Review

Restaurants evolve, chefs innovate and the very best continue to elevate their culinary creations. Davide Garavaglia has led the kitchen at Capella’s signature restaurant, Côte by Mauro Colagreco, since opening in 2020. The complexity of the French-Italian Riviera-inspired cuisine has shifted a notch or two upwards. The concept of a menu surprise, or carte blanche as they refer to it, continues but the focus on premium ingredients and intelligent flavour combinations has become ever more intense. Adventurous departures from the norm are evident throughout the experience. This is cooking at the very pinnacle of achievement. Begin with a trio of bites: vibrant tomato stuffed with burrata and dusted with raspberry, delicate sesame tacos filled with sea bream tartare and topped with sea urchin, and swordfish ham with melon, all elegantly presented with meticulous attention to detail. Continuing highlights include the ever-present sharing bread course accompanied by bespoke extra virgin olive oil with ginger and lemons from Menton. This is followed by a light and sophisticated dish of barbecued oyster, king trumpet mushroom in a yeast foam and a standout trout with fennel and Comté cheese. Pigeon with morel and mulberries maintains the high standard set as the menu proceeds. Desserts continue to delight with a surprising coconut, green apple and shiso leaf mix. The wine list and pairing are equally exceptional.