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La Réserve de la Mala
2010-08-29 14:42
Where:
Plage de la Mala, Cap d'Ail
If you're not coming by taxi-boat from Monaco, then a ten minute drive or an hour's walk along the dramatic coastal path will bring you to the Plage de la Mala, and what better place to enjoy fabulous seafood and exquisite grand crus
than next to the sea?
One of the Riviera's most exquisite beaches, the Mala was inaugurated in 1933, and named after Mala Kchessinska, mistress of the ill-fated Tsar Nicolas II. Stretching under the cliffs of Cap d'Ail, the beach gives unforgettable views across its limpid waters towards Cap Ferrat and Beaulieu. Hard to believe, when relaxing here in the warm summer sunshine, that 450 years ago this was the landing spot for a Provencal army determined to get their hands on Monaco!
Chef Dominique Legallo presides over the menu at the well-respected beachside Italian restaurant, which serves cocktails and seafood throughout the day - though there's really no need to move: a wave of the hand, an an attendant will cater to your every whim - chilled rose and steak frites brought to your very side.
Looking down on the Plage de Mala from the Basse Corniche, the place is awash with colour - the pale gold cliffs, the green of the pines and the shimmering blue of the ocean are enough to entice even the most reluctant beach-goer, and at nightfall the romance continues with candles and torches reflected in the the sea. Magic.