Why Mirazur is the best Restaurant of the World?
Mirazur is from Spanish and means “Look at Blue” and this name is, actually, a perfect one for this restaurant. As soon as you enter and waiter makes you sit, Garavan harbour of Mediterranean sea welcomes you behind in all its beauty. Take a glass of champagne, sip it, and get ready for a gastronomic journey.
To say, it may port you to Italy, to South of France, or to Argentina… chef Mauro Colagreco – comes from the last one and unites in his cuisine all the influences of his homeland, Italy – his country of adoption, and as well he never forgets to pay tribute to the French lands. That’s why he is a person of the world and has no limits neither in life no in cuisine.
Thanks to that, his cuisine becomes vivid and bright; it bursts with the fullness of taste and richness of combinations. It is not exaggerated in taste but still extremely descriptive. Perhaps Colagreco’s most celebrated characteristic is his ability to seamlessly marry the land and sea. Only best ingredients from Ventimiglia sea market and the fishermen come to the Mirazur kitchen and then, are served to you. As well, he still does not forget about meat and, maybe, never cooks it too much, as they do it in his homeland – Argentina, but still offers you an unforgettable pigeon with yuzu lemon.
Cuisine in Mirazur defies unity and perfection. There are never too many ingredients inside one plate and each of them is felt fully and deeply, each has its own character. If its gillardeau oyster, then its paired with declination of pear Uilliams and wild flowers so you may appreciate the sweetness, the saltiness and the bitterness. All so different and all so deeply eloquent.
Mainly vegetal, cuisine of Mauro follows the idea of seasonality and the menu might be changed day to day, depending on the market’s availability and the chef’s inspiration and ideas. In this case, he has all the possibility to experiment as just round the corner of the restaurant, Colagreco has his own garden where he grows a vast vegetable garden, harvests his own avocados from a two hundred year old tree and picks the best and ripest fruit from the citrus orchard.
Personally, I may add that I see the cuisine of Mauro as the one of colors. Colagreco plays with a palette of tender yet bright and rich colors as the ones Henri Matisse used to use for his artworks. Only in Mirazur you feel Cote d’Azur not only by the taste of the ingredients but also – thanks to the colors on the plate. The Alps, Mediterranean sea, green landscapes, lemons from Menton… each plate is Cote d’Azur alive. You travel through its lands just thanks to the culinary talent of Mauro and discover it by taste.
Being here, in my opinion, degustation menu is mandatory, as well as wine pairing. Only in this case you may feel and see the colors of Colagreco’s cuisine and taste its unity. As well, you will experience modern French cuisine and become spectator of innovative tecniques Mauro uses for his plates. Only in Mirazur you eat squid as spaghetti.
Wine list is impeccable and all the pairings sommelier offers, perfectly balance with the dishes. Team cares a lot about wine list , that’s why here you may not only find “big names” but also very promising and high quality small producers and also – rare years of prestigious wines. In addition, desserts are always in line with whole the idea of Mirazur’s cuisine and as well port the idea of excellence of Cote d’Azur. My favourite – Armagnac , whipped cream and persimmon.
Mirazur is not only about innovation and technique, not only about excellence and perfection. First of all, it’s about nature and its resources. Its about unity and no border limits, friendship and generosity. It’s the celebration of its richness and purity, which Colagreco lines up with ingredients and innovative way of cooking, preserving the values and spirit of true Mediterranean cuisine. That’s why Mirazur fully deserves to be the 1st in 50 best world restaurants list.
Aline Borghese is an international journalist and critic of haute cuisine.
A graduate of the culinary schools of the Ritz Escoffier, Ecole de cuisine Alain Ducasse, La Cucina Italiana. Champagne and wine sommelier, cocktail enthusiast, gastronomic consultant and simply Bohémienne Affamée.