Le Vistamar at Hotel Hermitage is a 1* Michelin restaurant that its menu has particular focus on seafood. The dining room blends a modern palette of neutral-tone hardwood floors, linen-covered banquettes and mostly white décor against a backdrop of aristocratic paneled walls and sprawling terrace with masonry baluster and stunning views of the harbor.
We started off our evening with flutes of Pommery Brut Rosé Champagne. Delicately fruity but dry and refreshing. After ordering a couple of dishes, the waiters served us an amuse bouche of red mullet, broccoli, and broccoli puree. While the mullet and broccoli were cooked nicely but they don’t exactly work together.
However, as we continued our meal the food gotten better and made more sense. My friend was craving pasta and had the garganelli with tomatoes and fresh shaved summer truffles. I stuck with the seafood route the entire evening and started off with the beautiful, colorful plate of prawns from Genoa Gulf, local vegetables. The pasta dish was simple and tasty. My plate of prawns were delightfully sweet and just enough sweet crunch from the various vegetables.
The first part of the Bouillabaisse for Two and “parfait” of blue lobster, coconut, curry and coral were very good. What I really adored about the first version of the bouillabaisse was how light and clean tasting the seafood saffron broth was and how it gently cooked the raw, thin slices of rockfish. The parfait was a richer and we liked the inspired flavors of the Caribbean islands.
Toward our final dish of the evening was the second version or portion of the bouillabaisse which was what I was thinking a classic bouillabaisse would be — a hearty, full-bodied, creamy bowl of broth and generous portions of fish and served with a bowl of soft cooked, buttery baby potatoes. I thought to myself, I haven’t eaten such an incredibly rich bouillabaisse before this one and it’s a mighty good one.
Since we’re both very full, we opted not to have dessert or cheese. Just sipped our water and wine and stared out to the beautiful city of Monte Carlo bathed in golden yellow lights and adjourned to our gorgeous room at Hotel Hermitage.
Service here was professional and very responsive to every inquiry. The most unexpected (and cool) thing to note: if you are a guest of the hotel any dish that you are not able to finish, the restaurant staff will send it up to your room in its glass containers (or plate) in a cloche, heavy linen napkin and silverware. No need for the guest to carry out a déclassé doggy bag. Now that is service.
For more photos of this visit, please CLICK HERE for the complete set or see below:
[alpine-phototile-for-flickr src=”set” uid=”26389565@N00″ sid=”72157671215143023″ imgl=”flickr” shuffle=”1″ style=”gallery” row=”4″ grwidth=”1200″ grheight=”800″ size=”640″ num=”30″ shadow=”1″ border=”1″ align=”center” max=”100″]Information:
Le Vistamar (1* Michelin) at Hotel Hermitage
Website
Square Beaumarchais
98000 Monaco, France
Phone: +377 98 06 40 00
