This year’s Grand Prix marked the reopening of the mythical palace restaurant, sitting atop the Rotunda of the Hotel de Paris. Nearly three years after its closure and the destruction of the wing of the Rotunda, Le Grill welcomes customers to their beautifully renovated space.
New colours adourn the crisp, modern décor, but the restaurant’s roots and rich history and special atmosphere have been preserved. The greatest change, could be the new open kitchen. A change that is not only a novelty for the customers, but pleasure for the chef: “I have worked all my life in a basement, now I see the sea, the mountains, the horizon from this kitchen, It’s exceptional,” smiled Franck Cerutti.
This is the first stage of the renovations at the Hotel de Paris. There are some warning signs of change when you first enter and cross the lobby to reach the eighth floor. Light marble, chandeliers, monumental elevator doors, the changes are hinted at with the colours, and the elegant tone has been set. “There are changes, but with continuity,” says Didier Boidin, SBM’s Director of Hotel Operations. “It’s a new version of Le Grill, which kept the original spirit that we did not want to change too much, but that we modernised. We were affraid that people would not recognise it.” Certainly, the regulars will recognize their treasured culinary spot.
Spectacular views
What has not changed is the spectacular view overlooking the Mediterranean. Blue, blue and more blue in the renewed decoration. The intense Klein blue carpet blends with a more iridescent bluish shade on the velvet armchairs in the 85-seat main room, with 18 armchairs in the adjoining Churchill lounge. With the reconstruction, the restaurant has gained a larger terrace than the original. The ceiling, on the other hand, has kept its height. The former retractable roof mechanism, removed during the destruction of this wing of the hotel, has been retained and re-installed providing heavenly views to accompany their out-of-this-world dishes.
Photo by Benjamin Vergely
A Menu Inspired by Europe’s Best: From Provence to Tuscany
The head chef, Franck Cerutti, imagined a Mediterranean cuisine to match the landscape, “which is the reflection of the place”, he explained. Meat roasted over a wood fire, the signature of the establishment, still takes centre stage. Lamb, game, fowl and chicken are roasted on an open spit, visible to the guests. The meat cuts are presented hanging from table racks, from which they are cut and served. These silver racks, an old tradition of Le Grill, have been entirely redesigned for this long-awaited reopening.
As for the cuisine, in particular, the head of the Hôtel de Paris, Franck Cerutti, imagined a Mediterranean cuisine to match the landscape, “which is the reflection of the place”, explained the chef. The offering at the moment includes gamberoni caught in the bay, artichokes, courgettes, and the first chanterelles. In terms of roast meat over a wood fire, the signature of the establishment, lamb, game bird and chicken are roasted on the spit. A show for the whole room in this open kitchen. “I have worked all my life in a basement, now I see the sea, the mountains, the horizon from this kitchen, It’s exceptional,” smiled Franck Cerutti. And the gourmand palates can rest assured, since for dessert the chef has kept on the menu the mythical soufflé with Grand Marnier, red fruits, vanilla or chocolate, the dish as famous as the establishment. It is a treat that should not be resisted. Open every day from breakfast to dinner, Le Grill proposes a three-course menu, at lunch, at 55 euros.
Mare e Monti
With the Mediterreanean at the doorstep, it is not just meat that shines at Le Grill. The locally fished sea bream, sea bass, and John Dory will definitely make your mouth water. The selection depends on market availability and season. They also offer King spiny lobster, blue lobster, seafood pasta and more. Their fresh, seasonal menu currently offers gamberoni caught in the bay, artichokes, courgettes, and the first chanterelles.
Pasta represents a long-standing tradition of Mediterranean cuisine, but their short selection covers all the bases. Casarecce pasta (a curved ribbon like pasta) with clams, baby squid and crustaceans; ravioli with borage, a Ligurian specialty; and seasonal risotto round out the offering. For another emblematic Mediterranean dish, try the exceptional San Remo gamberoni and small spelt from Alpes de Haute-Provence.
For dessert, the gourmand palates can rest assured, as the chef has kept the mythical soufflé on the menu, a dish as famous as the restaurant itself. Whether you choose Grand Marnier, red fruits, vanilla, or chocolate it is a treat that should not be resisted.
To compliment your dining experience, head Sommelier Patrice Frank has chosen the best vintages from Provence to Tuscany. From Provence, guests may discover a selection of genuine “gourmet rosés” such as the Château de Pibarnon; perfectly structured reds including the Château Vignelaure; and luminous whites, featuring for instance, the Clos Mireille des Domaines Ott. From the other side of the border, Piedmont makes a splendid appearance with gorgeous wines such as the famous Barbaresco and Barolo. Tuscany is beautifully represented by the Sassicaia Bolgheri. But if you have something else in mind, Le Grill features no less than 700 wines from the Hôtel de Paris Monte-Carlo wine cellar, without a doubt one of the biggest and finest wine cellars in the world.
Open every day from breakfast to dinner, Le Grill proposes a three-course lunch menu for €55,dinner menu starts from €135.
