The Candlewick team is taking a look at our visit to Monaco last month.

Gemma stayed at the beautiful 4-star Le Meridien Beach Plaza hotel. Situated next to the ocean and the newly renovated Lavrotto Beach, where you can enjoy glorious ocean-side restaurants such as Big Mamma’s Giacomo and Le Note Bleu, it immerses you in the Cote d’Azur with views of sea, sand and yachts. Gemma was lucky enough to stay in an ocean-view room with a terrace over-looking the Meridien’s private beach and pool. Breakfast was enjoyed every morning on the outside terrace – is there anything better than enjoying a continental breakfast while listening to the sound of the ocean?

The onsite restaurant also hosted one of the Annual Meeting dinners and oh wow, what a spread. I’Intempo by Sergi Arola, an internationally-renowned chef, was a mouth-watering Spanish and Mediterranean fusion. Overseas trips are tough, but staying in such beautiful hotels certainly helps 😉

During our stay in Monaco, we had the wonderful opportunity to visit Pavyllon Monte-Carlo, a restuarant headed by three Michelin-starred chef Yannick Alléno and located in the glorious 5-star Hôtel Hermitage Monte-Carlo. Chef Alléno’s menu combines the finest local, seasonal ingredients, bringing (as they describe it themselves) “vibrant, sun-kissed gourmet cuisine”. It was innovative and contemporary, yet elegant and stylish, and most importantly it tasted absolutely sublime…..

We had the amazing opportunity to sit at the expansive main bar, offering front-row seats to the ‘culinary ballet’ of the kitchen. The atmosphere of the restaurant, which leads out to a beautiuflly sun-lit terrace, is luxurious and welcoming, and was designed by interior designer Chahan Minassian.All in all, a fabulous way to enjoy lunch in beautiful Monaco!