Michelin-star chef Antonio Salvatore has created a rather tricky situation for food-lovers in Monaco: what to order? A conundrum particularly over the lunch hour when you have to keep an eye on the Patek Philippe to be back in the office for that afternoon Zoom.
Hands down, at Rampoldi the locally-sourced menu offers something for even the fussiest of palates, with dozens of starter, carpaccio and tartare options with a decent vegan and vegetarian selection from €17, including the spring risotto with Acquerello rice, seasonal vegetables and ginger (€26).
Chef Salvatore tells me that “eating well with the best ingredients the terroir has to offer is a culture I will always stay true to.” He does not lie. Whether you dive into the truffle pizza (€39) or spicy chicken from the grill with chili peppers and baked potatoes (€43), be sure to add to your order a side of flavor-bursting pan-fried artichokes with garlic and mint (€28), which clearly reflects chef Salvatore’s “from the garden to the table” philosophy.
Convinced the energy from the friendly staff and their faultless service is helping to burn calories, I go for the taste explosive Citron de Menton: yuzu mousse and white chocolate, citron confit with mint and vanilla ice cream (€18).
The popularity of Rampoldi propelled Salvatore into opening of his second restaurant, a more intimate La Table d’Antonio in September 2020, which earned him a Michelin star this year. He is a busy guy. The 36-year-old chef is a Brand Partner of the Monte Carlo Hospitality Group, which this spring is opening Casa Limone in the City (pictured), just steps from the Rockefeller Center.
The new restaurant is infused with the feel and flavors from the South of Italy over two floors: street food-style dishes at the ground level Urban Bar while upstairs dishes are prepared by the Italian Michelin starred-chef, who himself hails from Guardia Perticara in the southern Basilicata.
Along with Rampoldi Monte-Carlo, Antonio Salvatore’s Chef Table at Rampoldi, Monte Carlo Patisserie, Atlantic Grill NY and Rampoldi NY (which opens in 2022), Casa Limone in the City is one of six food entities as part of the Group’s mission to create a thousand-kilometer-wide embrace—“from MC to NYC”—made of Mediterranean atmospheres and excellent quality food.