L'Abysse Monte-Carlo

The story

L'Abysse Monte-Carlo – Yannick Alléno's 2-Michelin-Star Japanese Restaurant in Monaco

L'Abysse Monte-Carlo – Yannick Alléno

At L'Abysse Monte-Carlo, the culinary vision of Chef Yannick Alléno meets the precise, minimalist art of master sushi chef Naoki Kikuchi. The result is a restaurant that earned two Michelin stars for its “excellent cooking,” a recognition that speaks to the seamless marriage of French technique and Japanese tradition.

Located within the Hôtel Hermitage Monte-Carlo, the restaurant draws on two distinct worlds. From the land of the Monegasque hinterland come the vegetables, cooked with controlled heat using Alléno’s signature extraction methods. From the other side comes the mastery of water and air contained in each sushi, shaped by Kikuchi’s refined sensibility. The cuisine is guided by the four elements—earth, fire, water, and air—which respond naturally to the four seasons.

The dining room, designed by Laurence Bonnel-Alléno, is a sanctuary of calm. Wood, marble, travertin, velvet, and ceramic are arranged in lines that alternate between soft curves and rigorous geometry. The space evokes a contemporary Japanese inspiration, creating an atmosphere that is both serene and refined—an environment where the meal becomes a fully immersive experience.

Alléno, a chef with 17 Michelin stars across his career, opened the original L’Abysse at Pavillon Ledoyen in Paris in 2018, earning two stars by 2020. The Monte-Carlo outpost, which followed four years later, was a new challenge: a new environment, new products, and the chance to share his Franco-Japanese savoir-faire on the Côte d’Azur. Here, the tradition of Japanese cuisine is upheld by Kikuchi, while Alléno’s modern French foundation provides the structure.

L’Abysse Monte-Carlo is a place for dinner, with an interesting wine list and a notable sake list. Air conditioning, a chef’s table, wheelchair access, and valet parking are available. The restaurant is part of the Monte-Carlo Société des Bains de Mer, a collection that includes many of Monaco’s finest tables. It is a destination for those who appreciate the precision of Japanese cuisine elevated by the rigor of French gastronomy.