Marla read an article about the “50 Best Restaurants in The World” in the Denver Post and mentioned one of them was in Menton, on the Cote d’Azur. Menton was one of the stops on our Anniversary trip to Europe this summer so we decided to book a table at Mirazur, ranked number 3 in their 2018 listing. Mirazur is situated high on a hill with wonderful views of Menton below.

I wouldn’t say we are exactly “foodies”, but we do enjoy unique culinary experiences wherever we travel. This being a very Special Anniversary dinner we were excited to experience the cuisine of Argentine-Italian chef Mauro Colagreco. He worked with Alain Passard at Arpege and Alain Ducasse at Hotel Plaza Athenee before spending a year at Le Grand Vefour. He opened  Mirazur in 2006, earning two Michelin stars in 2012.

When Philippe, our good friend from Paris, heard we had a reservation at Mirazur he said “Dick, please increase it to 4 persons as Kathy and I will join you.” We have enjoyed wonderful dining experiences with Philippe and Kathy over the years at La Chevre d’Dor, Zaranda , Franck Putelat , L’Oasis , Le Chambard, and Restaurant Eden-Roc, to name a few. Yes,…he is a terrible influence! Philippe and I have gone on many cycling tours in France and Italy,…gaining weight the whole time!

Philippe and Kathy ordered a nice bottle of Champagne to toast our Anniversary.

I arranged in advance for two different 11 course tasting menus, a regular one for me and a menu with no fish or seafood for Marla since she is allergic. As there were so many courses we all decided to add the “wine pairing” and leave the wine selection to the expertise of the sommelier. 

The dinner began with a number of fascinating “Welcoming appetizers.” 

Creativity rules in this place!

This was one of Marla’s little starters. She said it was delicious!

This unique loaf of bread came with a quotation on bread from Pablo Neruda. “Everything exists to be shared, to be freely given, to multiply….Then, life itself, will have the shape of bread, deep and simple, immeasurable and pure.”

The wine glasses had the thinnest stems!

I’ll share just a few dinner images with you. I felt a frisson of excitement as I began the first course. This dish is “Oyster Gillardeau”, a signature dish of Mirazur of an “oyster with shallot cream, declination of William’s pear, watercress, and borage flowers.” I must say I am energized by master creative chefs who “paint” with fresh ingredients just as a painter does with his or her brush. This was amazing!

“Gamberoni from Sanremo fished by our friend Giuseppi.”  The dish was decorated with Begonia flowers and was fabulous.

The “Grilled tomato steak” was quite unusual with small pieces of anchovies, capers, and mozzarella milk. Fabulous!

I am an aficionado of bread. I would be a totally happy guy with just a basket of great assorted breads and a few glasses of wine!

An onyx bowl is filled with a fabulous culinary concoction of yellow beetroot and mussels with a saffron sauce. 

The culinary art keeps arriving.

Hake fish, a relative of the cod fish, is served with black garlic and licorice hollandaise sauce.

This was my favorite dish all evening! It consisted of grilled foie gras and a porcini consomme. Amazing taste!

“Ah…the red wine is being poured!”

Roasted piglet with a mole and osmanthus flower sauce.

 

This was a tour de force of culinary achievement. Duck from Challans (Some say the best duck in the world and the same duck served at Paris’ La Tour d’Argent.) blueberries, turnip and grilled foie gras. This was Marla’s favorite!

 

We enjoyed a duo of interesting dessert creations.

Even the seemingly simple Petit fours burst with surprising flavor.

Our fabulous dinner ended with a bowl of fruit and tomatoes served in an exquisite “Daum Nancy” pate de verre bowl.

After an amazing evening of fabulous culinary creations and an interesting accompaniment of wines reality arrives with…the bill!

Here is my takeaway after almost 3 1/2 hours of fine dining. “Mirazur” definitely deserves its stellar ranking in the pantheon of fine dining restaurants. This style of dining may be too arduous for some as an 11 course tasting menu takes time to create and serve. The evening for me zipped by with great dining companions and of course good wines! The ethos of Chef Colagreco and his team is apparent with the artistry of each dish, the ingredients, masterful composition, and beauty on the plate. The reception on the first floor was very welcoming and the  service was elegant and unpretentious.

Mirazur is a dining experience worth the detour when traveling in this part of the Cote d’Azur. I’m including menus and the wines served for the culinary curious below.

                                                                                                                                                                  My menu.

                                                                                                                                    The menu prepared for Marla as she is allergic to fish and seafood.

 

                                                                                                                                  Wine pairings with the Champagne listed at the bottom.

 

Photos: Dick Gentry, Mirazur