At Bolinas, chef Sylvain Etiévant focuses on “flavours that won’t be forgotten”
Bolinas
In Cap d’Ail harbobur, the Bolinas restaurant at the Riviera Marriott Hotel La Porte de Monaco boasts an exceptional setting facing the marina, just a few minutes from Monaco.
With its large sunny terrace lined with palm trees, you’ll feel relaxed as soon as you walk in. The atmosphere is deliberately relaxed, in a recently renovated Bohemian chic style that is a perfect match for the spirit of the Côte d’Azur. It is bound to suit whether it’s for a business lunch, an afterwork with colleagues or a romantic dinner. The interior has a warm, modern decor that extends the welcoming atmosphere of the terrace.
The restaurant concept also focuses on affordability, with a full daily menu (starter, main course, dessert) available for 29 euros every day of the week at lunch time. The ‘Bar Bolinas’ completes the offer with signature cocktails such as the Chandon-Spritz, accompanied by the tasty tapas for which the establishment is reputed.
Main courses include the signature Bolinas burger with pure beef hamburger, cheddar cheese and fries, a Caesar salad with chicken strips in corn flakes, and a turkey ham club sandwich. Pasta dishes include penne carbonara alla guanciale and penne with prawns and cherry tomatoes. The menu also includes hand-chopped beef tartare with fries, and potato gnocchi with green asparagus and gorgonzola. In the evening, customers can enjoy tapas, with a variety of options including carrot and pea spreads with mint, homemade tarama with focaccia soldiers, mango prawns with soy marinade, courgette flower fritters, or a charcuterie and cheese board. The evening dishes provide more refined cuisine, with a casserole of prawns, scallops and mussels in a slightly spicy sauce, baked bass with aubergine confit and sauce vierge, fricassee of poultry with tarragon, asparagus and gnocchi, and entrecote steak with shallot sauce and baby potatoes.
Can you introduce yourself to Monaco Tribune’s readers?
Sylvain Etiévant, a chef since forever, and forever. It’s my passion and I love what I do! I trained at catering school in Arbois, in the Jura region where I was born, and then in the top Lyon restaurants before moving on to establishments such as the Bistro de Lyon and the Hôtel de Paris in Monaco, where I discovered an exceptional world of gastronomy. I learned a lot from renowned chefs like Alain Ducasse, Bruno Querny and Mario Murator. Today, I am the Chef at the Bolinas restaurant at the Riviera Marriott Hotel – La Porte de Monaco.
After your experience in Michelin-starred establishments in Monaco, what attracted you to the Bolinas project at the Riviera Marriott Hotel – La Porte de Monaco?
At Bolinas, my ambition is to showcase local cuisine on an incredible terrace.
What can people expect when they come to Bolinas for lunch?
With the team, we do everything we can to make it a friendly and generous occasion. The daily specials are chosen according to what’s available and, of course, what’s in season. We try to always include fish, because we know that fish is trickier to cook and so people don’t necessarily cook it at home. I always try to add a plant-based element, with fresh vegetables. And we always put a bit of ourselves into each dish, trying to keep the classics at the back of our minds, to provide flavours that won’t be forgotten.
What sets your restaurant apart from others in the region?
We offer plant-based cuisine, using local produce, for sharing in a superb setting just a stone’s throw from the Cap d’Ail marina and the Principality of Monaco.
How do you think up your menus? Where do you draw your culinary inspiration from?
The menus are decided by the team, depending on each person’s wishes and inspirations. We often start with the vegetables of the moment: asparagus when it’s in season, yellow or trumpet courgettes right now… The suppliers help us a lot, they come from Nice. Our products are always seasonal and come from the region.
What is your signature dish? Or what’s the most successful dish on your new menu?
I’d say the Riviera Sea Bass or Sea Bream. A seared fillet of fish, with a diced garnish of red and white onions, yellow pepper, black olives, fennel, candied citrus fruit, sultanas, cherry tomatoes, yellow and trumpet courgettes and a few pine nuts to finish.
The tapas on the menu are one of your restaurant’s bestsellers. What do customers order for sure, every time?
Our female customers are sure to choose the carrot and pea spreads. The pea will be replaced by aubergine, as it’s in season. It’s an offering that reassures people. And I’d say we’ve brought the thick omelette, the green omelette with chard leaves back into fashion, because people use it everywhere here! The little courgette fritters are also very popular. Alongside these best-sellers, we’ll be adding some freshness, with tapas with olive, citrus condiments and tomato.
You prefer to use local products. How do you select your suppliers and what are your go-to products from the region?
I love using citrus fruit in my cooking, whether it’s with meat or fish, because citrus really is the South. When people come here, they think of citrus fruits, olives, all the products from the region that you need to know how to use. Our local suppliers include La Halle du Midi for fish, Formia butchers, Les Producteurs Réunis in Nice for fruit and vegetables, and occasionally Fernando Pensato for olive oil.
An even more environmentally responsible menu
What are your upcoming professional projects for Bolinas?
I want to make our menu even more responsible by sourcing even more products from sustainable agriculture and livestock farming.
As a chef, how do you feel your customers’ tastes are changing? Is there a growing demand for more plant-based, creative food that’s for sharing?
The demand for vegan or gluten-free cuisine is really for a minority of customers. And sometimes customers might say “Let’s go to the Marriott for lunch and have the Caesar salad,” which is one of our best-sellers because the portions are generous. And then they end up having the dish of the day because they think it would be a shame to pass it up. So I’d say that sometimes… you have to be able to surprise the customers!
Finally, what are you most proud of today?
I’m proud that our customers are happy and keep coming back, of course. But above all, it’s the cohesion of the team and the fact that we’ve managed to make it work in the kitchen, with a great mindset!
Practical details
Address: Port de Cap d’Ail, Cap-d’Ail.
Times:
- Breakfast: 7am – 11am
- Lunch: 12 noon – 2.30 pm Menu of the Day, Monday to Friday: 29 euros (starter, main course, dessert)
- Dinner: 6 pm — 10 pm
Reservations: +33 (0)492106767 Free parking for Bolinas guests for 2 hours.