Eqvita health food restaurant review

Together with his wife Jelena, Novak Djokovic has realised a dream and opened up a restaurant in the area between Monte-Carlo and Larvotto in Monaco. A vegetarian himself, Djokovic is a man of balance and believes that you should test, evaluate, adjust and repeat in life, and not just with tennis! His experiment with a vegetarian and gluten free diet is all part of Novak’s holistic approach to life.

The restaurant, called Eqvita, offers up a fine selection of vibrant, healthy meals and tasty cold-pressed juices packed full of nutrients. Perfect for vegans, vegetarians or even just the health conscious.

Arriving shortly after 13:00 I wondered if I would be too late to get a table at this popular new spot and was pleasantly surprised to be shown a table at the back of the restaurant and brought a menu. The interior is modern with clean lines and natural colour palette. There is also a mall terrace outside but to be honest it was such a warm day that I was happy to take a seat in the cool interior.

After hearing the ladies at the table next to me declaring how much they loved the raw salad I decided that despite the large and interesting menu and the daily special, I would go ahead and try the raw lasagne. Unsure of what would come I choose to accompany my meal with a very special smoothie entitled 'Novak's Secret' - if you can't meet the man himself then you may as well choose something that has been named after him!

The smoothie came first and I enjoyed the fresh, and surprisingly light, drink as I waited for my meal. Filled with all sorts of healthy ingredients Novak's Secret contains - chia seeds, hemp protein, chlorella, spirulina, spinach, banana, pineapple, avocado, apple juice and almond milk. I assume that the lack of dairy is what made it so light - normally I find a dairy filled smoothie way too much to handle. I also wondered if my backhand would improve...

I have to admit that I was momentarily disappointed when my main dish showed up. I had seen the rather lavish salads and daily special being delivered to tables around me and they looked delicious. However, I gave it the benefit of the doubt and tucked into what essentially looked like courgette layered with rocket.

My first bite left me pleasantly surprised and hungry for more. The strips of raw courgette that took the place of cooked pasta sheets were also layered with three different sauces which incredibly tasted of real lasagne! First a sauce of ricotta with creamed cashews nuts, then a sundried tomato sauce, and finally a pesto of pistachio and basil. The end result was super tasty and actually quite filling.

I finished my meal with a tasty espresso and caught up with reading on the upcoming tennis tournament, the Monte-Carlo Masters. 2016 saw a disappointed Djokovic bow out in the second round (however, he did open a restaurant at the same time so maybe his mind was on other things...). Luckily 2017 has started well for the tall man from Serbia and we have high hopes for chances in the tournament that takes place at the Monte-Carlo Country Club from 15th to 23rd April.