The doors have swung open on the new beachside restaurant Giacomo, where diners can travel to culinary Italy while enjoying that famous Monegasque view and hospitality.
The Big Mamma family now has a beachy big brother to add to their ranks with the addition of their first trattoria, Giacomo. Established at the far end of Larvotto Beach, the restaurant is now serving up fine Italian fare whilst patrons sit on a toes-in-the-sand terrace with space for 84 guests soaking up the view of the Med.
Giacomo has a team of seasoned pros at the helm, including Big Mamma veteran Mike Lucchese, Alessio Tallarico – a Calabrian who has worked in the luxury hotel industry for years, and Alessandro Orientale Caputo, who will be head of house.
Chef Adrian Spatz will be serving up dishes in the spirit of those that nonna used to make, only with a bit more sophistication. Starters like zucchini flowers stuffed with fresh ricotta and smoked stracciatella, bruschetta with large slices of mozzarella di bufala and grated bottarga, and vitello tonnato will tempt the palate. But it’s the John Limon starter that steals the show, featuring extra fresh sea bass gravlax from the Mediterranean, with the possibility of a caviar supplement.
The pastas are made fresh and topped with comforting veal ragu, earthy truffle, saffron and parmesan, or a light tomato sauce accompanied by a lobster tail, again, with caviar as a possible supplement. Of course, no Italian joint would be respectable without pizza, and Giacomo offers seven choices, each more delectable than the last.
Roast sole, beef carpaccio, octopus skewers, and caprese salad are highlights of the main course menu.
The design is pure Italy, created to make patrons feel like they’re at home. Say the owners, “Our in-house design team has decided to make you stay all year round in a seaside villa in southern Italy. A place for family reunions, where you can bask in the sun, feet in the water while eating nonna’s delicious dishes. In this villa, we keep all the memories of past holidays, with trinkets on each windowsill, family photos of the team, but also holiday photos taken from vintage Italian magazines on the walls.”
Owners Victor Lugger and Tigrane Seydoux, himself Monegasque, named the restaurant in tribute to Tigrane’s father, Jacques. Giacomo is Italian for Jacques, and the little love note to his dad can be found engraved on the glassware of the trattoria, which reads “To the glory of my father”.
“Giacomo displays the must-haves of Italian cuisine, sunshine and breath-taking views of the Mediterranean all year round,” say the owners. “Our new address pays tribute to what we love most in life: good food, spritzes under the parasol, the sound of the waves and high waist swim briefs. An invitation to slip your feet under the sun table at the zenith or golden hour, this is the perfect spot to taste seasonal piatti, bursting with freshness and always direct from our producers.”
For a taste of Italy on the beach in Monaco, Giacomo is the place to be!