Le Louis XV

Place du Casino, Monaco

Nothing fully prepares you for the level of bling in Monaco – and the Hotel de Paris has more than most, with its opulent marble and chandeliered interiors (that’s just the bedrooms), and glamorous guests. Underneath the gold leaf, though, is a pursuit of excellence that makes you wide-eyed with wonder, and it’s all thanks to one man. Alain Ducasse has just celebrated 25 years of holding three Michelin stars at his flagship, Le Louis XV, located inside the hotel. This is where a simple olive is revered as much as caviar and keeping it local is the raison d’être. Start with Ducasse’s signature mini pan bagna, a nod to the Niçoise classic that is stuffed with a riot of ripe Provençal vegetables. Next, try plump, sweet prawns from nearby San Remo on a rockfish jelly, followed by ceps cooked three ways with rice, and then sea bass with a lemon confit and roasted fennel. Finish with a Piedmont hazelnut soufflé to beat them all. If you can, request a tour of the kitchen – the mushroom fridge alone will leave you reeling – where you’ll see a legion of majestic white toqued cooks, expertly lead by head chefs Dominique Lory and Franck Cerutti, who both live and breathe the Ducasse ethos. FS. 00 377 98 06 88 64, ducasseparis.com/en