Review 2022: Michelin-Star restaurants on the French Riviera
A prestigious Michelin star is a coveted trophy for any restaurant! Every year, the world’s best cuisine is competing for this award. Early this year, the Michelin guide published the names of the lucky winners. The 2022 edition of the MICHELIN Guide France includes two new three-star restaurants (Villa Madie in Cassis and Plénitude – Cheval Blanc Paris), 6 new two-star restaurants and 41 new one-star restaurants. Among Michelin-starred establishments, 12 are based on the French Riviera and Monaco. Meet the lucky ones!
Top class restaurants in Monaco
La table d’Antonio Salvatore (Rampoldi)
Last year, this Monaco restaurant was awarded its first Michelin star by the famous guide, joining the ranks of the most prestigious venues on the French Riviera. It also happens to be the first 100% organic restaurant distinguished by the Michelin guide. Its chef Antonio Salvatore is famous for both his classical recipes and original, signature dishes. Originally from southern Italy, Salvatore has always extensively travelled for his work. The chef had the idea of transforming the former Rampoldi cigar salon into a dining area (five tables in total), treating us to modern, delicious and refined Italian cuisine. His premium quality products are locally sourced from the neighbouring towns of Menton and San Remo. Some ingredients are specially brought from the south of Italy.
Bravoooo ! 54 nouveaux étoilés dans la promotion 2021 ! Malgré la situation sanitaire compliquée, les chefs ont su montrer l'étendue de leur talent et de leur combativité. Ici Antonio Salvatore, Rampoldi, à Monaco et Assaf Granit chez Shabour, à Paris. 😋 pic.twitter.com/VKyWLbrjvt
— Le guide MICHELIN (@guideMichelinFR) January 18, 2021
Cuisine: Italian
Michelin stars: 1
Specialty: cozy, comfortable, 100% organic restaurant
Address: 3 avenue des Spélugues, Monaco, 98000
Phone: +37793307065
Website: www.rampoldi.mc/fr/la-table-dantonio-salvatore/
Blue Bay
Another Monaco restaurant – at the Monte-Carlo Bay Hotel & Resort – was awarded its Michelin star in 2015 under the guidance of Marcel Ravin. In 2022, Marcel Ravin’s magnificent cuisine has been awarded a second star. This modern and elegant gastronomic venue boasts a unique panoramic terrace with amazing sea views – a perfect background for its creative and unique cuisine. From Martinique to Monaco, the Blue Bay takes his guests on an unparalleled culinary journey. Marcel Ravin’s cuisine brings together Caribbean and Mediterranean influences. This restaurant is also known for its own organic garden and sustainably caught fish. Chef Ravin has invited a pottery master from his original country Martinique, Peggy Desmule, to create unique tableware with a story. It took the two a year to design these extraordinary settings.
Cuisine: Mediterranean, Caribbean
Michelin stars: 2
Specialty: panoramic terrace with stunning sea views, designer dishes, private organic garden Address: 40, Avenue Princesse Grace 98000 Monaco
Phone: +377 98 06 03 60
Website: www.montecarlosbm.com/fr/restaurant-monaco/le-blue-bay
Yoshi
Awarded one Michelin star in 2010, this restaurant stands out for its healthy and modern cuisine. It is run by Japanese chef Takeo Yamazaki under the guidance of Christophe Cussak. This is Joel Robuchon’s second restaurant in the Métropole hotel, located in the very heart of Monaco. The legendary chef, who passed away in August 2018, honoured the Japanese cuisine by naming it Yoshi (“good” in Japanese). The restaurant owes its success to simple dishes cooked from fresh, natural ingredients. Takeo Yamazaki, a brilliant talented chef, was first discovered at the age of fourteen. He mastered Japanese cuisine in his native country, in Osaka, and was then chosen by a prestigious French culinary school.
Cuisine: Japanese
Michelin stars: 1
Address: 4 avenue de la Madone 98000 Monaco
Phone: +377 93 15 13 13
Website: www.metropole.com/fr/restaurant-montecarlo/yoshi/
The Grill
The Grill, located on the Hôtel de Paris’ 8th floor with a retractable roof, offers truly breathtaking views. Its dishes are famously cooked on a charcoal grill. The restaurant’s interior is inspired by a Mediterranean colour palette – from intense blue to the more iridescent hue of its 85 velvet chairs in the dining area. Franck Cerutti has been putting his culinary talents to the service of Hôtel de Paris Monte-Carlo restaurants for 23 years.
Cuisine: Mediterranean
Michelin stars: 1
Specialty: a panoramic terrace on the hotel’s 8th floor, under the stars dining.
Address: Place du Casino 98000 Monaco
Phone: +377 98 06 88 88
Website: https://www.montecarlosbm.com/en/restaurant-monaco/the-grill
Pavyllon Monte-Carlo by Yannick Alléno
Pavyllon is the brainchild of Yannick Alléno, the three Michlen star chef of Pavillon Ledoyen since 2019. The new Monaco restaurant took up residence inside the sumptuous hotel Herrmitage, with the interior designed by Chahan Minassian, and on the restaurant’s splendid terrace. This free-spirited, intuitive cuisine in perpetual renewal consists of cold or hot dishes, or 100% plant-based dishes, made essentially from local ingredients. The tableware creates a harmonious link between the setting and Yannick Alléno’s cuisine, and has been exclusively made by the finest artisans. Fabrics and volumes subtly interplay, textured or exquisite surfaces provide a display for garnishes, such as mother-of-pearl for the sauces.
Cuisine: Modern, creative
Michelin stars: 1
Specialty: chic terrace
Address: Square Beaumarchais 98000 Monaco
Phone: +377 98 06 98 98
Website: https://www.montecarlosbm.com/fr/restaurant-monaco/pavyllon-monte-carlo-un-restaurant-yannick-alleno-hotel-hermitage-monte-carlo
Louis XV – Alain Ducasse
One of the most illustrious Monaco restaurants, Louis XV by Alain Ducasse, is distinguished by 3 Michelin stars. Only locally sourced products are used in its dishes: herbs and vegetables grown under the Riviera sun, fish caught in its sea and lakes. According to Alain Ducasse, his cuisine is there to glorify the sun. The Michelin guide has also applauded the restaurant’s commitment to eco-friendly and sustainable gastronomy. Each product is used to its utmost, with minimal waste (pea pods are squeezed for their juice, potatoes are stuffed with poultry offal). Its chefs Dominique Laurie and Alain Ducasse never cease to amaze us with their original dishes, with a special focus on local flavours.
Cuisine: Mediterranean
Michelin stars: 3
Address: Hôtel de Paris Place du Casino 98000 Monaco
Phone: +377 98 06 88 64
Website: www.montecarlosbm.com/fr/restaurant-monaco/le-louis-xv-alain-ducasse-hotel-de-paris
Monaco restaurants featured in the Michelin guide
Maya bay
Maya Bay, bringing together the best of Thai and Japanese cuisines, is specially mentioned in the French Riviera Michelin Guide 2022. This iconic restaurant stands out for its cozy atmosphere, mesmerizing incense aromas, elegant and sophisticated décor reminiscent of both traditional and modern Asia. Not yet awarded a Michelin star, it has been highly praised and included in the 2022 guide. Maya Bay is an exceptional gourmet experience, introducing you to the amazing flavours of three culinary regions: Northeast Asia, Southeast Asia and North Africa. Divided into two areas, the restaurant is run by two chefs – Ryuji Kakizaki for the Japanese cuisine and Christophe Dupuy for Thai. Their quality products and finely selected spices were specially complemented by the Michelin guide inspectors. The restaurant also features a vegetarian menu.
Cuisine: Thai, Japanese
Address: 24 Avenue Princesse Grace Le Roccabella 98000 Monaco
Phone: +377 97 70 74 67
Website: www.mayabay.mc
Song Qi
If you are an Asian food lover, the Song Qi is a must-see. Located opposite the Grimaldi Forum, it was added to the Michelin Guide 2022. This fine Chinese restaurant has opted for an expensive and serene atmosphere. Its mouth-watering menu offers a wide range of Chinese dishes: Peking smoked chicken soup, crispy shrimp with Chinese mustard, classic light Chinese dim sum – just to name a few. Last year, its chef Chai Chee Yu took part in an Asian cuisine competition in his native Malaysia. He brought back two gold and two silver medals. This culinary competition is the equivalent of the Olympic Games for chefs, taking place every four years.
Cuisine: Asian, Chinese
Address: 7 avenue Princesse-Grace, 98000 Monaco
Phone: +377 99 99 33 33
Website: www.song-qi.mc
Rampoldi
Decorated with Carrara marble and Murano glass chandeliers, this French and Italian restaurant has a perfectly balanced atmosphere of Monegasque luxury. Passionate young chef Anthony Salvatore joined the team in 2016. Specializing in creating authentic Mediterranean cuisine, he uses traditional recipes from yester-year & local hand-picked produce. An iconic place for Monaco, Rampoldi first opened its doors in 1946. One of its first visitors was Frank Sinatra. The legendary American singer soon became one of its regulars, with his own favourite food and drinks. Located in the heart of the Monte-Carlo Golden Square, it is more than just a restaurant. Ramboldi’s warm and welcoming environment is truly in tune with the Mediterranean. The restaurant has been listed in the Michelin Gastronomy Guide primarily for its excellent cuisine and top quality products.
Cuisine: Italian
Specialty: traditional restaurant, favourite among celebrities and the Princely Family.
Address: 3 avenue des Spélugues, Monaco, 98000
Phone: +377 93 30 70 65
Website: www.rampoldi.mc
Montgolfière-Henri Geraci
This cosy, family-run restaurant on a small pedestrian street, close to the princely palace, is very different from Monaco’s trendy and glamorous venues. Its Chef meticulously creates his delicious dishes, with a pinch of Asian notes. Henri Gerarci only uses fresh produce in his culinary creations. He believes that it is one of the most important ingredients for a gastronomic dish. The chef admits to be passionate about Asia, particularly Japan, occasionally creating some unique flavors. He combines local Riviera products with some ingredients from) Japanese cuisine. La Montgolfière is listed in the 2022 Michelin Guide, particurlarly highlighting its charming service.
Cuisine: modern
Address: 16 rue Basse, Monaco, 98000
Phone: +377 97 98 61 59
Website: www.lamontgolfiere.mc
Beefbar
Beefbar meat restaurant in the Fontvieille area is a favourite with Monaco residents and guests. A selection of quality beef is served here (wagyu, black angus and some French cow breeds). In addition, despite its name, Beefbar also has salads and fish dishes on the menu. Added to the Michelin guide 2022, it is particularly distinguished for its modern, attractive design. Come here to dine with a wonderful view of the Fontvieille port. The restaurant owns its popularity to a unique combination of quality products and simple dishes.
Cuisine: meat dishes, grilled dishes
Specialty: meat display cases where you can watch the ripening of the product
Address: 42 quai Jean-Charles-Rey, port de Fontvieille, Fontvieille 98000 Monaco
Phone: +377 97 77 09 29
Website: www.monaco.beefbar.com
Elsa
Resolutely committed to responsible and sustainable hospitality and gastronomy, the Monte-Carlo Beach opened last year with the arrival of Chef Manon Fleury at the head of the restaurant Elsa, 100% organic and featuring fresh wild fish. Today, new chef of the restaurant Mélanie Serre who has already opened her own restaurant in Paris, considers this new adventure as a personal challenge.
Elsa offers seasonal, local and organic cuisine, with sublime flavours and total well-being for both the body and spirit. With its 100% organic and wild-caught fish menu, the Monte-Carlo Beach restaurant is certified Ecocert level 3.
“The food is healthy and aromatic, the interior is signed by India Mahdavi, while the elegant terrace overlooks the sea. Blissful”, indicates Michelin guide.
Cuisine: Mediterranean
Specialty: gastronomic restaurant, 100% organic food
Address: Av. Princesse Grace, 98000 Roquebrune-Cap-Martin, Monaco
Phone: +377 98 06 50 05
Website: https://www.montecarlosbm.com/en/restaurant-monaco/elsa
Premium French Restaurants not to be missed out
This year a French vegan restaurant was awarded a Michelin star for the very first time. ONA, a French abbreviation for “non-animal origin” products, run by the chef Claire Vallee, is located in the town of Ares, in the Bordeaux area. Michelin has previously awarded stars to vegetarian and vegan restaurants around the world. In spite of meat and fish traditionally associated with high-end restaurants, vegetables and plant-based menus were thus given credit This is the very first restaurant in France, however, to have received this kind of distinction.
If you are looking for fine dining in the proximity of Monaco, the Michelin Guide 2022 offers you a wide range of restaurants to choose from.
Nice
Monaco’s neighbour, Nice, features some 27 Michelin guide restaurants. Some of them have already been awarded or are heading for their first Michelin star. “Bib Gourmand” is a special Michelin distinction for exceptional food at a reasonable price (under 31 €). Bistrot d’Antoine, Olive et Artichaut, LaMerenda, Fine Gueule and Chez Davia are also listed in this category.
Among Michelin star restaurants in Nice: Flaveur (2*), L’Aromate (1*) et Le Chantecler (1*), Les Agitateurs (1*), JAN (1*), Pure & V (1*).
The following restaurants have not yet received their stars, but have been acknowledged by the new 2022 Michelin Guide: La Rotonde, Le Mesclun, LeCanon, Le Séjour Café, Mon Petit Café, Le Goupil, La Réserve de Nice, Chabrol, By pm, Eau de Vie, Racines, Bar des Oiseaux, Comptoir du Marché, Les Deux Canailles, Peixes, Le Bistro Gourmand.
Cannes
Cannes has a selection of 5 restaurants featured in the Michelin Guide 2022. La Palme d’Or is its only restaurant boasting two Michelin stars. The guide specifically praises the efforts of its pastry chef and the stunning sea views (73 Bld de la Croisette). The restaurant offers European and original cuisine. Contacts: +33 4 92 98 74 14 (https://restaurant-la-palme-d-or-cannes.com).
Restaurants listed in the new Michelin guide: la Table du Chef, L’Affable, Table 22 par Noël Mantel, Aux Bons Enfants.
Antibes
For fine cuisine lovers, Antibes has as many as three Michelin star restaurants and six gastronomic venues.
Le Figuier de Saint-Esprit, favouring Provencal cuisine, Les Pêcheurs and Louroc, marked by Mediterranean notes, all carry one Michelin star.
The following restaurants have not yet received their star, but are listed in the new Michelin Guide 2022: L’Arazur, Chez Jules Le Don Juan, le Vauban, le P’tit Cageot, Maison de Bâcon, Le 44.
Michelin guide 2022 has specially recognized two restaurants in the French city of Menton. The three-Michelin star Mirazur has been specially awarded a «green» star for its eco-friendly practices and sustainable gastronomy. Its chef Mauro Colagreco favours Argentinean cuisine. It is a unique ode to aromatic plants, flowers, garden vegetables and citrus fruit.
Le Bistrot des Jardins has not yet been awarded a star, but is listed in the Michelin guide for its excellent Mediterranean cuisine created by Alain Delsert, with a 40 year gastronomic experience behind him.
The small French town of Vence, in the Monaco neighbourhood, is inviting you to its three gastronomic restaurants, featured in the Michelin Guide 2021. Le Saint-Martin, Les Agapes, La Cassollette.
Le Saint-Martin restaurant stands apart, it is the one to have been awarded a Michelin star. The guide inspectors have particularly praised its stunning panorama over the Vence hills and the sea, and high quality products used for its Mediterranean cuisine delights.
Eze is inviting you to sample culinary delights in its three Michelin-star restaurants: Les Remparts, Château Eza et La Chèvre d’Or awarded two Michelin stars for its traditional cuisine. Its chef Arnaud Fayet («Meilleur Artisan de France 2019») favours products brought from different parts of France. His cuisine is rich in aromas, botanicals and seafood. Michelin inspectors have specially complemented his pastry chef, creating unique gastronomic delights of his own.
Beaulieu-sur-Mer has two restaurants distinguished by the Michelin guide: La Table de La Réserve, offering traditional & Mediterranean cuisine, and Le Restaurant des Rois, run by the chef Julien Roucheteau ( Meilleur Artisan de la France 2019). His signature cuisine is all about homemade vinegars, citrus fruit sauces and frying juices. The guidebook inspectors have particularly noted the restaurant’s delicious deserts.
Two restaurants in La Turbie have made it to the prestigious Michelin Guide 2022: Café de la Fontaine (also listed in the Bib Gourmand category for its reasonable prices) and the two Michelin-starred Hostellerie Jérôme.
Cap d’Antibes is proud of its Le Pavillon, included in the Michelin Guide 2022. Its romantic terrace deserves a particular mention. This restaurant serves Mediterranean and Italian cuisine.
The French town of Mougins has four restaurants listed in the Michelin guide 2022.
These Mougins restaurants have not yet been awarded their stars, but are listed in the new Michelin Guide 2022: Le Clos St-Basile, L’Amandier de Mougins, La Place de Mougins and Le Bistrot du Mas.
Le Cannet boasts four Michelin Guide 2022 restaurants, La Villa Archange (2*) among them. Taste its delicious cuisine by Bruno Oger in its charming setting. The chef is extremely precise in creating his aromatic gastronomic delights. He draws inspiration from his native Brittany, adding a few Mediterranean touches. The Michelin inspectors have highly appreciated the restaurant’s mouth-watering desserts.
Bistrot St-Sauveur and Bistrot des Anges, serving traditional cuisine, have won a special Michelin distinction, Bib Gourmand , for exceptional food at a reasonable price.
The Japanese restaurant Kashiwa in le Cannet is also featured in the Michelin Guide 2022.
Saint Tropez
This town is famous not only for its luxurious noisy parties, but also for its 3 Michelin star restaurant La Vague d’Or – Cheval Blanc St-Tropez, located on la Bouillabaisse beach. Its chef Arnauld Donckele uses the freshest produce in his culinary creations, offering classical French dishes with a refined Provencal accent. The restaurant has a classical interior with a number of original paintings on its walls.
When the French President Emmanuel Macron and the Russian President Vladimir Putin met in Besancon in 2019, it was Arnaud Donckele who prepared an exquisite dinner for the top officials. Awarded his third Michelin star at the age of 35 in 2013, Donckele became the youngest ever in history for this kind of distinction.
Saint-Tropez also has another Michelin star restaurant Colette (1*) famous for its Mediterranean cuisine and a large selection of vegetarian dishes created by its chef Philippe Colinet. Other gourmet restaurants featured in the Michelin Guide 2022 include Beefbar, Le BanH Hoï, Le Patio, Cucina Byblos, La Petite Plage, La Ponche.
The French Riviera is not only blessed by it sun and beautiful seascapes, but also its culinary delights. A galaxy of brilliant chefs work in local restaurants. Almost 400 local restaurants, all in all, were thus mentioned by the Michelin guide inspectors in 2022. To know all the gourmet restaurants on the French Riviera, please visit the Michelin guide’s website and choose a gastronomic paradise to your liking, with an excellent cuisine and cozy atmosphere!
