So many gorgeous day trips on the French Riviera it’s so hard to decide where to go especially when you’ve only
got 5 days to do so!

I first found out about Menton (the Italianate-French town bordering both countries) from The World’s 50 Best Restaurants list that had just dropped a week before our trip. Mirazur ranked at an impressive No.6 on the list so I bookmarked that baby right quick and knew we MUST make a cameo in Menton if only for the cuisine!

Menton

I was absolutely crushed when I learned Mirazur was closed every single day of the 5 we stayed on the Riviera but still made the trek just to see why Michelin-famed Chef Mauro Colagreco would put his stamp on a city so few knew about.

One look at the coastal magnificence of Menton and I KNEW exactly why guys…

Sun, sea, gardens, mountains and the prettiest confection of pastel hued buildings edging right along the grand harbor.

I can marvel at the old world charm of Menton all day but what really struck me was the striking contrast between traditional and contemporary. A seaside town so dazzlingly picturesque, as an artist I can wax poetic about its allure ’til I’m blue in the face…

One minute you’re weaving in and out of cobblestoned paths and the next, you’re posing in front of the wildly popular Jean Cocteau’s (famous French artist/ playwright/ filmmaker) museum of art.

It’s this dichotomy that drives me wild knowing full well there’s more to Menton than meets the eye.

Monaco

Making our way back to Nice we HAD to make a pit stop in Monaco, where 50ft yachts are aplenty and the rich and famous go to gamble all their millions away.

You can literally smell the air of exuberance as you approach the winding roads of Monaco where the Grand Prix is famously held year after year.

I was taken aback by how similarly the Golden Triangle of Rodeo Drive is designed in comparison to Monaco’s bustling downtown city center. Almost to a tee with the modern European style buildings, the ornate street lamps and the colorful flowers that spill out from every block corner.

And of course at the pinnacle of this vista: The unparalleled Monte Carlo Casino where you must bring beaucoup bucks to play with the big boys.

Monaco is by all means everything you envision in your mind:

Extravagant, opulent, and so over-the-top it’s like you stepped inside a movie set.

Except that it’s REAL y’all! Yet, SO unreal! Lol

Know Before You Go

Menton and Monaco are approximately 30 minutes apart by car. With Menton bordering Italy, you can always make a quick trip across the border for Italian dishes for lunch and make it back to Monaco just in time for dinner. But tourists beware, Monaco is super posh and glam so no sandals are allowed in most of the casinos, restaurants, and high end establishments. Pack a pair of haute heels for her and don’t forget the close-toed shoes for him. You won’t be admitted past the entry without them.

Don’t Miss

I had major FOMO regarding Mirazur in Menton so hope that you can make it there for me instead! Book a reservation HERE and check out why the top chefs from Europe have traveled all this way to guest cook in Colagreco’s kitchen.