At the foot of the mountains overlooking the sea, a stone’s throw from Italian border post, the 1930s-era rotunda building In Menton France housing the Mirazur enjoys an idyllic setting.
It spreads over three levels on the hillside, surrounded by lush vegetation. The elegant, spacious and light-drenched dining room commands a panoramic view of the sky, the sea and the town of Menton through the large windows running all the way around. On the lower floor, the bar with a view of the glassed-in kitchen where the brigade is at work extends into a small terrace. Down a few steps, the orchard garden full of fragrant herbs and citrus, with all of its gardens, is a precious source of inspiration for Chef Mauro Colagreco when dreaming up his dishes.
A creative and free cuisine punctuated by the cosmos
The three-Michelin-starred dining spot, which currently holds the top spot of the World’s 50 Best Restaurants list, garnered widespread adoration for Argentinian Chef Mauro Colagreco’s culinary interpretation of produce. Chef Mauro who previously worked with Bernard Loiseau, Alain Passard, Alain Ducasse and Guy Martin, opened Mirazur in 2006 at the age of 29. He was awarded his first Michelin star within a year, followed by the second star in 2012. In 2019, Colagreco became the first chef not born in France to be awarded three stars in the French edition of the Guide Michelin.
Chef Mauro Colagreco continues to transform his kitchen by drawing inspiration from observing nature and working in his gardens. His menu is totally rooted in the link between heaven and earth and the influence of the Moon and the planets on plants. A gastronomic journey to discover the essence and vital force of each day according to the biodynamic calendar. Rhythmed by the continuous movement of nature, cosmic influences and interactions that act on all living things, her cuisine is chiselled from this silent vital flow. Purified, pictorial and colourful plates that play on textures and bold associations and that express this moving intelligence of nature that reveals all its power in direct contact with the earth. Respectful of Nature, light and frank, Mauro’s cuisine expresses itself freely.
Connected to the deep roots of the earth
Having a garden is experiencing a constant transformation and the essential role of interrelation to create life. It is this attentive look at nature in all its diversity that inspires me and is revealed in my dishes.
“These are simple and solid values that I consider to be pillars not only for achieving culinary excellence but also for nurturing our gratitude to the generosity of the Earth. A garden is above all a territory of hope,” says Chef Colagreco.
About the chef
Italo-Argentinian Mauro Colagreco is the Chef-Owner of Mirazur restaurant, in Menton, on the Côte d’Azur. His training began at the Gato Dumas hotel school in Buenos Aires, and he also worked in some of the most prestigious restaurants in the city, including Catalinas, Rey Castro, Mariani and Azul Profundo. In 2001, this young chef, straight out of hotel school, set off for the world’s leading gastronomic destination. Mauro Colagreco headed to France and trained initially with Bernard Loiseau, where he remained as demi-chef de partie until the latter’s death in 2003.
He then worked in Paris and held the posts of sous-chef de cuisine to Alain Passard at L’Arpège, demi-chef de partie to Alain Ducasse at Hôtel Plaza Athénée, and then spent a year at Le Grand Véfour. In 2006, Mauro Colagreco settled in Menton in a 1950’s building. This was Mirazur, a building with sweeping views of the Mediterranean. Barely 6 months after it opened, Mauro Colagreco was awarded the ‘Revelation of the Year’ award by the Gault Millau guide, a brand-new category to recognise his achievements, Less than a year later, he won his first Michelin star.
In 2009, Mirazur officially entered the ranks of the best restaurants in the world, listed in the S. Pellegrino list of the World’s 50 Best Restaurants. That same year, Mauro Colagreco was also awarded ‘Chef of the Year’ by the prestigious Gault & Millau restaurant guide – the first non-French chef ever to have received the title. In 2010, the Mirazur was also awarded 4 toques by Gault & Millau and, in February 2012, Mauro Colagreco won his second Michelin star and was placed in 4th position in the S. Pellegrino list of the World’s 50 Best Restaurants and he was appointed Chevalier des Arts et des Lettres and became Grand Chef Relais & Châteaux.
Courtesy: Relais & Châteaux
