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The Maybourne Riviera: a destination for locals

by: Cassandra Tanti
31/05/2021

A penthouse restaurant headed by Mauro Colagreco, a luxurious spa with infinity pool, and an elegant outdoor ballroom perfect for one of Monaco’s many charity galas… Here is what we know about The Maybourne Riviera, soon to open in Roquebrune-Cap-Martin.
The Maybourne Hotel Group, owned by the Qatari royal family, is the operator of Claridge’s, The Connaught and The Berkeley in London, and The Maybourne Beverly Hills in Los Angeles. The group will be launching its fifth hotel this summer in Roquebrune-Cap-Martin.
“The opening of The Maybourne Riviera marks a new era for Maybourne Hotel Group, with our first newly built property in one of my favourite places in the world: Roquebrune-Cap-Martin, a truly untouched French gem,” said co-owner of Maybourne Hotel Group Paddy McKillen. “We plan to bring the legendary service and spirit of hospitality that have made our London hotels so successful and much loved, building The Maybourne Riviera into one of the great hotels of the world.”
The striking modernist hotel features an exterior design by Jean-Michel Wilmotte, a nod to modernist architects Eileen Gray and Le Corbusier who built their contemporary homes close by. Among his many other projects, Wilmotte is responsible for the rehabilitation of the auditoriums of the Palais des Festival in Cannes and designed the Teotista residential building in Monaco, also known as the Monte-Carlo View.

Bathroom design at The Maybourne Riviera

Bringing luxury to Roquebrune-Cap-Martin
Floor to ceiling windows in each of the 69 rooms will enable guests to take in the dramatic views sweeping from Italy in the east to Monaco in the west. Among them will be 24 suites with private terraces or balconies, some even offering private horizon plunge pools.
The group has been collaborating with some of the most globally recognised artists, designers and architects to create one-of-a-kind spaces, with Andre Fu, Bryan O’Sullivan Studio, Marcelo Joulia, Pierre Yovanovitch, Pascal Goujon and Rigby and Rigby all adding their distinctive style, as well as the Maybourne in-house design team led by Michelle Wu.
Mauro Colagreco will head his second Riviera restaurant at the hotel

A destination for locals
For people who already live in Monaco, the great news is that The Maybourne Riviera will also be an outstanding gastronomic hotspot with a host of restaurants under the creative direction some of the finest chefs and restaurateurs in the world. The legendary Mauro Colagreco of three Michelin star Mirazur in nearby Menton, and holder of the number one position in the World’s 50 Best Restaurants, will have his restaurant on the enviable top floor with panoramic views, drawing on his favourite theme, the sea.
In addition, global super-chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten will launch his first restaurant in the French Riviera with cuisine inspired by the hotel’s location on the French-Italian border. Finally, Japanese chef Hiro Sato will bring his world class sushi to The Maybourne Riviera.
Other perks for locals include a Piano Bar for a sunset aperitif or final nightcap, a wellness centre with indoor and outdoor pools and André-Fu designed spa, and conference spaces that can accommodate up to 250 guests for everything from wedding receptions to congresses. There are also two ballrooms, one of which is outdoors – perfect for Monaco’s many charity galas.
The hotel will feature incredible views from Italy to Monaco

The hotel is set on the rocky peninsula high above the coast in restored ancient gardens with walkways, citrus orchards and a seasonal herb garden.
When contacted by Monaco Life, the group said it was unable to give a specific opening date of The Maybourne Riviera as it is currently finalising timelines. But stay tuned as we will be updating our readers on this exciting new destination.
 
 
 

Pandemic halves SBM revenue in 2020/21 fiscal year

by: Stephanie Horsman
28/05/2021

Monaco’s largest employer, Société des Bains de Mer, has reported revenues of €336.9 million in the year ending 1st March 2021 compared to €618.8 million the previous year, amid the company’s major restructuring and cost-saving plan.

The pandemic brought havoc to those in the hospitality industry, and the Société des Bains de Mer (SBM) was no exception. CEO Jean-Luc Biamonti announced the company’s financial statements to the press on Friday, after an annual Board of Directors meeting on 27th May.

Among the notable figures, SBM saw gaming revenues decrease by €115 million in the last financial year, equalling -48%. Meanwhile, hotel revenues reduced by €175 million, coming to a depressing -62%. The only bright spot was that rental revenues increased by a small but significant €10 million equalling a +11% gain.

The company also saw an operating loss of €103.3 million compared with a €22.6 million profit in the 2019/20 fiscal year. The consolidated loss was less severe, but still significant at -€79.1 million, as opposed to the previous year which saw a profit of €26.1 million.

Gaming and hotel losses are contributed directly to the forced closures that were periodicallynecessary as part of lockdown procedures throughout much of 2020 and into 2021.

The rental sector increase is being attributed mainly to new residential leases having been signed at One Monte-Carlo, though Monte-Carlo Bay, the Balmoral, the Villas du Sporting’s boutique and office lettings also contributed.

As a result, SBM has worked to reduce overhead in the form of operating and investment expenses, as well as accelerating their global restructuring plan. This led to employees going on furlough or paid leave throughout a good part of the year.

The restructuring plan, which was announced on 4th March, includes a voluntary redundancy plan for employees over 57-years-old, on the essential condition that these workers would not be replaced. Do date, 234 employees have signed up.

Additionally, a collective forced redundancy plan was put into effect. This is currently limited to just two people, with most of the staff departures targeted at certain departments for reasons of overstaffing or re-organisation to restore competitiveness. These individuals have been moved to alternative roles.

The restructuring has resulted in a net cost of €25.3 million.  

Looking forward, SBM anticipates, with the implementation of the restructuring plan, a net saving of €18 million this year. These savings, along with other measures to bring costs more into line with seasonal fluctuations in activity, should give SBM Group a return to profitability, says the company.

SBM has also put in place financial measures that mean they are completely solvent. According to Mr Biamonti, they have roughly €90 million in ready cash for the unexpected or the unforeseen.

 

Photo of the Casino de Monte-Carlo by Monaco Life
 
 
 

Roca team takes win in front of home crowd

by: Stephanie Horsman
28/05/2021

For the first time since October 2020, fans were allowed in to the Salle Gaston Médecin to support AS Monaco Basketball, where they handily won against Le Mans 75 to 52.

Smiles on faces, clapping hands and cheers for the teams punctuated the first night back for 800 fans of AS Monaco Basketball on Thursday night when they played against a determined Le Mans team, winning their fifth straight game. 

“A big thank you to the fans for the warmth and support they gave us,” Team Captain Dee Bost said after the game. “They gave us extra energy for the end of the season. We must not make a wrong step, but we have a group that can do it.”

Mathias Lessort scored the first points of the game, followed by a beautiful three-pointer by JJ O’Brien. It was a nice way to start, and it just got better from there.

There wasn’t a quarter where the Roca team didn’t outscore their opponents. The first quarter ended with 26 points to 20, the second they made 19 points to Le Mans’ 10, in the third, it was 19 to 15 and in the final quarter Monaco had 11 points and Le Mans seven.

The Roca cheerleading girls were also back, adding a bit more fun to the party atmosphere, and at the end of the first quarter, We are the Champions by Queen was played to celebrate the Roca team’s Euro Cup title.

“It was a great time to be able to find our fans,” said Coach Zvezdan Mitrovic. “They gave us energy. We needed to share with them. It was difficult for Le Mans tonight, with a small roster. We have to manage this end of the championship with very close matches and defend our first place. The team is behaving very well, the group is making every effort.”

AS Monaco made 28 shots out of 65, with six for 25 of those being three-pointers. The team had an enormous 42 rebounds, with Damien Inglis claiming 12 of his own. They recovered 16 stray balls, had 16 assists and stole the ball 18 times.

Captain Bost was high-scorer with 14 points on the night, followed by Lessort and Fall Faye who clocked up 11 each.

The Roca team are back on the court Tuesday 1st June where they travel to Chalons-Reims.

 
 
Monaco Life with AS Monaco Basketball press release, photo by Manuel Vitali, Government Communication Department 
 
 

MonacoTech signs partnership with Canadian accelerator

by: Cassandra Tanti
27/05/2021

MonacoTech has announced its third partnership with an international incubator, this time with ACET in Canada to support companies from the two accelerators in their overseas marketing efforts.

MonacoTech said on Thursday 27th May that it had signed the partnership with ACET, an accelerator for the creation of technological companies. The agreement formalises a collaboration that began a few months ago and will strengthen the cooperation between the two accelerators.

The collaboration will allow startups to benefit from the networks of the two incubators, increase opportunities and strengthen their competitive advantages through meetings with key players in the ecosystem.

“This collaboration with ACET is based on a common vision of innovation and support for our startups internationally,” said Lionel Galfré, Director of MonacoTech. “This agreement is fully in line with our strategy and our desire to offer project leaders supported by MonacoTech an opening to other markets and ecosystems abroad. Startups will now be able to benefit from the support and collaboration of an expert and renowned accelerator in Quebec, the gateway to the North American continent.”

The project will also aim to seek possible synergies between the different startups. Young companies will be supported when they want to validate their value proposition and test their products in new markets. These two accelerators will therefore have a role of proactive facilitator.

“This partnership is a wonderful opportunity for ACET and MonacoTech to exchange best practices in supporting technology companies,” said  Ghyslain Goulet, CEO of ACET. “But above all, it is a golden opportunity for ACET companies to benefit from a leading business network from a very well-established accelerator in order to penetrate European markets.”

ACET’s mission is to identify innovative and daring technological projects, to support entrepreneurs in their development and to propel new innovative companies with a positive societal impact. Supported by a committed business community, ACET offers personalised support, from seed to internationalisation, access to various sources of funding including its own investment funds, the expertise of its market intelligence service and the power of its networks so that entrepreneurs can transform their passion, their vision and their innovations into a successful business.

The agreement follows similar partnerships with Capsula in Israel and APUI – IMT Lille Douai in France.

READ ALSO:
MonacoTech forms new partnership with APUI – IMT
Monaco and Israel join forces to support innovation 

What to expect from Monaco's most anticipated new restaurant

by: Cassandra Tanti
27/05/2021

From cold soups with broth extraction and king crab, to lasagne and sugar-free meringue, guests of the new restaurant Yannick Alléno at the Hermitage Hotel are being treated to “simplicity” in modern cuisine.
He is a Rockstar of the gastronomic world, celebrated for his visionary approach to the culinary arts, twice rewarded three stars in France, holder of 14 Michelin stars, and member of the exclusive circle of the greatest chefs in the world.
With restaurants in Paris, Courchevel, Seoul and Dubai, his latest venture means that lovers of fine food need only travel as far as the Hermitage Hotel in Monte-Carlo.
On Tuesday 18th May, local press including Monaco Life were joined by Minister of State Pierre Dartout, National Council President Stéphane Valeri, SBM CEO Jean-Luc Biamonti, Hermitage Hotel General Director Louis Starck and government ministers for an exclusive introduction to Yannick Alléno at the Hermitage Hotel.
On the remodelled Mediterranean garden terrace of the hotel, surrounded by olive trees, citrus fruits and jasmine, Yannick Alléno laid out his gastronomic vision for Monaco in eight perfect plates.

Photo of the Yannick Alléno à l’Hôtel Hermitage terrace by SBM

Joined by five of his staff from Paris, Yannick Alléno walked into the kitchens of the Hermitage Hotel four months ago to start a new chapter in the life of Monaco’s prestigious palace, forming a powerhouse team with the chefs and staff of the former Vistamar.
“They are very happy for the opportunity to have a new challenge,” Yannick Alléno tells Monaco Life of his new team. “My priority was to be accepted by them and I feel that this has happened. After a certain period of time, they started to trust us.”
Trust is essential in the high-performance kitchens of Yannick Alléno, whose charismatic nature masks a burning compulsion for perfection. His dishes are elegant, precise and instantly understandable.
Yannick Alléno calls it “simplicity”.
Photo of Yannick Alléno in the kitchen by SBM

Drawing on Monaco’s location, the weather, and the clientele, the chef has created cold pea soup with wild strawberries, lobster in cold bisque with roasted pistachio whipped cream, and cold vegetable ravioli with his trademark extraction broth and olive oil – clean, uncomplicated, renaissance cuisine.
“I think we are losing certain things,” says the chef. “Cold dishes, for example, have disappeared from the menu. But what do you want to have when the sun is shining and it is hot? Just a salad, or cold fish with a light sauce, a cold soup with a flavoursome broth… dishes that also give your metabolism what it needs? That is the direction that I like to go in.”
Photo of lobster in cold bisque by Monaco Life

That “comfortable simplicity” extends to the hot dishes at the Hermitage, where his signature steamed cheese soufflé and blue lobster spaghetti sit alongside rack of lamb with lemon balm and ‘Luigi Taglienti’s’ lasagne (Michelin starred chef from Milan).
“We created the menu with our customers in mind,” says Yannick. “I thought to myself, ‘If I live in Monaco, what kind of restaurant do I want to go to?’. There are a lot of exceptional restaurants here, many starred restaurants, but for every day, what do you have? People who live here are also looking to find a place that is simple and comfortable. It is very tough to do simple.”
In 2013, with the help of French scientist Bruno Goussault, Yannick Alléno created a unique and revolutionary process called ‘Extraction’, which allows for the concentration and perfection of flavours. In regular kitchens, the concentration of flavours is achieved by evaporation using heat. Extraction, on the other hand, uses correct cooking temperatures to preserve the elements from destructive heat and brings the products to the fore so that they render and develop their purest flavours without the need to add any fat or other ingredients. Alléno’s modern sauces are a blending of several ‘Extractions’.
Photo of rhubarbe confite en croute by Yannick Alléno at the Hermitage Hotel, SBM

His avant-guard approach is summed up in the sugar-free desserts that he creates: Candied crust rhubarb with herbed sorbet, Monte-Carlo mousse with strawberries in vanilla, and gluten free almond paste crisp with cherry jelly.
Creative, technically perfect, structured and delicate, Yannick Alléno’s dishes are served in a particular sequence to offer the diner a majestic experience of flavours.
And with menus from 68€, the chef aims to make gastronomic cuisine available to everyone, even in the Principality of Monaco.
“When I was a commis chef at Le Royal Monceau in Paris, I wanted to impress a young lady at a one-star restaurant,” reveals Yannick. “It was December, and of course the maître d’ sold me a truffle menu. I had to pay what I get in one month for that meal, and trust me, I was afraid to go back into a restaurant again. That is what we have to break. The three stars are too far away from the expectations of normal people, we have to make it accessible to the younger generation, to everyone.
Photo of Yannick Alléno by Monaco Life

“The positive thing that Covid has taught me is reality – there are no Chinese, Japanese or American tourists right now, so what are we doing? We have to bring back our conversation with our neighbours and say: ‘Sorry, we have made a mistake, sorry we forgot about you. If you would like, you can have a 12€ starter, or if you want caviar, you can have caviar.”
Within the year, the Hermitage Hotel will flourish even more at the hands of Yannick Alléno’s designer from Paris, Chahan Minassian, who will transform the restaurant into a Mediterranean version of the Pavillon Ledoyen – Yannick’s six-starred establishment in Paris – complete with open kitchen.
“The Pavillon project is what I love,” says the chef. “I love to be behind the counter and in those conditions. A table is a circle, and it is very difficult to go inside a circle, for the service and for a chef. But when you are in front of people, you are in the life of people, with discretion of course. It is a different kind of relationship.”
His flagship restaurant Alléno Paris was awarded three Michelin stars after just seven months of opening. His two other restaurants within the Pavillon Ledoyen, the sushi restaurant L’Abysse and gastronomic counter Pavyllon, were awarded two stars and one star respectively in equally impressive time.
It is clearly only a matter of time before Chef Yannick Alléno is delivered another Michelin star in Monaco.
 
 
 

New chef heading up Elsa at Monte-Carlo Beach

by: Stephanie Horsman
27/05/2021

Chef Manon Fleury has signed on as new Head Chef at the Michelin-starred Monte-Carlo Beach restaurant Elsa, where her dedication to responsible, sustainable and delicious food options aligns perfectly with the philosophy of the restaurant.

Elsa Restaurant will have a new chef at the helm this summer season with the addition of Manon Fleury who is completely in line with the restaurant’s aesthetics and a desire to produce amazing meals sourcing locally-grown products and using the “zero waste” philosophy. This entails complete use of every ingredient, head to tail, stem to stone, and flower to leaf.

Fleury will be following in the revered footsteps of Eileen Gray, Elsa Maxwell, and India Mahdavi at the first 100% organic, wild fish-only starred restaurant in the world. She is, at the age of 30, already an experienced chef, having worked at Le Marmoz in Paris, and earning the Young Chef Prize at the 2019 first edition of the La Fourchette awards.

Photo of Monte-Carlo Beach – Restaurant Elsa by SBM

“The invitation of the Elsa restaurant to come and sublimate the exceptional products of the Monegasque region through demanding cuisine was obvious,” said Fleury. “I know that my cuisine, rooted in its territory and ecologically conscious, will be able to flourish there and that our collaboration will strengthen the convictions and commitments that the restaurant Elsa and I have in common. It is also a recognition of the work accomplished, which I hope will inspire other women to carry out their projects and take on the highest responsibilities.”

Danièle Garcelon, Managing Director of Monte-Carlo Beach, is thrilled to have a chef onboard who has such a like-minded approach, saying, “The Monte-Carlo Beach wants to take care of people and nature on a daily basis. Thanks to Manon Fleury, we are going to take our restaurant Elsa even further in an approach combining organic, local food and zero waste. Her talent, personality and convictions made the difference, the chemistry was immediate!”

The new menu will be inspired by local products that are sustainably sourced. To this end they will work with nearby estates and gardens, including the Jardin des Antipodes in Menton for aromatic herbs and fruit, and the Domaine d’Agerbol on the heights of Roquebrune-Cap-Martin, whose organic vegetable production gives Elsa a zero-kilometre source for the freshest produce.  

Some of the delicacies that diners will be able to enjoy, when Fleury officially starts at Elsa, will be Gamberoni from San Remo with a raspberry and nasturtium flower jelly, a vegetable and herb pie from the garden of Agerbol, and a sea bream cooked in fig leaf with steamed rice and a virgin sauce.

Photo of Monte-Carlo Beach by SBM

The eco-friendly approach extends beyond the kitchen at Elsa, where a moderate use of water and energy resources are highlighted, as well as a policy of reducing or recycling waste in the most efficient ways.

The Monte-Carlo Beach itself has also made upgrades in the past year to keep in line with the environmentally astute philosophy, notably the finalisation of reclaiming the original beach from the 1930s whilst protecting the site using a sophisticated underwater reef dyke that promotes a fish population as well as being positive impactful.

Manon Fleury will be serving up her delicious new menu from 28th May.

 

 
Photo of Chef Manon Fleury provided by SBM