Mirazur is a 2 star Michelin place on a hillside in Menton, a short train ride from Nice and within shouting distance of the Italian border. The restaurant is on the second story of a building that overlooks the water and hillside – a beautiful backdrop for the stunning food by chef Mauro Colagreco. If you’re lucky you will snag one of the tables that sit aside these windows but the interior tables also can enjoy the view, it just seemed less dramatic. The first floor has a small bit of kitchen, bathrooms and some more lounge type seating where you can enjoy coffee or after dinner drinks if you prefer. Buenos Aires born Chef Mauro Colagreco opened Mirazur in 2006 and received his first Michelin star just one year later. The second star was awarded in 2012. They are open for lunch and dinner but do close for a winter break. They offer a number of different tastings varying the number of courses included and you select which you want when you make your reservation. Service was attentive and friendly.
Our tasting started with some “welcoming appetizers” – a macaroon filled with black pudding and apple, a crisp sardine with lemon and capers, and chestnuts with truffle. The first was a light meringue with a sweet filling that was very nice. The sardine was really crunchy with a slightly tart taste. The chestnuts were in a roll with a crunchy exterior and chestnut filling inside, with a fairly mild flavor.
Caramelized bacon was topped with creamy mayo and avocado. The thin crisp bacon blended well with the avocado was a good mix of textures and tastes.
Beet root topped a goat cheese round that had a nicely strong beet taste but otherwise mild.
A vegetable “snail” was filled with cabbage, parsley and garlic and was crisp but slightly dull.
Warm bread was a round that had easily pulled apart sections. It was a dense and soft interior with a crisp exterior. A special olive oil was also presented for dipping if desired.
The menu started with Gillardeau’s Oyster which included cream of shallot and declination of Williams Pear. A bit of tapioca gave the surrounding broth a fun texture that nicely complimented the silky, tasty oyster. The pear was perfectly ripe and bursting with lovely flavor.
“Tourteau” crab was King crab with almonds and marigolds. Pieces of soft meringue topped the crab mousse that was filled with shreds of sweet crab. A little grapefruit was in there somewhere that added a bit of tart flavor. Quite good.
Beetroot in salt crust was served with Caviar Schrenkii sauce. This beetroot came directly from the chef’s garden and was outstanding. Totally fresh and a great combination of flavors.
More bread was offered. It was a cereal bread, flat ash, countryside and flatbread. The cereal bread was dense and nice; the flatbread very crisp but with more crispness than flavor.
Corn textures included hen egg and white truffles. Popcorn, polenta chips and white truffle were with an egg yolk cooked over low heat. Very strong corn flavor combined with lots of textures was a wonderful dish. The corn blended particularly nicely with the earthy truffles.
Coco beans from Pigna were served with baby squid and pork “essence”. The large white beans were cooked to perfection and the baby squid were amazingly tender. A very mild and simple dish and yet quite lovely.
John Dory was with celeriac mousseline and shellfish smoked sauce. Tart sorrel leaves (fruit of the lion) adorned the dish and rich mashed potatoes mixed with the celeriac. The smoked shellfish broth was delicious. It all mixed together into a heavenly combination of flavors and textures. Delicious.
Pigeon of Marie Le Guen was served with porcini and coffee. The plate also included some toasted grain and roasted onion and a dark rich sauce to accent the perfectly cooked bird. Everything was totally tasty and blended into a succession of wonderful flavorful combinations.
The first dessert was Persimmon with Armagnac cream Samalens and rosemary flower. The persimmon was cooked in armagnac as well as it being used to make the sauce combined with sweet cream. Inside the cream was a boiled walnut. A sweet but not too sweet dish, the fresh fruits made a good blend.
Chocolate was served with burnt rosemary and olive oil. On the bottom was a tasty brittle substance that was great. The rosemary was an interesting touch and it almost added a smokey flavor to the dish. Everything blended well here for a tasty sweet wonderful dish.
Petit fours included date compote on crisp crackers, local grapes on ice, white chocolate and yogurt, and strawberry verbena jelly. Great endings for a great meal!
