producers from Brazil, Chile, and South Africa. While differing in origin, both olive oil and tea share core gastronomic attributes rooted in terroir, producer skill, and complex sensory profiles. Brunner said that assessing such entries requires complete sensory alignment between aroma and taste:

“I believe it’s all about the balance between all the flavours. First, when you bring it up to your nose, you immediately pick up the essence that characterises olive oil – that scent of artichoke, fresh grass, sometimes tomato leaves or almonds. If you get all of that on the nose and then find it again on the palate, you know you are dealing with an exceptional product.” 

Meanwhile, acclaimed French chef and Meilleur Ouvrier de France (MOF) Jean-Luc L’Hourre highlighted the practical value of these evaluations for working chefs:

“It remains fascinating to explore the differences among oils and their acidity levels from all corners of the world,” he said. 

Supporting global producers

Now held regularly in Monaco for Southern Hemisphere entries, the event highlights the Principality as a hub connecting local culinary expertise with international producers.

As a non-profit organisation, the AVPA does not sell products directly. Instead, it focuses on providing producers with recognition, marketing support, and digital visibility. 

Winning producers receive promotional resources, opportunities for blog features, and direct exposure to potential buyers during award ceremonies.

The official winners of this year’s competitions will be announced in December. 

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 AVPA’s International Olive Oil and Tea Competitions Gastronomic Jury. Photo credit: Virginia D’Umas