Arriving by train at Menton Garavan in Southern France, the town reminded me of Santa Cruz in California – without the beach parties; or perhaps Shifen in Taiwan, without touristy tinge. Located just 20 minutes away from Monte Carlo, it’s a world apart. At the very least you won’t be seeing a flood of Rolls Royces, Lamborghinis and Porches on the streets. Instead, you see people biking and jogging – looks healthy. I’m delighted to set my foot here.
Restaurant Mirazur is located 15 minutes by foot from the train station, in a hilly spot, not too far from the border separating France from Italy. It’s probably one of the best spots to enjoy the capricious sunset of Menton; a romantic yet laid back place to be in even if you are dining on your own.
Mirazur was awarded with two Michelin stars in the 2012 guidebook, later announced to be one of the World’s 50 Best Restaurants. I picked the €65 5-course Discovery Menu. Food and wine prices are reasonable. Top it up with good service, it’s great value for your money.
Since it’s still the month of August, I assume it’s still their summer menu I’m having. The style is unique and innovative. Everything was fresh and felt like a summer breeze – crisp, neat and light – a perfect match with the environment. The presentation of the amuse bouche and appetizer was also impressive, artistic and colourful, laid on top of a clean white table cloth. Quite visually appealing.
The chef also adopted ingredients the Japanese would appreciate, such as raw fish, peaches and umami flavours. Overall, it felt refreshing, with food cooked just right and served up in friendly portions. Though the combination of flavours was interesting, such as the raw fish paired with white peaches, the flavours lacked the depth that would surprise you bite after bite.
Having said that, it is still a recommended for anyone planning to go to Southern France. And guess what, I got this recommendation from Luxeat.com. Cheers to word of mouth.
Mirazur
Address: 30, avenue Aristide Briand, 06500 Menton, France
Tel : +33 (0)4 92 41 86 86
Website: http://www.mirazur.fr
Visited on: 9 August, 2012
Price: Lunch Menu €29 – €39 / Dinner Menu €65 – €120
Wine List:
Selection mainly from the Provence, Loire, Rhone, Burgundy and some Italy and Spain.
Champagne €75(Didier Lefevre) – €380 (Cristal 2004), champagne by glass €20
Blanc €60(Le Clos Saint Joseph 2011) – €490(Leflaive Batard Montrachet 2001), by glass ~€15
Rouge €35(from la Provence) – €25000(La Romanee Conti 2001)
K's Luxe Dining Table 