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July 26, 2023updated Aug 01, 2023

Les Ambassadeurs Opens at Hotel Metropole Monte-Carlo

Restaurant of the Week: The restaurant is helmed by Joël Robuchon protégée, Christophe Cussac.

By Kim Ayling

Fine dining is the norm, not the exception in Monaco; The tiny nation (at just 0.78 sq miles, it is smaller than Central Park) has a total of nine Michelin stars. But, in a location where more is more, there is also room for another fancy restaurant. Meet Les Ambassadeurs by Christophe Cussac at Hotel Metropole Monte-Carlo.

Led by Hotel Metropole’s longstanding executive chef Christophe Cussac, Les Ambassadeurs is inspired by the hotel’s original restaurant of the same name which opened in the 1920s and welcomed gourmands, aristocracy and dignitaries from around the world.

Over 100 years later, Les Ambassadeurs returns with the same levels of luxury as the original, but this time with a contemporary take on Mediterranean cuisine. 

[See also: The Best Restaurants in Monaco]

Chef

Christophe crussac
Christophe Cussca has been at the hotel since 2004 / ©Aline Gerard

Christophe Cussac has overseen Hotel Metropole Monte-Carlo’s food and beverage program – including its Michelin-starred Japanese restaurant, Yoshi – since 2014. Although born into a family of restaurateurs and hoteliers, it was the personal mentoring of the late, great Joël Robuchon that Cussac credits for his career.

Cussac first joined Rubuchon at Concorde Lafayette Hotel in Paris, before following him to Nikko and Jamin. After a ceremonious and Michelin-star-littered career together, Cussac was pulled back to Burgundy where he took over his family’s Michelin-starred restaurant.

In 2004, however, Robuchon called once more: He was taking over the restaurants at Hotel-Metropole Monte-Carlo, and wanted his protegee at the helm. Cussac accepted and has been with the restaurant ever since.

[See also: Yannick Alleno Brings Pavyllon to Monte Carlo’s Hotel Hermitage]

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Menu

bread trolley at restaurant les ambassadeurs
Guests are treated to a bread trolley / ©Studio Phenix

While many of the finest restaurants in Monaco favor rich, complex dishes, at Les Ambassadeurs, Cussac is keeping things simple. His menu is rooted in the Mediterranean culinary traditions of his own heritage, with each dish only offering three flavors.

Naturally, he has selected some of the world’s finest delicacies – no menu in Monaco is complete without at least one dollop of caviar – but uses them in refined, simple ways to ensure their quality can truly sing. This approach has been carefully honed by the chef over the years, leading him to coin the three-flavor technique as ‘Cussac Style.’

[See also: The Chefs with the Most Michelin Star Restaurants]

chef's table les ambassadeurs
The best seat in the house is at La Table du Chef  / ©Studio Phenix

Menu highlights include sea bream tartare wrapped in cannelloni-shaped caviar, a lobster and spinach lasagna, and baby pigeon. Extra surprises lay in wait for guests too, including traditional bread and dessert trollies. 

And, while Cussac has sought to keep his ingredients combos simple, the presentation is suitably dramatic. The service of each dish is expertly choreographed, creating a theatre-like dining experience.

[See also: The Best Alternative Restaurant Guides to Michelin]

Interiors

les ambassadeurs monte carlo
The restaurant has been designed by Jacques Garcia / ©Studio Phenix

Responsible for Les Ambassadeurs’ interiors is celebrated French architect, Jacques Garcia. Taking inspiration from the food itself, the space is intended to be fresh and welcoming, with a few luxurious touches and an ethereal gold and ivory color scheme.

Inside, guests are seated on plush ochre-yellow seats around pristine white-tableclothed tables. Outside, a sun trap of a terrace with views across the Med awaits.

The best seat in the house, however, is undoubtedly at La Table du Chef – a discrete chef’s table offering guests a first-hand view of the chefs at work. A select few guests may also be invited to a ‘backstage’ area of the restaurant featuring a grand wine cellar for an exclusive tasting. 

Les Ambassadeurs, Hotel Metropole Monte-Carlo, 4 Avenue de la Madone, 98000 Monaco

metropole.com

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