Updated on April 28, 2025
“Arriving in Monaco for my 40th birthday is just extraordinary!” Cedric Grolet
Over the last few months, Cedric Grolet has been a regular visitor to Monaco. Not to relax or reside there, but to prepare his tenure as the new pastry chef at the Hôtel de Paris Monte-Carlo.
On the patio of the emblematic 5-star hotel on the Place du Casino, Monte-Carlo Société des Bains de Mer has set up a large space designed to function as Cedric Grolet’s laboratory and store. The chef with over 20 million followers – including 12.3 million on Instagram alone – offers click and collect, a takeaway service and a tea room, while supplying all the hotel’s cakes and breakfast pastries.
Discover the creative world of pastry chef Cedric Grolet
How did your relationship with Monte-Carlo Société des Bains de Mer come about?
Cedric Grolet: The chef Alain Ducasse put us in touch. I’ve been working with him at Le Meurice in Paris for over a decade. He knew that Monaco was one of my personal goals. The project has grown gradually, in stages.
Why are you so interested in the Principality?
Cedric Grolet: The Principality is synonymous with quality and high standards, both of which are what I strive to achieve every day in my work. The Hôtel de Paris Monte-Carlo is currently the only hotel in Monaco that is truly aligned with what I do. For me, this is the culmination of 25 years of work.
What makes this hotel the perfect setting?
Cedric Grolet: Its address, its mouldings and high ceilings, its scents, its quality of service, the restaurants it houses and its atmosphere... There’s just nowhere else like it in the world. I really feel at home here.
We know you tend to eat at Le Grill when visiting. What do you think of their famous soufflé?
Cedric Grolet: I almost never order dessert in restaurants because I have so many tasting sessions all the time. But when I come here, the vanilla soufflé is my guilty pleasure. I wouldn’t change a thing about the soufflés at Le Grill: they’re just perfect!
Do you think you’ll ever dare to add your own soufflé to the menu?
Cedric Grolet: No, there’s no point dabbling with something that’s already a hit. But we are going to introduce a trompe l’oeil soufflé and desserts that are well suited to Le Grill.
Will you be offering desserts inspired by the region, or even by Monaco?
Cedric Grolet: In my experience, the creations I post on social media always work well. We’ll be offering trompe l’oeil flowers and fruit, as well as breakfast pastries. And, of course, our products will be seasonal, as in all our stores.
Will there be a patisserie dedicated to Monaco ?
There will be a marzipan dessert named after Prince Albert II, which the Sovereign has told me he particularly likes. It’s a real throw-back for me: the first dessert I ever made for my family was a marzipan strawberry cream cake! I must’ve been 12 or 13 at the time.
Will you be working with local suppliers?
Cedric Grolet: I’ve been working with the same suppliers for over a decade. I can’t offer the catch of the day, for example, like other chefs can.
In addition to running click and collect and takeaway services whilst producing the cakes served in the Hôtel de Paris Monte-Carlo and the tea room, you’ll also be making all the hotel’s breakfast pastries! That’s also a massive undertaking...
Cedric Grolet: We’re already doing that at both Le Meurice in Paris and The Berkeley in London.
Will you be in Monaco often?
Cedric Grolet: I’d love to, but it will depend on my schedule. I’d like to come at least once a month. To ensure a seamless opening, I asked nine in-house staff to come to Monaco, which is three times as many as usual, in order to guarantee an output and quality that reflect my high standards. I want to build up a loyal team in Monaco. This is the first time I’ve asked so many people to work with me on a new project.
Have you always been an avid social media fan?
Cedric Grolet: Not at all! I don’t know how I manage it all. When Facebook was all the rage, I didn’t even have an account. Ten years ago, when I was working at Le Meurice, an employee encouraged me to post photos on Instagram. I didn’t even know what it was. Then, it all just started to flow quite naturally. I treat photo or video content in the same way as a new pastry creation. It’s spontaneous.
Do you feel trapped by social media today?
Cedric Grolet: No, it’s a tool that remains fun and a source of inspiration that fuels my creativity. I just love it! Today, I have a team of four people who film, edit and publish my content. We have just over 20 million followers in total. I’ve just passed the 9 million followers mark on TikTok.
Isn’t that kind of popularity a bit overwhelming?
Cedric Grolet: It’s shocking! Some videos have hundreds of millions of views. I come from a tiny village called Preyles in the Haute-Loire department of France, near Le Puy-en-Velay. I was raised by my grandparents. I played with stones, leaves and a small football. I grew up with the simplest things in life alongside six brothers and sisters. And today, I reproduce the flowers and fruit of my childhood in trompe l’oeil creations. It’s like a continuation of the education I received as a child.
Your success could be described as phenomenal...
Cedric Grolet: The only feedback I receive is positive. Making people happy with cakes is just the best thing in the world! I’m very proud to have a team of 450 employees committed to the same things as I am all around the world. When I make a video in a closed store, there are sometimes over a hundred people watching outside through the window. I’m very lucky to live this kind of life. Arriving in Monaco for my 40th birthday is just extraordinary!
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