After a brief hiatus from posting here at Riviera Kitchen due to our trip to the big apple, we are back in our home territory.  We wanted to share some good news for Monaco residents, with a few new restaurants and a surprising local product.

Monaco is not a country generally known for growing anything, long gone are the olive groves that once covered the Condamine neighborhood.  That all changed recently with the introduction of local oysters “perles de Monte-Carlo” that are grown on the outside edge of the Fontvieille harbor.

Les Perles de Monte-Carlo oysters on an iced platter

We were introduced to them at two new Monegasque establishments, Le Bouchon, a real Parisian bistro created by local restaurant superstar Riccardo Giraudi, and at L’Ostrega de Mùnegu, a quaint kiosk we visited just the other day.

L’Ostrega de Mùnegu (monegasque for “the oyster of monaco”) is strategically located on the place de La Condamine, on the edge of the market.  His Serene Highness, Prince Albert II of Monaco asked some friends to open a place where he and his biking buddies could stop to eat oysters and sip champagne.

Oyster kiosk and chairs and tables

We also tried some awesome king crab legs (I know, from Alaska, not local) which were nevertheless nothing short of breathtaking in flavor and freshness.

Plate of king crab legs and lemon garnish

In addition to oysters and crab, the kiosk offers an impressive assortment of shellfish, lobsters, shrimp and large “plateaux” that include all of the above.

We HIGHLY suggest you stop by and try some pearl oysters at either Bouchon or L’Ostrega de Mùnegu.  We will visit Bouchon in the coming weeks to post pics and the like.  In the meantime, note the addresses below:

 

L’Ostrega de Mùnegu, Place d’Armes MONACO tel. +33 6 80 86 86 85

Bouchon Monte-Carlo, 11 avenue Princess Grace, Monaco +377 97 77 08 80 www.bouchon.mc