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.
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Chef
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.
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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.
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Menu
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.
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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.’
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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.
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Interiors
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
