The Metropole Hotel has announced the reopening date of its rooftop hotspot, Odyssey Lounge Bar and Restaurant, where guests can enjoy everything from a relaxing after work apero to a Mediterranean dinner under the stars.
Located next to a swimming pool, the Odyssey was forced to stay closed due to health restrictions despite the reopening of the Metropole Hotel in April. But not for much longer.
From Thursday 10th June, the Odyssey Lounge Bar and Restaurant returns, ready to host guests for cocktails and dinner. Photo of the Karl Lagerfeld-designed rooftop by C. Larit
Situated in Monte-Carlo, the beating heart of Monaco, this peaceful locale, imagined and designed by the late, great Karl Lagerfeld, is a place to relax and enjoy the best of Monaco’s summer.
It will feature music curated by the hotel’s sound designer, Beatrice Ardisson, and from 7pm onwards, Odyssey will offer aperos and gourmet tapas including a cocktail bar menu.
When the sun goes down, the full impact of the Lagerfeld mural depicting the voyage of Ulysses will be played up using artistic and tasteful lights twinkling off the pool to create a stunning overall effect.
To top it all off, Executive Chef Christophe Cussac will be serving up Mediterranean-style fare using fresh, seasonal products, offering the best the Côte d’Azur has to offer from his newly renovated kitchens. Photo of the Odysee Restaurant by C. Larit
“People do not see what has been done in the back of house, but it is a revolution for our teams, it is so exciting,” Chef Cussac told Monaco Life during April’s hotel reopening.
For a taste of Monaco elegance, check out the Odyssey, open for dinner from 7:30pm Thursday to Monday all summer.
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
MonacoTech signs partnership with Canadian accelerator
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.
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.
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
Monaco targets French, EU travellers with new campaign
‘Monaco for you, at last!’ is the catchphrase of a new Europe-wide tourism campaign aimed at drawing visitors back to the Principality after a year put on hold by Covid.
The world is slowly returning to normal, the desire to travel is no longer considered a taboo, and Monaco has strict health measures in place to protect the population and visitors.
Therefore, it’s time for the Monaco Tourism Board to help revive the local economy by drawing back visitors. It is doing this by sending a message that marks both the end of a long wait and the beginning of hope.
The words “at last!” (Enfin) has been added to the tourism campaign that was conceived before Covid struck the planet, to now read: “Monaco FOR YOU. At last!”
Through photographs and videos, the campaign focuses on 10 themes that embody Monaco’s tourism offer: wellbeing, gastronomy, culture, family, romance, sport, responsible tourism, games and casinos, weekend getaways, and shopping.
The summer campaign will target the French – primarily Paris and regional capitals – and European markets, and will be featured on television ads, in travel magazines and other professional media both print and digital, as well as social networks. https://youtu.be/fEaHGtz3ahM
After travel restrictions are eased internationally, the campaign will go global and be broadcast on the American, Asian and Oceania continents from the second half of 2021.
Like all major destinations in the world, Monaco has suffered significantly from the loss of tourists since March 2020, the extent of which will be revealed on Friday when Jean-Luc Biamonti, CEO of Monaco’s largest employer Société des Bains de Mer, delivers the company’s annual financial report.
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