Taste test: Pavyllon, Yannick Alléno’s new Monaco restaurant

The three-starred chef has brought his Parisian establishment to the Hotel Hermitage.

It’s an innovative concept to say the least. Here, guests are invited to enjoy a gourmet meal at a counter, facing the brigade as it works with discretion and efficiency to concoct amazing, tasty dishes.

“Provide a place where Monegasques are in the habit of coming”

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The maestro: Yannick Alléno. The three-star chef came from Paris to Monte-Carlo, to create this project, which has its unusual side. “I believe the cuisine we want to provide here is relevant and it will evolve over time. Something you won’t find anywhere else, for example, are the cold dishes. Nobody eats cold food any more, and yet it’s a physiological requirement. When you have spent the day roasting in the sun, you need to rehydrate, so we will try to offer a cuisine to meet our customers’ needs,” the chef explains.

“Being in Monte-Carlo is special, it’s an achievement of sorts. The next one will be in London. These are places where you need to exist if you want to build something,” he adds.

And behind this restaurant-counter concept, which breaks with the conventions of traditional gastronomy, lies the desire to provide accessible cuisine: “My objective is to provide a place where Monegasques are in the habit of coming, for breakfast, brunch, a birthday party…  We’re not just here for the season, then gone.”

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Our review

At Pavyllon, ‘welcoming’ is the watchword, in terms of both the layout of the premises and the content of the dishes. From the counter, you can watch the staff preparing the dishes, which are served with warmth and professionalism.

We were presented with fresh and original dishes that marry surprising and bold flavours: roasted red mullet in crispy courgette leaf, tomato fondue with mango and saffron; sea bass and beef, caviar and crispy condiments; ‘mesclun à la Monte-Carlo’ with vegetables from the garden, Wagyu beef layered with mushrooms, fondant chocolate tart or the “badaboum” egg with poached caviar.

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A refined and original cuisine, which illustrates the breadth of talent of the chef and his (very large) brigade, and one that is bound to delight the clientele’s taste buds. A new address, and an absolute must-try!

Practical details:

Lunch service from noon Menus: Lunch (68 euros), Monte-Carlo (145 euros) and Hermitage (235 euros) Information/Reservations: +377 98 06 98 98