Le Louis XV (restaurant)

Le Louis XV - Alain Ducasse à l'Hôtel de Paris is a French restaurant in Monte Carlo, Monaco. Run by the chef Alain Ducasse, it holds three Michelin stars.[3] It has appeared in lists of the world's top restaurants.

Le Louis XV - Alain Ducasse à l'Hôtel de Paris
Map
Restaurant information
EstablishedMay 22, 1987; 36 years ago (1987-05-22)
Owner(s)Alain Ducasse
Head chefDominique Lory (executive chef)[1]
Emmanuel Pilon (chef de cuisine)[2]
Food typeFrench cuisine
Dress codeJacket required
Rating3 Michelin stars (Michelin Guide)
Street addressHôtel de Paris Monte-Carlo, Pl. du Casino, 98000
CityMonte Carlo
CountryMonaco
Coordinates43°44′19″N 07°25′37″E / 43.73861°N 7.42694°E / 43.73861; 7.42694
ReservationsYes
Websitemontecarlosbm.com/...

Description edit

Le Louis XV is Ducasse's flagship restaurant. It is located inside the Hôtel de Paris Monte-Carlo in Monte Carlo.[4] He opened the restaurant in May 1987, having been challenged by Prince Rainier III of Monaco and the Société des bains de mer de Monaco to win three Michelin stars there within four years, becoming the first hotel-based restaurant to win that level of the award. Ducasse won the three stars for the restaurant 33 months later, some fifteen months earlier than his objective.[5]

The wine cellar contains around 400,000 bottles of wine.[6] A number of food trolleys are used by the waiters, including for champagne, cheese and one holding herbs to make herbal teas at the tableside.[4]

Several chefs who went on to lead Michelin starred restaurants underwent training at Le Louis XV, including Alexis Gauthier, Massimo Bottura, Clare Smyth[7] and Thierry Laborde.

Reception edit

Le Louis XV first gained its three Michelin stars in 1990,[8][9] holding for 7 consecutive yars before losing one star in 1997.[10] However, the restaurant quickly regained the lost third star just one year later,[11] and yet lost it again in 2001.[12] Eventually it regained the third star again 2 years later in 2003 and the restaurant has been holding three stars ever since.[13][14][15][16][17]

Food critic Paolo Tullio described Le Louis XV as one of the "great French restaurants".[4] In 2003, The Guardian identified it as one of the top five restaurants in the world. Howard Jacobson was sent to review it by the newspaper, who thought initially that the dishes served were "droll" but changed his mind when he tasted them. He enjoyed the ambiance of the place, and thought that the numbers of staff gave it an air of professionalism.[18]

Fodor's travel guide described Ducasse's cuisine as "superb", while also describing the interior of the restaurant as "magnificent".[6] It was included in the first published list of the world's 101 top restaurants by The Daily Meal in 2012.[19]

It has also been included in The World's 50 Best Restaurants by Restaurant; in 2003 it was ranked the third-best restaurant in the world behind the French Laundry and El Bulli,[20] by 2006 and 2007 it had dropped to eighth place,[21] dropping to fifteenth in 2008.[22] It had a significant drop in rankings in 2009, falling to 43rd place.[23]

The restaurant has been the recipient of the Wine Spectator Grand Award since 1995.[24]

References edit

  1. ^ https://www.montecarlosbm.com/en/inspiration/rencontre-dominique-lory
  2. ^ "Emmanuel Pilon: Chef at Le Louis XV - Alain Ducasse in Monaco". Monte-Carlo Société des Bains de Mer. 2022. Retrieved 3 January 2023.
  3. ^ "Le Louis XV-Alain Ducasse". Michelin. Retrieved 7 September 2012.
  4. ^ a b c Tullio, Paolo (5 May 2012). "Restaurant review: Paolo Tullio at Le Louis XV Hotel de Paris, Monte Carlo". The Irish Independent. Retrieved 7 September 2012.
  5. ^ "Le Louis XV – Alain Ducasse – 25 years of essential cuisine". Visit Monaco. Archived from the original on 5 February 2013. Retrieved 7 September 2012.
  6. ^ a b "Le Louis XV". Fodor's. Retrieved 7 September 2012.
  7. ^ "Alexis Gauthier, Esq". Debrett's. Retrieved 8 September 2012.
    - Gardham, Duncan; Peterkin, Tom (27 November 2007). "Revealed: First three Michelin star female chef". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 29 January 2012.
  8. ^ New York Times. "Tales Told in Stars: Michelin Adds and Subtracts". The New York Times. Retrieved July 21, 2016.
  9. ^ "Michelin : trois étoiles pour le Plaza Athénée et Le Cinq". Le Monde. 1 February 2016. Retrieved 19 November 2016.
  10. ^ https://www.nytimes.com/1997/03/05/garden/michelin-gives-and-takes-and-adds-a-symbol.html
  11. ^ https://www.nytimes.com/1998/03/04/dining/a-first-for-michelin-guide-one-chef-wins-six-stars.html
  12. ^ https://www.nytimes.com/2001/02/28/dining/michelin-demotes-ducasse-again.html
  13. ^ https://www.nytimes.com/2003/02/15/world/the-saturday-profile-michelin-s-briton-keeps-france-s-cuisine-haute.html
  14. ^ https://www.winespectator.com/articles/louis-xv-regains-third-michelin-star-le-cinq-also-earns-top-honors-21538
  15. ^ Shaw, David (2003-02-12). "The word on Michelin's newest stars". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2024-04-10.
  16. ^ "Chefs win back third stars in new Michelin". The Caterer. 2003-03-25. Retrieved 2024-04-10.
  17. ^ "Michelin 2003 results ...Promotions and Demotions". eGullet Forums. 2003-02-06. Retrieved 2024-04-10.
  18. ^ Jacobson, Howard (12 October 2003). "What happened when five great writers dined at the world's five best restaurants?". The Guardian. Retrieved 7 September 2012.
  19. ^ "101 best hotel restaurants around the world". Fox News. 30 April 2012. Retrieved 7 September 2012.
  20. ^ Paterson, Michael (29 April 2003). "Critics say world's best restaurant is French – but in California". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 7 September 2012.
  21. ^ Vines, Richard (11 April 2006). "El Bulli Topples Fat Duck as Best Restaurant in Poll". Bloomberg. Retrieved 7 September 2012.
    - Vines, Richard (23 April 2007). "France Tops U.S., U.K. in Best Restaurant Awards; El Bulli Wins". Bloomberg. Retrieved 7 September 2012.
  22. ^ Vines, Richard (21 April 2008). "El Bulli Named World's Best Restaurant; Per Se, Noma Advance". Bloomberg. Retrieved 7 September 2012.
  23. ^ Vines, Richard (21 April 2009). "Ramsay's Protege Attacks Celebrity Chefs After Awards Triumph". Bloomberg. Retrieved 7 September 2012.
  24. ^ "Le Louis XV – Alain Ducasse". Wine Spectator. 1 January 2015. Retrieved 19 August 2015.

External links edit