As Formula 1 returns to Monaco, the Mirazur chef is partnering with SUNSET for Casa SUNSET x Mauro Colagreco—an open-air, fine-dining experience at Le Méridien Beach Plaza, created for the Riviera’s most glamorous weekend.
During Grand Prix weekend, Monaco becomes a theatre of speed, spectacle and celebration, and this year, one of the principality’s most anticipated F1 events is adding a new gastronomic dimension. From 5 to 7 June, Mauro Colagreco, the chef behind three-Michelin-starred Mirazur in Menton, will bring his nature-led cuisine to Casa SUNSET x Mauro Colagreco, a new restaurant concept within SUNSET at Le Méridien Beach Plaza.
Conceived as an intimate, open-air dining experience facing the Mediterranean, the collaboration will see Colagreco create an exclusive four-act tasting menu before the venue transforms into a late-night party with DJs until the early hours. Here, the chef gives Robb Report Monaco & Côte d’Azur an exclusive preview of what to expect.
What drew you to create Casa SUNSET during the Monaco Grand Prix weekend?
The Monaco Grand Prix is one of the most iconic and important events in our region. Since settling in Menton 20 years ago, the month of May has become inseparable from both the Monaco Grand Prix and the Cannes Film Festival. These are moments that give the French Riviera a very particular, almost electric energy, where creativity, celebration and international encounters all come together. SUNSET has been part of this event for 13 years now and has gradually become a true symbol of the festive and sun-filled spirit that defines Monaco during this period. There is a very strong identity to this place: a way of celebrating the Mediterranean, conviviality, music, sharing and the art of living. We were therefore very excited to join this collaboration and imagine the gastronomic experience for this ephemeral dining concept.
What appealed to us most was precisely the idea of creating an experience capable of blending the precision and sensitivity of fine dining with a freer, more festive atmosphere, open to the sea, the rhythm of the music and the unique energy of the Grand Prix. Casa SUNSET x Mauro Colagreco is not simply a dinner: it is an immersive experience, conceived as a celebration of the contemporary Riviera, where cuisine interacts with the moment, the setting and the emotions of the guests.
How did you translate Mirazur’s fine-dining spirit into a more open-air, festive setting?
Mirazur is a unique place, deeply connected to Menton, its gardens, the surrounding biodiversity and a very singular experience. The idea was never to recreate Mirazur in Monaco or to create an “outside version” of it. However, we wanted to bring some of the elements that are part of our DNA: a creative, vibrant and generous cuisine, deeply inspired by plants, seasonality and our commitment to biodiversity.
Casa SUNSET exists within a completely different energy that of the Monaco Grand Prix with its mix of cultures, intensity and festive atmosphere. We found it interesting to propose a highly creative, high-level menu capable of engaging with this unique environment while remaining faithful to our culinary philosophy.
The menu is described as “a tasting menu in four acts.” What story do you want guests to experience through it?
For Casa SUNSET, we imagined a unique experience guided above all by flavour, emotion and sensory travel. The menu was conceived as a narrative unfolding in several moments, inspired by some of our most emblematic dishes, specially reinterpreted for this occasion. Each course represents a culinary discovery, but also carries a story: the story of the extraordinary Côte d’Azur region, where the sea, the mountains and the gardens meet, creating a biodiversity and richness of produce that are truly unique. This proximity between different landscapes and ecosystems gives rise to a very singular palette of flavours, aromas and textures.
Through this menu, we also wanted to tell the story of the women and men who bring this territory to life every day: fishermen, market gardeners, farmers and artisans. Their work, patience and respect for natural cycles are at the heart of our cuisine. Every dish is a way of paying tribute to this essential relationship between nature and humankind.
How does the energy of Monaco during F1 influence the food, atmosphere, or pacing of the dinner?
A gastronomic experience is, above all, a complete sensory immersion. During a meal, all the senses are engaged: taste of course, but also sounds, lights, textures, aromas, the energy of the place and of the people around us. Every context transforms the experience and gives it a particular identity.
During the Grand Prix, Monaco becomes a vibrant, intense and cosmopolitan city almost theatrical. This atmosphere naturally influences the rhythm and mood of the dinner. At Casa SUNSET, we wanted to create an experience in harmony with this energy: something lively, elegant and festive at the same time, where gastronomy becomes part of the movement of the evening and the emotion of the moment. Cuisine then becomes part of a broader experience, open to music, celebration, encounters and the beauty of the Mediterranean landscape.
What do you hope guests remember most from Casa SUNSET x MAURO COLAGRECO?
Above all, I would like them to remember a moment of joy, sharing and celebration. The idea of gathering around a table in such a vibrant and international atmosphere, at the heart of an event as iconic as the Monaco Grand Prix, is something very special. For a few days, Monaco becomes a true open-air theatre, filled with energy, movement and encounters. With Casa SUNSET, we wanted to imagine a gastronomic experience capable of engaging with this intensity while remaining deeply human and warm. Ultimately, perhaps that is what we most want to convey: a cuisine that creates connection and leaves behind a deeply living memory.
