A former No. 1 which really deserves that rating: Restaurant Mirazur (18. June 2022)
Interestingly enough, booking the Mirazur does not take as much heads-up time as many of the No. 1 restaurants I have been to so far. And that is in thus far surprising as the experience is absolutely amazing. To be fair, what Mauro Colagreco serves here is not on the cheap side of things. The “tasting menu” costs EUR 350.00 and the cheapest wine pairing EUR 140.00. So, as a basis, you have to calculate with approximately 500 EUR per person. Still, that being said, worth it.
The concept of the Mirazur is to use the whole plant, respectively, the parts of the plant which are best in the respective moon phase. So, when you book, you already know which type of menu you’re having. That evening, it was the “flower menu” which started with an “osmanthus tea” which is quite refreshing and overall a lovely start.
The first course is an assembly of different small bites which were mindblowing and, to me, explained immediately why the restaurant is a former No. 1.
The “parmesan cream on a chick pea cracker” was decent to have but nothing which would be called memorable.
The “cep tartelet” on the other hand was absolutely delicious – a true explosion of flavours and perfect in terms of textural combiation.
The “veal cube with capers” did not only look pretty and interesting, it was also an intense flavour combination which is worth trying and enjoying.
Once they would serve you bread, it would be brought with a little description/poem of Pablo Neruda which I found quite interesting.
The bread was still warm when served and delicious in terms of flavour. The oil it was served with, called “Géranium” was very floral and absolutely delicious.
The next course definitely looked appealing and fun since there was a revelation element to it …
… and you would wonder what it is when you opened it. At first, I thought it was thinly sliced garlic, but it turned out to be “razor clams on a flan with Borage flower petals” and I must say that it was exquisite.
Next in line was a rose. Well, technically, it was a “hibiscus rose pickled in beetroot juice with a beef filling” which was outstanding – especially the inner layers which had that beef filling.
Next in line was a trio around the “osmanthus” flower …
… with a “zabaglione and a langoustine” which was perfectly creamy, delicious, just overall mouth-watering.
The next course was “osmanthus flower jelly on shellfish” and it was good as well.
What was amazing was the third part – the head of a langoustine filled with a flan and a foam, making it a truly lovely, but intense experience.
Next in line was the “nasturtium sweetbread” which was great – I love the texture of sweetbread, and in combination with the flavours of the nasturtium, it made for a great meal.
Next was the second bread serving which was a freshly baked and truly delicious bread …
… served with “lavander butter” which was so good, it brought tears to your eyes. While lavandar is very often overpowering, just too intense, it turned out to be perfect in terms of smoothness, tenderness, and flavour.
The “zucchini flower with Provençale sauce” was a bit confusing at first, since they initially placed the plate the other way round, so it didn’t really look like much. Once turned, you were able to recognize the dish, and it was good. The ricotta filling with veal crumbles definitely added to the dish, and the sauce was exquisite. All in all, not truly surprising, respectively mind-blowing.
The next course was “lobster with corn” …
… on a “vanilla stick with fresh vanilla”. I absolutely love vanilla, and it went well with the lobster since both elements are sweet. So, absolutely nothing to complain – however, despite the relatively high expectations due to the expected flavour combination, I was a bit disappointed.
What I loved though was the little “lobster meat cube” – perfect in terms of flavour and texture. Something to chew on, without being chewy, something which would release its full flavour profile once you’ve been chewing it for a while. Just perfect.
The final savoury course of the evening was “lich fish with mussles in a saffron sauce” – which was quite perfect really since the fish had the texture of tuna and went perfectly well with the saffron sauce. The mussels, IMHO, didn’t add that much, but weren’t harmful to the dish either.
Then it was time for the cheese waggon, which was an extra course (EUR 27.00) but worth trying.
The cheese was served with a little bowl of salad which is something I haven’t had before but was definitely enjoyable and interesting.
Of course, you would also get some bread which fit the cheese well.
Last but not least, you could pick as many cheeses as you wanted as long as they fit the plate. I went for nine, which seems to be my random ‘go to number’ when it comes to picking cheese from a waggon. And they had a few goat cheeses with garlic, with flower petals, and with challots which were outstanding.
Then it was time for a pre-dessert which had to be unveiled …
… being “peach carpaccio with lavander and peach ice cream and granita” which was quite lovely. The peach carpaccio, personally, didn’t add much to the dish but a bit of texture, but somehow it didn’t entirely work for me.
The final course was a dish of “pollen and acacia honey” which looked interesting and also tasted good. I love when they put a piece of honeycomb in your desser since it really is something which adds quite a bit to the dining experience. The only downside, in my opinion, is that you end up having a piece of wax in your mouth which I don’t like. Other than that, the dessert was nice in terms of flavour and texture profile.
Last but not least, it was time for a round of friandises – which were really quite interesting and rich. To be honest though, I did not take not on what was what, but I do remember …
… that I especially loved the little flower petal coated chocolate.
If you have the opportunity to try dining at the Mirazur, I can definitely recommend you to do so – it’s a truly stunning experience. The dishes are amazing, the service is impeccable, the refindness is outstanding – and the atmosphere and the view onto Menton and the sea is breath-taking.
To be fair though, so is the price. Even for a 3-Michelin Star restaurant and a former No. 1, I found the menu price relatively steep. I mean, you definitely have enough but when I compare it to the roughly 25 courses I had at the Celler de Can Roca for EUR 250.00, I find the price a bit high. And while the service staff was incredibly friendly and helpful, there were a few things which surprised me – like the plates not always being served from the right side. Not that it matters much, but from a 3 Michelin star establishment, I would not expect that.
The fact that Roger Federer dined at the Mirazur the same night added a bit of positive conotation to the experience since it was probably the first time in my life that I’ve seen a celebrity that close – and even in one of the places I love spending my time most – a restaurant which provides you with an outstanding dining experience. And that’s what it is – an outstanding dining experience.
So, to summarise the experience – if you are in the South of France, there is no need to go Monaco, Nice, Cannes, St. Tropez or Antibes, just go to Menton, and book a table at the Mirazur. That’s all there is to do when you’re in the South of France. You might walk into a celebrity easily.
Rating:
| Atmosphere: |  |
| Service: | |
| Dishes: | |
| Price-Performance Ratio: |   |
| Overall Rating: | |
Contact Details:
Restaurant Mirazur
Av. Aristide Briand 30
06500 Menton (F)
Tel.: +33 4 92 41 86 86
E-Mail: reservation@mirazur.fr
About the Author: Sven
I started the blog in October 2009, while living in Milan which I definitely consider to be one of the food capitals of the world. I was in touch with food since my early childhood (as my father is a former chef). Whenever I can, I travel the world to discover new places, to meet people but mostly to try local dishes and to find hidden gems! If you know a place worth going, please drop a line to: info@thediningexperience.org.
Currently, I am a member of the following food-related associations: Chevalier @Chaîne des Rôtisseurs Zurich-Ville; Membre Gourmet Dégustateur @Ordre Mondial des Gourmets Dégustateurs [OMGD]; Gesellschafter @Goldener Fisch and Member @Slowfood Convivium Zurich City. 
