THE DREAM
There is something quietly extraordinary about arriving at the Cigar Club, no doubt born of that subtle tension between brilliance and secrecy, between History and all the stories these walls seem to hold in reserve. Perhaps that is the very essence of exclusivity: to be at the heart of things while remaining apart from them. A few steps away, History in its grandest form is embodied by the bust of Charles III, the prince who conceived the Monte-Carlo district, "Mont Charles", destined to become a world-renowned enclave of leisure and prestige. Opposite, life unfolds in full view: lush gardens, luxury boutiques, the Hôtel de Paris and, drawing the eye beyond Anish Kapoor's Sky Mirror, the Monte-Carlo Casino. One enters beneath the spell of Charles Garnier's Belle Époque decor, absorbing its thousand details with something close to reverence. Designed in 1879, the building stands as the founding gesture of the open-air resort François Blanc envisioned. "Nothing here can be done as it is elsewhere," he liked to say. The promise still holds.
PLEASURE
The approach to the Cigar Club is already part of the experience, unfolding in stages. One is first guided through corridors, then into a lift, passing the Opera boxes adjoining the Casino, with the delicious impression of slipping behind the scenes. When the door opens, the atmosphere shifts at once. Another world emerges, distinct yet perfectly in tune with its setting, imagined by architect-designer duo Bruno Moinard and Claire Bétaille. Tobacco hues, a counter of stone and bronze, touches of leather and subtle plays on transparency hinting at what lies beyond: from the very threshold, the tone is set for a refined conversation between the Riviera and Havana. Though the club spans 200 square metres beneath soaring ceilings, the mood remains deeply intimate. Jean Thomas, Director of the Monte-Carlo Cigar Club, begins by unveiling the walk-in humidor, created with the expertise of DeArt, an internationally renowned specialist. In the room's ideal humidity, visitors discover a remarkable collection: Montecristo, Romeo y Julieta, Cohiba, Trinidad, Davidoff, Arturo Fuente — a selection assembled through the partnership between Monte-Carlo Société des Bains de Mer and Dominique London. In all, 35,000 cigars and 250 among the world's most prestigious references await aficionados. One of them joined the collection only recently, after first being enjoyed by HSH Prince Albert II. Ramon Allones Monaco is the first regional Habanos edition ever created for the Principality's tobacco authority. Measuring 130 mm with a 55 ring gauge, it comes in the Montesco format, familiar to connoisseurs as that of the Romeo y Julieta Wide Churchills. Cigars have a language of their own — yet no initiation is required: the club's cigar sommeliers are there to guide seasoned enthusiasts and curious epicureans alike.
BEAUTY
Once the cigar has been chosen, the butlers suggest the most elegant pairings. Behind the spectacular bar, with its long onyx counter, stands a remarkable collection of the world's finest whiskies, cognacs and rums. Great houses appear here in unexpected forms, including a sculptural bottle born of the collaboration between The Macallan and Bentley. Then comes the moment for smoke, conversation and tasting in the smoking lounge. Conceived in the spirit of a grand family library and bathed in a warm, enveloping atmosphere, the room is striking in the way it embraces the codes of the genre while subtly moving beyond them. The bespoke club armchairs are lighter and more open in their lines, arranged around low stone-and-leather tables whose bases are inspired by cigar wrapper leaves. Across walls and ceiling, the palette evokes "the tobacco leaf after fermentation — in fact, each of our spaces takes on one of the shades tobacco passes through during drying, from green to bistre," explains our host, before showing a gift recently sent by one of the members: a letter from Winston Churchill recalling his stay with the SBM. At the far end of the room, resting on a mantelpiece, is the portrait of François Blanc, whose office once stood on the exact site of the smoking lounge. Around it, lockers in bronze and precious wood are reserved for the club's very select members — around a hundred to date — allowing them to keep their cigars here between visits. The visit ends outdoors, on a vast terrace overlooking the sea. In complete privacy, guests may linger here into the evening or bask in the sun above the port, seated among Mediterranean plants and Loro Piana furnishings. Dreams, pleasure and beauty.