.jpg)
Looking for a dining experience unlike anything else in the world? There’s one place that lives up to that lofty expectation: Mirazur in Menton, France.
The French Riviera restaurant tops the new list of the World’s Best Restaurants. The highly-anticipated ranking, conducted annually by British company William Reed, was recently announced in Singapore.
Mirazur is no stranger to accolades: it also holds three Michelin Stars.
"This recognition from my esteemed colleagues and peers is a great honor. It recognizes the trajectory of my life from Argentina to the Riviera that welcomed me so warmly 19 years ago. I am overjoyed to bring this award back to France," chef Mauro Colagreco says. “I am from so many influences but above everything, I am a cook and I love to cook. My food is just from my heart, and I love to share it with my guests.”
So what makes Mirazur so spectacular? Certainly the ambience. Nestled in the foothills of the Alpes Maritimes mountains, it has sparkling views of the Cote d’Azur and the Mediterranean Sea beyond. Then, there’s the hillside vegetable garden, where the restaurant grows fresh citrus fruits and herbs for its dishes. (It’s also home to their prize hen, named Tina Turner.)
And of course, the food. The restaurant serves delectable Mediterranean fare, like salt-crusted beetroot with caviar cream, brioche of potatoes with melting egg and white truffle, and Norway lobster with orange sauce. The awards committee listed squab, spelt and wild strawberries as their standout dish.
Even the bread basket is something special: the doughy concoction is infused with ginger and comes with a Pablo Neruda poem.
The menu, which changes seasonally, is inspired by the three elements that surround Mirazur: sea, garden, and mountains.
For those in America, fret not: although the French Riviera is an ocean away, this year Colagreco opened a state-side establishment, Florie’s, in the Four Seasons Palm Beach. (They serve bread with a Pablo Neruda poem there, too, as well as a vibrant heirloom tomato and peach carpaccio.)
The U.S.A’s top restaurant, according to this list, is Cosme, the acclaimed contemporary Mexican restaurant in New York City. Back in May, the James Beard Award gave that title to Zahav in Philadelphia.
Bon appetit, whether you’re dining in the South of France or the Flatiron District.
