The 2024 edition of the Michelin Guide has rewarded eight of France’s talented pastry chefs for their creativity with a Prix Passion Dessert, and half of them are based in restaurants here in Monaco and the south of France.
Patrick Mesiano, the Chef-Pâtissier of Les Ambassadeurs by Christophe Cussac, the Monaco restaurant that picked up two Michelin stars in the recent guide despite having been open for less than a year, is among that prestigious group.
See more: Michelin Guide 2024: Les Ambassadeurs by Christophe Cussac earns two stars in its first year
His elegant chariot de desserts – dessert trolley in English – harks back to the glory days of fine French dining and was picked out by the judges as one of their favourite desserts of the year.
Nearby in Roquebrune-Cap-Martin, the one Michelin star Ceto also has reason to celebrate as its Julieta Cañavate, a true creative, is another of the local chefs to receive a Prix Passion Dessert.
Her marine-inspired millefeuille with Nori, Bourbon-infused vanilla cream and a toffee sauce, which pairs perfectly with the seafood rich menu, was singled out by the judges as her finest offering.
To the west of the Principality, Pierre-Jean Quinonero, the Chef-Pâtissier of the one star Le Cap at the Grand-Hôtel du Cap-Ferrat, also took home a Valrhona-sponsored Prix Passion Dessert prize.
His beautiful grapefruit salad with blancmange and fresh herb sorbet, pictured above, won him a spot on the list of the inspectors’ most appreciated desserts.
The fourth pastry award for chefs of the region went to François Luciano of La Table du Castellet, which achieved a stunning three stars in the 2024 guide.
His Nicaraguan chocolate, samphire and matured olive oil dish, described as “complex, all in subtlety and harmony” by the visiting Michelin judge, also features on the list of the best desserts to be reviewed.
To check out the full list of the judges’ favourite desserts in 2024, click here.
Read related:
Michelin Guide 2024: New stars awarded to French Riviera restaurants
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Photo credit: Le Cap / Marion Butet