Simone Zanoni, the Michelin-starred Italian chef and one of the most followed culinary figures in Europe, will open La Vigie Zanoni Monte-Carlo at Monte-Carlo Beach on 12th June, Monte-Carlo SBM has revealed.
The restaurant – which regularly takes on new identies – occupies the tip of the Monte-Carlo Beach peninsula — one of the most striking positions on the Riviera coast.
From a Lombardy farm to the top of European gastronomy
Zanoni grew up on a farm near Lake Garda in Lombardy, where his grandmother shaped his instinct for fresh, seasonal ingredients from an early age. He moved to London at 18, worked his way through Gordon Ramsay’s restaurant group and eventually helmed Ramsay’s three-Michelin-star London flagship — earning the title of Best Italian Chef Working Abroad along the way — before relocating to Paris. There, his restaurant Le George earned a Michelin star in 2017, followed by a Michelin Green Star for his commitment to sustainable, eco-responsible cooking, including a 3,000 m² organic vegetable garden he created in the Yvelines to supply the kitchen directly.
The chef who became a household name
What distinguishes Zanoni from most chefs of his calibre is the breadth of his appeal. During lockdown, he launched Casa Zanoni — a series of cooking videos filmed at home, unpretentious and joyful, that drew in an audience far beyond the world of professional gastronomy. His children, his kitchen, his passion for cars, his Italian warmth — all of it translated into a following of more than 6600,000 on instagram, alongside books, television appearances and a public presence that is, by the standards of the Michelin world, highly unusual. He has spoken often about his belief that good food should not come wrapped in formality. “Our clientele is relaxed and doesn’t like the stiff atmosphere of starred restaurants,” he has said. “Neither do I, actually.”
What to expect at La Vigie
The menu will draw on the same philosophy that has defined his cooking throughout his career: Italian at its core, built around seasonal produce, with pasta, fresh fish and generous sharing plates. The setting — decorated with lemons and bees, with small pots of honey on each table — suits his approach entirely.
La Vigie Zanoni Monte-Carlo runs from 12th June to 13th September.
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Main photo of La Vigie courtesy of Monte-Carlo SBM