The hotbed of homegrown talent and legendary chefs curating menus inside the gilded walls of Monaco’s historic hotels have made the principality a culinary destination. For a country small enough to fit inside Central Park, this makes the feat even more impressive — until you consider that it’s bordered by two of the world’s gastronomic greats, France and Italy.
Whether you’re chasing stars or simply looking to sample some of the best the principality offers, there’s no doubt you’re bound to eat like royalty (and maybe even near them) on your next trip to Monaco.
Indulge at high-end tables
Start (and stay) at Forbes Travel Guide Five-Star Hôtel de Paris Monte-Carlo, where Emmanuel Pilon, who cut his teeth in Lyon with two prominent chefs, resides over Le Louis XV – Alain Ducasse. Working together with acclaimed Ducasse on the Riviera-inspired menu, Pilon sources the best produce and ingredients from nearby farmers and fishers for dishes like San Remo prawns with gold caviar and roasted lamb with fennel, capers and razor clams.
A legend that’s been reborn, Le Grill, on the eighth floor of Hôtel de Paris, was initially inaugurated by Princess Grace in the late 1950s. Chef Dominique Lory, who worked alongside Ducasse for a decade, is behind the current menu known for beautifully presented wood-fired fare served under a canopy of stars on the terrace or near the panoramic windows — which show off 180-degree views of the sea and Casino Square below.
The Four-Star Hôtel Hermitage Monte-Carlo, whose winter garden is crowned with a Gustave Eiffel-designed dome, overlooks the principality’s famous superyacht-filled port from Pavyllon Monte-Carlo. It’s a restaurant by Yannick Alléno, the chef behind Paris’ lauded Pavillon Ledoyen. Take a seat at the curved bar shielding the open kitchen and watch as the culinary team preps and plates each seasonally inspired dish during the evening tasting menu. If you’re visiting for lunch, dine on the sun-soaked terrace for a front-row seat to the action in the harbor.
This summer, the acclaimed chef is partnering with sushi master Yasunari Okazaki on a new concept called L’Abysse Monte-Carlo. The epicurean idea fuses Alléno’s mastery of French sauces and extractions with Okazaki’s knowledge of Japanese tradition and technique. Fish will be locally and sustainably sourced, and rice will be expertly timed to achieve the ideal temperature for each dish. Snag one of the 10 counter seats for prime views of the sushi master.
A mere nine months after opening, the Four-Star Hôtel Métropole, Monte-Carlo’s Les Ambassadeurs by Christophe Cussac has already cemented its place in Monte Carlo’s culinary scene. After Jacques Garcia’s renovation of the restaurant, which originally opened in the 1920s and where Joël Robuchon held court for nearly two decades, the airy, gold-toned space creates a warm setting for chef Cussac’s contemporary Mediterranean cuisine — which you can sample in a 13-course tasting. One crucial remnant of Robuchon remains: the lavish bread trolley rolled tableside.
Cross the courtyard at Hôtel Métropole, and you’ll be transported as you enter chef Takeo Yamazaki’s YOSHI, the Côte d’Azur’s premier Japanese eatery. Centered around a Japanese garden, the restaurant focuses on a mix of nigiri, maki, sashimi and teppanyaki-grilled fare paired with rare Japanese sakes, whiskies and green teas.
Dine casual at the market or seaside
When you’re ready for a break from fine dining, get to the covered market hall in Place d’Armes, in the Condamine neighborhood behind the port, and sit on a stool at the MC by Kodera sushi counter. (Tip: Order the omakase, leaving the decision-making up to the chefs.) Around the corner, Supernature takes a cue from Paris’ natural wine bar culture with a selection of playful picks by the glass and shareable small plates like grilled asparagus over stracciatella with housemade pesto.
In the smaller port of Fontvieille, Monaco’s newest neighborhood, locals flock to Les Perles de Monte-Carlo for long, waterfront lunches centered around the eatery’s freshly shucked oysters and beautifully seasoned seabass.
Go from dinner to dancing
Hosting some of the world’s most lavish parties during Grand Prix weekend, Monaco knows how to keep the energy up all season long at restaurants like sophisticated Greek-Mediterranean GAIA Monte-Carlo, which draws a stylish crowd to the sultry, lounge-like space and late-night private members’ club NYX.
Latin American-inspired COYA Monte-Carlo seamlessly transitions from a seated restaurant to a nightclub when the DJ takes over post-dinner, spinning tribal house beats, and the seaside terrace transforms into a lounge with hookahs and costumed dancers. At the pisco bar, you’ll find upscale takes on classic Peruvian cocktails such as a pisco sour infused with blackberry and ginger or raspberry and kaffir lime.
One of the newest spots to open, Amazónico unfolds on a rooftop terrace overlooking the centerpiece casino. Expect lush, jungle-themed décor with jewel tones and touches of rattan. Dishes range from Peruvian corn bread with lobster and caviar to confit duck croquettes with jalapeño and citrus. Resident DJs spin the restaurant and lounge’s signature “elec-tropical” music, which is complemented by drummers and trumpeters flown in from around the globe.
