Ace on the Riviera
Five days for a couple, built around a private lesson at the Monte-Carlo Country Club (the clay that hosts the Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters every April), plus a three-Michelin-star garden and a coastline that runs entirely on rails.
Arrival and the old town
Where you're staying
La Fabrique à Poupées, a five-room maison d'hôtes in a converted former doll workshop in the old town, run directly by hosts Florence and Clive.
- 9.2/10 on Booking.com, #2 of 9 B&Bs on Tripadvisor
Photos: lafabriqueapoupees.fr
Today
Arrive at Nice Côte d'Azur; the direct SNCF train to Menton takes about 44 minutes, no car needed for any part of this trip.
- Wander the vieille ville's pastel, stepped lanes down to the Basilique Saint-Michel-Archange, then the Jean Cocteau Museum
- Finish with a stroll along the Promenade du Soleil as the light goes
Dinner
Casa Fuego, Mauro Colagreco's Argentine grill directly across from Mirazur: open-flame empanadas, octopus à la plancha, beef picanha to share.
Photos: casafuego.fr
Flagship day
Clay above the sea, Monte-Carlo Country Club
Day 2 · Thu 22 Oct
The day
A 90-minute private lesson with coach Virginie Razzano on the clay of the Monte-Carlo Country Club, the ground of the Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters every April.
- Former world No. 16 (2009) and French No. 1
- Reached from Menton by a 5-minute coastal train
- Strict dress code: mainly white tennis wear, clay shoes
Photos: mccc.mc and Wikimedia Commons (Domaina, Nicolas Richoffer; CC BY-SA)
Your coach beat Serena
Virginie Razzano pulled off one of the biggest upsets in tennis history at the 2012 French Open, beating top seed Serena Williams in the first round, still Serena's only-ever first-round Grand Slam loss.
Lunch
Lunch at the club's own Wild Card Bar, terrace over the sea.
Dinner
Dinner at JR Bistronomie, chef Jérôme Rigaud: caramelised tomato tarte Tatin, braised lamb, lemon pavlova.
Photos: jrbistronomie.com
Gardens, the coast & the flagship dinner
Today
Morning free for an unhurried hit at the town's own Tennis Club de Menton, or a visit to the Jardin Serre de la Madone, an 8.7-hectare jardin remarquable of Mediterranean and subtropical planting.
- Afternoon at Plage des Sablettes or a slow walk around the old port
Dinner: the special-occasion table
Mirazur, Mauro Colagreco's three-Michelin-star dining room, voted World's Best Restaurant in 2019 and built around his own 12-acre biodynamic gardens.
- Mirazur releases its booking calendar roughly four months ahead, so we've written directly to ask about availability and, if needed, the cancellation list
World's best, 2019
Mirazur was the first French restaurant in over a decade to top the World's 50 Best list. Much of tonight's menu was grown a few steps away, across chef Mauro Colagreco's own 12-acre biodynamic gardens.
Monaco, on foot and by train
Today
Day trip to Monaco (train from Menton, about 10 minutes, very frequent): the Jardin Exotique's cliffside cactus garden, the old town around the Prince's Palace, Casino Square.
- On the way back, a walk along Avenue Princesse Grace past the Monte-Carlo Country Club gates for a last look at yesterday's courts
Dinner
L'Orangerie, run by chef Mitsu Mashita and his wife Yumiko, a small Mediterranean-Japanese dining room built on local, seasonal produce.
Departure
This morning
No bookings on purpose: just a slow coffee and a last pass through the Halles Municipales covered market, and the Mitron Bakery Market stall for pastries and bread.
- Direct train, Menton to Nice Aéroport, about 44 minutes
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