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CAFE DE PARIS MONTE-CARLO
Location: Monte-Carlo
Designer/Architects: Alexander Giraldi, Alain-Charles Perrot, David Collins Studio
On Offer: Since 1868, the iconic café on Monaco’s Place du Casino has defined the spirit of the French brasserie: classic dishes executed with effortless precision, open-air seating with views you’ll want to linger upon, and sumptuous (if not ostentatious) surroundings. The refresh of its neighboring landmarks, helmed by Alexander Giraldi and Chief Architect for Historic Monuments Alain-Charles Perrot, began in 2014 with the renovation of Hôtel de Paris Monte-Carlo, new casino facilities, shifts in the circulation paths and landscapes of Jardis des Boulingrins, and the Place du Casino itself—and of course the creation of the high-end shopping destination One Monte-Carlo. This fall, the café itself reopens in a two-floor reinvention by David Collins Studio, with a ground-floor bistro illuminated by the historic stained-glass windows, and a second-floor restaurant offering refined fair and, best of all, a 2,150-square-foot terrace with never-bettered views of the Place and its fashionable populations.
Standout Amenities: Director Eric Gorjux, chef Victor Marion, and sommelier Noël Bajor have devised menus for both spaces that speak in new ways of French tradition. In the center of the downstairs bistro, with its checkered marble floors and terrazzo mosaics, a monumental chandelier illuminates the new zinc counter—just the spot to quaff a Jardin Exotique (gin infused with Combava lemon leaves, bergament, basil, and mandarin syrup) and snack on seafood from the famed banc de l’écailler. Upstairs is where the real action is—whether seated on the terrace or in the intimate dining area’s mix of warm palettes and parquet, guests can explore the café’s gastronomic legacy, from eggs mayonnaise with caviar and French onion soup, to the essential flambé Crêpe Suzette which, after all, was invented right here in 1896 as a treat for the Prince of Wales.
