"Mauro Colagreco's wood-fired Argentine grill above Menton's Garavan harbour, the affordable table from a three-star kitchen. Book it for a sunny birthday lunch."
About Casa Fuego
The fire is lit at Casa Fuego long before the first guests climb the hill to Garavan. Mauro Colagreco built this asado on a terrace above Menton's harbour as the relaxed counterpart to Mirazur, his three-star room a few minutes down the coast. Beef picanha turns over wood embers, empanadas arrive from the same garden that supplies the tasting menu, and a plate of dulce de leche flan closes the meal. Lunch runs about €50 a head, which on this stretch of the Riviera counts as a bargain. For the wider picture, see our Menton dining guide.
The Kitchen
Mauro Colagreco is the Argentine-Italian chef whose nearby Mirazur was named the World's 50 Best Restaurant No. 1 in 2019 and holds three Michelin stars. Casa Fuego, which opened in 2020, is where he cooks the food of his childhood. The grill, an open asado fired with wood, sits at the centre of the room, and the Argentine ritual of slow fire runs every plate, not only the meat. Beef picanha is carved to share at €150, empanadas and octopus a la plancha open the table at around €15, and the dulce de leche flan is the dessert most associated with the kitchen. Vegetables and fruit come from Colagreco's own garden a short walk from the door at 80 bis Boulevard de Garavan, with the rest sourced from the Menton and Ventimiglia markets. An à la carte meal lands near €50 a head before wine, and the room carries a place in the MICHELIN Guide selection. For the genre, read our guide to the world's best live-fire restaurants.
The Room
Casa Fuego is a covered terrace looking down over Menton, the old port and the sea toward the Italian border. The mood is a hacienda at lunchtime: sound level lively, light bright off the water, tables set close and dressed for sharing rather than ceremony. There is no dress code worth the name; linen and sandals are the local uniform. Seating spills outdoors in the warm months, and a shared grill plate keeps the table loud and busy. Ask for an outside table on the harbour side when you book.
Best for a Birthday
Book Casa Fuego for a birthday because it gets three things right that a celebration needs: the asado is built to share, so a table gathers around a single carved picanha; the terrace over the harbour is sunny and loud in the best way, which suits a group raising glasses; and the bill stays near €50 a head, so you can invite the whole table without flinching. Picture a long Sunday lunch, the fire still going at three, a flan with a candle in it. See more restaurants for a birthday and rooms built for a team dinner.
Not for
Not for a quiet tasting-menu evening. The grill is the show, the terrace runs loud at lunch, and the kitchen cooks to share, not to hush. For that, book Mirazur down the coast.
Frequently Asked
Is Casa Fuego worth it?
Yes, if you want Mauro Colagreco's cooking without the Mirazur price tag. Casa Fuego is his Argentine asado on the terrace above Garavan harbour, where an à la carte meal runs about €50 a head and a beef picanha to share is €150. The wood-fired grill and the garden produce do the heavy lifting, and the sea view is free with the table.
How hard is it to book Casa Fuego?
Easier than Mirazur, but not a walk-in in summer. Book through the Casa Fuego website a week or two ahead for a weekend terrace table, and earlier in July and August when Menton fills with Riviera traffic. Sunday lunch and Friday and Saturday lunch are the sunny seats; midweek dinner is the quieter book.
What should I order at Casa Fuego?
Start with the empanadas and the octopus cooked a la plancha, then build the table around the beef picanha carved to share off the wood fire. Vegetables come from Colagreco's own garden a few metres away, so order them generously. Finish with the dulce de leche flan, the dessert most associated with the kitchen.
Is Casa Fuego good for a birthday or a group?
Yes. The asado is built for sharing, the terrace over the harbour is loud and sunny in the best way, and a shared picanha gives a table something to gather around. Book a lunch table for a birthday and let the meal run long. For other festive rooms see our birthday dining guide.
Reserve a Table
Reserve at Casa Fuego
Book through the Casa Fuego website. Lunch service runs Friday to Sunday; dinner Tuesday to Saturday.
Affiliate disclosure: Restaurants for Kings may earn a commission when you book through our reservation links, at no cost to you. Our scores are editorial and never paid for.
Practical Information
Address80 bis Boulevard de Garavan, 06500 Menton
NeighbourhoodGaravan
Phone+33 4 93 17 13 15
CuisineArgentine grill / asado
PriceAbout €50 per person; picanha to share €150
HoursTue–Thu dinner; Fri–Sat lunch & dinner; Sun lunch
Dress CodeNo rules / resort casual
DietaryVegetarian from the garden; ask for gluten-free
ReservationDirect / website
