Views of the French Riviera, several levels of vegetable gardens baring the freshest produce and a chef who has worked in Paris with Alain Passard at Arpège and Alain Ducasse at Hotel Plaza Athénée combine to make Mirazur the ultimate restaurant experience.
Fortunately, the three Michelin starred restaurant headed by Argentinian chef Mauro Colagreco has officially reopened its doors.
Although much has happened during the past three months of COVID-19 lockdown, Mauro has had time to think, contemplate, test and, ultimately, change.
The enforced time off has resulted in a new structure for Mirazur, featuring an ever-changing Lunar Menu driven by the cycle of nature.
The restaurant, too, will adapt and frequently change to represent the diverse menu in colour, layout and texture. While favourite wines will still be available, new varieties will continue to appear.
“I am overjoyed to reopen the doors at Mirazur and welcome guests back to the restaurant,” says Mauro.
“It has been a challenging time, but with the support of our guests, staff, producers, suppliers and partners, we return with renewed energy and enthusiasm.”
The ever-evolving menu, committed to the cyclical changes of the moon and the seasonal adjustments of time, will be divided into four separate offerings: Root, Leaf, Flower and Fruit.
Mauro’s new direction makes perfect sense; he’s often referred to as being more of a gardener than a chef.
During the lockdown, the chef and his team immersed themselves in Mauro’s hillside garden, which not only boasts the oldest avocado tree in France, but also provides the majority of fruit, vegetables and herbs used at the restaurant.
The restaurant will continue to use local seafood and support its producers and farmers where relationships have been forged and values shared over many years.
For the past few years, Mauro has been at the top of his game, achieving awards and recognition. He became the first foreign-born chef in France to receive ‘Chef of the Year’ by the Gault & Millau restaurant guide in 2009, with Mirazur listed on The World’s 50 Best Restaurants that same year.
Mirazur has steadily been ascending the World’s 50 Best Restaurants list since its debut at number 35 in 2009. Ten years later, the restaurant, which earned its three Michelin stars in 2019, rose to the number-one spot on the list.
Then the pandemic hit, forcing the restaurant to shut in mid-March.
It’s the solitude of the recent lockdown period that has allowed Mauro’s love of and connection to the land to intensify, and for him to pour all his time and energy into the garden.
And while people have been using biodynamic produce for many years, the assimilated biodynamic philosophy of when people eat remains almost untouched.
“Our Lunar menu creates an entirely new experience for guests, finally deeply connecting nature to the kitchen and ultimately the plate,” shares Mauro. Happily, Mirazur is once again open.
The first global gastronomic auction launches
The World’s 50 Best Restaurants has recently announced the launch of its ‘Bid for Recovery’ Auction from 3–12 July, offering food and travel enthusiasts the opportunity to bid for gastronomic experiences with the world’s best chefs.
The auction is the largest global event of its kind aiming to raise funds that will provide direct and tangible financial relief for restaurants worldwide as they emerge from the pandemic.
Announced in June, it is a key fundraising element of the 50 Best for Recovery program, in partnership with founding contributor S.Pellegrino and Acqua Panna.
“We have been overwhelmed by the generosity and support from chefs, restaurant owners, bar owners, commercial partners and tourism boards offering truly unique, once-in-a-lifetime opportunities to bidders as we aim to raise as much money as possible to support our industry and give back to the global restaurant sector,” says William Drew, Director of Content for the World’s 50 Best Restaurants.
“This is a clear indication of the solidarity of the global restaurant community. Now we ask all those who love restaurants and are blessed with sufficient resources to take part in the auction and, crucially, spread the word to like-minded foodies across the world.”
The 50 Best ‘Bid for Recovery’ Auction will feature more than 100 lots, providing the opportunity for bidders to select from a range of the world’s best gastronomic experiences, as well as rare and limited-edition items.
Auction highlights include:
One day with Mauro Colagreco at The World’s Best Restaurant Mirazur (Menton, France)
Mauro and Julia Colagreco will welcome two guests to Menton, where they’ll visit Mirazur’s gardens to select produce, meet the fishermen who supply the restaurant’s seafood at the harbour, and dine with chef Mauro at his organic Pecora Negra pizzeria.
Guests will also taste dishes at Mirazur’s ‘creation kitchen’, meet the team and enjoy the newly developed tasting menu before departing with a set of wine glasses and case of wine.
Atelier Crenn Farm, Wine & Chocolate Experience for 6 with Dominique Crenn (San Francisco, USA)
This prize sees three days of visiting chef Dominique Crenn’s San Francisco properties. A day on Bleu Belle Farm will involve activities such as fermentation, beekeeping and olive oil production.
At Atelier Crenn, an exclusive wine-tasting session with a renowned Californian winemaker will be followed by the tasting menu dinner. The following day, pastry chef Juan Contreras will lead guests in a chocolate-making masterclass.
The experience culminates in an evening of dinner and drinks at Petit Crenn.
50 Best will distribute all proceeds of the Recovery Fund to restaurants, bars and not-for-profit organisations.
We sat down with Michelin-star chef Dominique Crenn to discover why she had to leave France to achieve success.
