Le Louis XV-Alain Ducasse à l'Hôtel de Paris

Review Highlights

Alexander returns to Le Louis XV at the Hôtel de Paris in Monaco for his third visit. His first time was in 2019 — before the experience fully clicked for him — and his second visit, with a newly installed chef, became a video that passed two million views. Now he's back because he heard the menu has completely changed under Chef Emmanuel Pilon, and the buzz has been strong. He opts for the €490 Agapé menu — the seasonal, locally driven option — eager to see how Pilon has evolved the cuisine since taking the helm.

• ·Canapé selection — six intricate bites including a fish-skin cracker with sardine and fish jelly, walnuts prepared multiple ways with walnut salad, a turnip and radish tartlet, deep-fried corn and fennel, marinated shrimp with fermented plums, and daily-caught fish with coriander and vinegar; "each one is excellent, and exciting"
• ·Swordfish marinated in extra virgin olive oil, with elderberry condiment and marigold emulsion — "a really elegant dish, with beautiful, complex flavors. There's sweetness, acidity, herbal notes, and the fish itself is just perfect"
• ·Signature artichoke — deep-fried in artichoke oil, stuffed with artichoke and Mediterranean sea anemone, finished with roasted artichoke sauce, mint oil, and a generous layer of caviar; "The umami hits first, then some more umami follows it... this sauce is just brilliant"
• ·Amberjack, lightly salted then grilled and confited, with sea cucumber, spinach, and a red wine reduction made with pil-pil sauce (a Basque emulsion of fish stock, garlic, chili, and olive oil) — "The fish itself is exceptionally high-quality; the sauce is creamy, rich, and full of collagen"
• ·Cep mushroom main course — a fully vegetarian dish with pine nuts and a pastado also made from cep mushroom, finished with bail and black garlic; "a really nice dish, with interesting textures and flavors. A remarkable main course"
• ·Palate cleanser of sheep cheese, cactus flower, and rosemary — served in the restaurant's private dining room after a surprise kitchen tour with Chef Pilon himself; "rosemary and sheep cheese is a great combination, and the cactus flower is a nice addition"
• ·Cheese service — a single cow's milk cheese from central France with confit white watermelon, accompanied by bread ice cream, followed by a trolley of exceptional French cheeses from comté to roquefort; "This cheese bite is delicious... bread ice cream — I love ideas like this"
• ·Legendary rum baba — presented in a golden cauldron and elegantly dripped with rum, served with vanilla, citrus peel, and half-whipped chantilly cream, plus a shot of rum on the side; "I love the presentation... and how elegantly they drip it with the rum"

Alexander's verdict: a dramatic step up from his already-strong previous visit. "My last visit was really good. But now… fireworks." Chef Emmanuel Pilon has clearly settled into his role — he respects Ducasse's culinary DNA of bold flavors and ingredient reverence, but now stamps his own personality on every plate. What elevates the experience above all else, however, is the service: a 20-chef, 20-server team attending to just 35 guests, operating with clockwork precision and quiet confidence. The total came to approximately €1,700 for three people. "If we agree that the purpose of service is to create lifelong memories for the guest, then these people are among the best in the world at doing exactly that."

About

Le Louis XV-Alain Ducasse à l'Hôtel de Paris is a three-Michelin-star restaurant housed inside Monaco's legendary Hôtel de Paris on Place du Casino. Opened in 1987 by Alain Ducasse, it has stood as a pillar of French haute gastronomy for nearly four decades — its 'Jardins de Provence' tasting menu has remained on the menu, unchanged, since opening day. Chef Emmanuel Pilon returned to lead the kitchen in 2022 after spending nine years at Ducasse's Plaza Athénée in Paris, bringing a fresh, ingredient-driven perspective while honoring the restaurant's culinary DNA.