Monaco has long had a reputation of being the place for living a comfortable luxury life of glitz and glamour. It is the country where many movie stars, celebrities, the right and the famous come to live a life out of the ordinary.
Everyone has got to eat, and since the world’s ultra-wealthy doesn’t compromise on quality and only satisfies with the best, you can expect that there are many top-class restaurants in Monaco. Many of which have gotten the seal of approval in the form of a Michelin star, or even two, or even three.
Despite Monaco being a tiny country, it has a large number of restaurants. This is partly because Monaco is situated next to Italy and France and by the French Riviera, in an area of the world where the cuisine has had and continues to have a huge impact on its culture and lifestyle. Monaco’s cuisine unsurprisingly seeks inspiration from both the French and Italian cuisine, and throughout history, as it has belonged to both Italy and France, it has become highly influenced by it.
What’s not surprising either is that despite its size, it has a large number of top-quality, some of the best in the world restaurants that will offer guests an incredible dining experience from start to finish, from service to food to the atmosphere and everything in between.
Many of the rich and famous only satisfy with the best, but to get the best, you also have to be prepared to pay for it. While Monaco, in general, is known for its high prices, be prepared that the prices of the best restaurants in Monaco to reflect that, as well as its high quality and standard.
Of course, even if you aren’t rich or famous, but have a genuine passion or interest in eating delicious food of the highest standard, you can enjoy a dining experience on some of the best restaurants in Monaco.
In this article, we share the top X best restaurants in Monaco
Louis XV
The iconic Louis XV restaurant is known all over the world for its incredible food and extraordinary dining experiences. Le Louis XV was not long ago completely renovated and led by the world-famous chef Alain Ducasse, you can expect nothing less than extraordinary. The menu is made by the chefs Dominique Lory and Alain Ducasse, with a focus on developing a modern and authentic menu.
Here, you’ll enjoy a unique culinary experience inspired by the French Riviera, complimented by a beautiful setting in the legendary Hotel de Paris on casino square in Monaco.
This is certainly one of the best restaurants in Monaco, and many even argue that it is the best restaurant in Monaco, and as such, expect to pay accordingly.
- The À la carte main dishes start at €106.
- Address: Hotel de Paris, Monaco
- Reservations are essential
Hotel Métropole
Hotel Métropole is one of the best restaurants in Monaco, proud fully holding five stars. As such, you can expect the hotel to have one o the best restaurants in Monaco as well.
The restaurant is led by the chef Joël Robuchon who is one of France’s best and most well-known chefs. Additionally, Joël Robuchon is the world’s most ‘starred’ chef, having earned a staggering 26 prestigious Michelin awards.
At this restaurant, you’ll be able to enjoy a dining experience in a retro-modern town-house style, which the hotel itself is designed in.
The menu is focused on modern French cuisine, and favors, just like many of the best restaurants in Monaco, the Mediterranean cuisine.
The dishes on the menu reflect anything but simplicity. As you can imagine, the prices are ambitious, which isn’t very surprising. But since you pay more than on most restaurants on the French Riviera, you can also expect the food to be much better and well-made, with fresh ingredients and to be a unique dining experience.
If you enjoy a lunch, you can get away with a bill of €60-80. This might sound a lot, but if you factor in that you’re eating at a two-star Michelin restaurant situated in Monaco, all of a sudden, it doesn’t sound very expensive.
The chef Robuchon has in more recent times added a top-class Japanese restaurant to the hotel. It has a stripped-back zen composition of bright colors, wood, and a sushi bar. In 2010’s guide, it gained its first Michelin star.
- Address: 4 Avenue de la Madone
- Be prepared to pay about €200 for dinners
- Reservations are essential
Il Terrazzino
As the name reveals, this restaurant in Monaco is influenced and inspired by Italy.
The food focuses on southern Italian fare, but the restaurant also incorporates a strong Neapolitan accent into its menu. The Neapolitan specialties include carpaccio beef, octopus salad, pizza, pie vegetables, mozzarella, and much more. Unlike most other of the best restaurants in Monaco, the prices aren’t absolutely crazy. In fact, factoring in that the food is top-class, and Il Terazzino is one of the best restaurants in Monaco, the prices are actually quite fair.
Under the leadership of chef Raffaele Russo this restaurant allows you to discover the south of Italy and its heritage through their cuisine.
- Address: 2 Rue des Iris, Monaco
- Two-course lunch for €19. Dinner menu starts at €45
- Reservations are advised
Quai des Artistes
This contemporary brasserie is beautifully situated in the port of Monaco and is seen as one of the best restaurants in Monaco, serving delicious food.
The restaurant is inspired by the Parisian brasseries of the Belle Époque and thus makes for quite a lovely luxurious, glamorous yet relaxed feeling.
The restaurant has a terrace, and both the inside and outside is incredibly popular. If you look close enough, you might see some of the big names in Monaco which visit occasionally.
There’s a children’s menu for about €20 so they can be fed and kept happy.
Quai des Artistes is a contemporary brasserie popular with big names, locals, and staff from the posh hotels on their nights off
- Address: Quai Antoine 1, Monaco
- Two-course lunch from €22.50 on weekdays. Expect to pay a little above€30 for a good dinner main dish.
- Reservationsareadvised
U Cavagnetu
In the picturesque and old streets of Monaco – in Vieille Monaco, or Monaco-Ville, situated on the Rock are a number of great restaurants, in fact, some of the best restaurants in Monaco, which sometimes tend to be forgotten and neglected in favour for all of the other top restaurants in Monaco situated in ”the heart” of Monaco in Monte Carlo.
This restaurant purveys trad Monégasque fare, and the name means “picnic basket” in the local dialect. It has a terrace on the back, and as you can imagine it is quite frequently visited by the locals since many of the tourists and other inhabitants who don’t know the ins and outs of Monaco don’t find their way there.
- Address: 14 Rue Comte Felix Gastaldi, Monaco.
- Two-course lunch for €19 and Monégasque menu €25
- Open all year round from 11 am to 11 pm
- Reservations are advised
Brasserie Restaurant at Columbus Monte Carlo
At this restaurant, you’ll be able to experience French and Italian Cuisine of top-class. The restaurant offers an ambiance style, and best of all (apart from its delicious food) is that it has a stunning terrace which overlooks the Princess Grace Rose Garden, contributing to giving this small brasserie a charming atmosphere.e
Enjoying a dining experience on its terrace is truly something out of the ordinary and certainly something very special, especially in the evening as the sun sets.
As for the cuisine, the restaurant offers fresh an seasonal food which is inspired by French Provencal and Italian recipes, like many restaurants on the French Riviera are, proud of their heritage and history. What’s unique here, though, is that it incorporates an odd hint of Asian influence.
The wine list is carefully selected to match the menu of the restaurants.
LE GRILL DE L’HÔTEL DE PARIS
Le Louis XV is not the only restaurant situated in the legendary Hotel de Paris.
On the 8th floor, you’ll find Le Grill, viewing over the port and towards the rocks of Monaco. If the weather is clear, they might just open its slide roof to provide you with a complimentary panoramic view of Monaco.
In a place like Hotel de Paris, you wouldn’t expect anything less than extraordinary, and that’s exactly what you get at this restaurant.
In an ambiance style on the top floor of the hotel, this is definitely among the top five restaurants in Monaco as it has been awarded a Michelin Star.
This restaurant gives you romantic candlelit dinners as a contrast to the lively atmosphere during its lunches.
The restaurant has not one, not two, but a whopping three Michelin stars, so expect nothing but perfection.
As the name might reveal, the cuisine offered at this restaurant features grilled meats that have built the restaurant’s reputation.
Prices for set menus:
- For gourmets only €360
- Gardens of Provence €240
- Riviera lunch €165 ( €195 with 2 glasses of wine)
- A la carte from €200 (drinks excluded)
- Lunch Menu
- 3 courses, €60 per person
- 3 courses including 2 glasses of wine and mineral water is €85/person
A new for the restaurant is that it now has a 100% Vegan Menu available on request, but 24-hour notice in advance is needed.
The menu has been created by the chef Franck Cerutti and is inspired by Mediterranean flavors.
Elsa
Elsa is another restaurant which is considered to be among the best restaurants in Monaco
Like many restaurants in Monaco, it serves a Mediterranean inspired cuisine, and it does so in a creative and original style and ambiance.
The restaurant has dramatically increased in popularity since Chef Jean Claude Brugel and his team took the lead of the restaurant’s cuisine.
The dessert menu is focused on macarons, but you can also find pastries and other sweets.
Elsa is a gourmet restaurant, but despite this, it is more casual than the other top gourmet restaurants in Monaco.
Le Vistamar
At this restaurant, you’ll find top-notch gastronomic seafood.
Le Vistamar was reopened in Hôtel Hermitage in September 2010 with a stylish interior and new menu.
The chef Joël Garault has built a great reputation, and he has done so because of his skill and focus on fresh locally caught fish. It is a perfect restaurant in Monaco for a business lunch or dinner in good company.
At this restaurant, you can enjoy a fresh approach to seafood with à la cart, taster menus, as well as delicious hot dessert soufflés. There’s also a Salon Privé of this restaurant which has a secluded dining room with a separate entrance and seating for 12 guests., for a more relaxing dining experience.
To make the food more interesting and high-quality, the ingredients and products used for the dishes are sourced from Riviera farmers and suppliers, trusted partners of the restaurant. It offers fine wins by the glass.
The restaurant has many dishes which are great for sharing for added enjoyment and shared pleasure.
- Open 7 days a week but only for dinner on Saturday and Sunday
- Informal attire, jacket recommended
- Pets not allowed
Buddha bar
Buddha bar is a Monaco favorite for many people, both residents, and visitors. It is set in the beautiful building of the Monaco casino, even though located in the other end of the casino and with its own entrance.
It serves oriental food in a lovely setting, both location, and interior-wise. The Buddha bars worldwide have introduced elite diners into a new and sophisticated experience.
Since being opened in 2010, The Monte Carlo Buddha Bar is a restaurant in Monaco which brings a new way of thinking when it comes to making food and combining different tastes. The cuisine is an amalgamation of sushi, Chinese and Thai food, and a big part of the dining experience at this restaurant is the music.
Here, you are able to enjoy delicious food while DJs entertain until late. You can, of course, also enjoy cocktails in the lounge.
Yoshi
As the name might reveal, this restaurant serves Japanese cuisine, and under the lead of chefJoël Robuchon, it has added yet another Michelin Star to his collection.
This Japanese restaurant is the chef’s first attempt at creating a restaurant which serves top-notch healthy and modern Japanese cuisine, in partnership with Executive Chef Takeo Yamazaki.
On the menu, you’ll find dishes which showcase and combine the best nuances of Japan’s flavors.
It is beautifully interiorized with lovely décor which is as attentive as the menu. The French interior architect Didier Gomez is the man behind the interior and creating a warm and slick décor, combining Japanese influences and the elegance of the Hotel Métropole Monte-Carlo.
Best of all is that the intimate dining room which has a sushi bar opens into a beautiful Japanese style garden which has been designed by the landscape artist Jacques Messin.
Open from Wednesday to Sunday from 7.30pm to 10.30pm for dinner.
La Marée Monaco
One of the best restaurants in Monaco which was established in Moscow 20 years ago and focuses on importing the freshest products in order to create the freshest food possible.
Since the restaurant was opened 20 years ago, it has opened in Moscow, Saint Petersburg and Monaco.
Gastronomic seafood is the focus cuisine of this restaurant, and it is beautifully situated on the rooftop of the Hotel Port Palace in the heart of Monaco.
From this rooftop, you get a stunning view and can look out across the bay on the enormous yachts.
Lobster, king crab, and sea urchins are just some of the food you can enjoy here while listing to live music.
Zelo’s Restaurant, Lounge & Nightclub
In this top-class restaurant, you can enjoy international cooking with a Mediterranean touch all year round.
At the restaurant, you can sit and relax in the lounge while listing to hip music performed by famous DJs. Furthermore, Zelo’s has everything you may ask for from a great venue in Monaco, apart from delicious food, including the sea, great parties, music, and much more.
Nobu Fairmont Monte Carlo Monte-Carlo
Nobu Fairmont is one of the most iconic restaurants in Monaco. In fact, it is not only one of the most iconic and recognized restaurants in Monaco but all over the world.
The celebrity chef Nobuyuki “Nobu” Matsuhisa is the owner of the Nobu restaurants, one of which is beautifully situated in the Fairmont hotel.
The restaurant is recognized worldwide the incredible cuisine which mixes traditional Japanese dishes and South American spices and aromas
The restaurant has a cozy and elegant atmosphere and features a lovely bar, 2 private lounges and a unique terrace overlooking the Mediterranean Sea.
Enjoying a dinner at the Nobu Fairmont is truly an experience out of the ordinary which will give you everlasting memories.
The restaurant also has a happy hour with a 50% reduction on the new menu cocktail created by their mixologists evening, from 6 pm to 8 pm.
From Sunday to Thursday, the restaurant is open from 7 pm to 11.30pm and on Friday & Saturday to midnight. It is also open to both guests and non-guests of the Fairmont hotel, and also available for private hire.
La Montgolfiere Henri Geraci Monaco-Ville
In the heart of the old town of Monaco, you’ll find another of the best restaurants in Monaco.
La Montgolfiere is the ideal place for a lunch break or a gourmet dinner.
The restaurant is situated a mere 200 meters from the Prince’s Palace, and the fact that the complete area is pedestrianized make the experience more pleasant.
Blue Bay Monte-Carlo
With one Michelin star, you may say that this restaurant is among the top restaurants in Monaco. The restaurant has an innovative culinary style, and under the leadership of Chef Marcel Ravin, the restaurant is run with tremendous skill and attention to detail.
The restaurant will provide you with a dining experience you won’t forget, especially not when sitting on the terrace with a panoramic view or opposite the open kitchen. Here, it’s not just the food that is the experience but the views and surroundings.
The food has Caribbean and Mediterranean influences, making the dishes uniquely delicious. Creativity is the word that best describes this restaurant’s food.
Menus
- Escapade Menu from €92
Sunday Brunch takes place every Sunday from October 2017 to May 2018, from 12:30
- 110 euros per person, champagne included
Practical Information
- Dress code: smart casual
- Shorts, open shoes (sandals, flip-flops) and sportswear are not accepted in the restaurant
Valentin Monte-Carlo
A cozy little café in Monaco offering traditional Italian food. Every day, the menu changes in order to ensure a varied diet and fresh products.
Situated in the heart of Monaco, the restaurant is open from 7:00 am to 6:00 pm Monday to Friday.
If you’re curious to experience the Italian cuisine and want to experience delicious such, this is a great place to go.
Le petit bar Monaco-Ville
A restaurant in Monaco which is open all year. In summer, it is open Sunday to Friday from 8h to 14h and from 19h to 21h; closed on Saturdays. In winter, it is open Monday through Friday from 8h to 16h. Reservations are recommended, but you can always take a chance.
You can enjoy wine by the glass. It also has a lovely terrace which you can sit and enjoy on.
Graziella Fontvieille
In Fontvieille, you’ll find this Italian restaurant which welcomes you to enjoy its lovely cuisine, beautifully situated next to the sea.
The food is well cooked, well presented and, unlike many restaurants in Monaco, well priced.
The restaurant has a great friendly team which will help you choose both food and wine on the menu. The view of the sea is also lovely.
Avenue 31 Monte-Carlo
Avenue 31 is another of the most famous and recognized restaurants in Monaco. It has been able to build up a great reputation for itself and its food, situated at 31 avenue Princesse Grace, thereby its name.
The restaurant offers a wonderful selection of dishes inspired by the Mediterranean both for lunch and dinner, including seasonal ingredients for every taste. It is beautifully interiorized with a beautiful bar and a delightful terrace. Great service and a lovely atmosphere are contributing factors to the restaurant’s popularity and reputation. The restaurant is elegantly interiorized in a sophisticated style, making it perfect for all types of dining experiences, from a romantic dinner, a business lunch or simply a delicious meal with friends.
The chef Simon Maringoni shares his passion for Italian and Mediterranean cuisine through his menu and is always in search of new flavors and combinations of amazing products.
Maya Bay Monte-Carlo
Maya Bay restaurant in Monaco is all about tasty Oriental food served with exotic surroundings.
What’s special about it is that it has two restaurants, one of which is specialized in Thai cuisine and the other in Japanese food, making it possible for everyone to find something that they enjoy.
It is situated on upmarket Avenue Princesse Grace in a largely residential area of Monaco.
The décor of the restaurant is lovely and contributes to making the restaurant experience into something truly unique, incorporating rich hues of red and black with low lighting.
Il Giardino Monte-Carlo
A colorful restaurant which offers delicious Italian food, beautifully set in Monaco.
Using fresh products, and making their food from scratch, you can expect top-quality Italy-inspired food. Think amazing pizzas, pasta, ravioli, and much more of the Italian cuisine.
Constantine Fontvieille
This restaurant in Monaco is open every day for dinner and is open for lunch from Monday to Friday.
The idea for this restaurant comes from the thought of creating an intimate place which is accurate in every detail space. This includes both in furniture, which is the first visual impact, as well as through its choice of dishes, wines and cocktails offered its customers in its menu. All-in-all to be a place where visitors can feel naturally at ease.
The restaurant has its own terrace filled with herbs, flowers and vegetable plants, and it is open both during summer and winter. The terrace offers a relaxing and laid-back atmosphere, with its wooden armchairs, cushions, soft lights, and other cozy and welcoming details.
During the winter, you’d prefer to stay inside, though, but during the winter, the restaurant isn’t any less cozy and welcoming though, as it has a small fireplace and long bench filled with pillows.
On the terrace, you can sit on high bar stools and enjoy cocktails, a lunch, or dinner, and admire the incredible sea view.
The experienced Italian chefs of this restaurant serve an array of dishes inspired by the Italian cuisine. At the restaurant, you can enjoy fresh, homemade pasta of all types, as well as delicious dishes of fish, meat or only vegetables. The dishes are prepared with fresh and seasonal products.
Les Perles de Monte-Carlo Monaco-Ville
This is one of the top restaurants in Monaco to go to if you enjoy seafood. In the port of Fontvieille, the seafood restaurant Les Perles is situated. It is mainly an oyster bar, and it is beautifully situated at the very tip of the pier.
When created, the goal of this restaurant was to refine oysters and other fine seafood products in a region where traditional oyster farming is almost inexistent.
The restaurant is open Monday through Saturday, and in terms of quality seafood, this is a great place, but what’s interesting is that it is a restaurant of a more genuine ambiance and atmosphere, and unlike most of the other top restaurants in Monaco, this restaurant does it in a more relaxed, laid-back feeling, as opposed to making it about luxury and glamour.
This restaurant goes to show that great food doesn’t have to include fancy interior and décor.
Beefbar Monaco Fontvieille
As the name reveals, this restaurant in Monaco is all about beef. It was opened for meat lovers and has been so since 2005.
It has an elegant architecture and a chilled atmosphere, providing a complimentary gorgeous view on the Fontvieille port.
The restaurant is a wonderful experience, and its menu is based on simplicity and high-quality ingredients, subtly saying good food doesn’t have to be complicated.
Beefbaar is tremendously popular among beef lovers that you should definitely visit if you’re one of them.
Horizon-Deck, Restaurant & Champagne Bar Monte-Carlo
Every day, this restaurant is open and offers a buffet breakfast, lunch, and delicious dinners. Beautifully situated in the iconic Fairmont hotel, it offers a marvelous 360° view over Monaco’s Opera House, Prince’s Palace, and Casino, and a Mediterranean backdrop from its beautiful terrace.
As you would expect from a restaurant inside the iconic Fairmont hotel, this restaurant allows you to enjoy a top-class view with top-class cuisine and a dining experience out of the ordinary. The restaurant serves an unlimited buffet experience with a large choice of seasonal vegetables, meat or fish, cheese, fruits, and desserts. In the menu, water and coffee are also included.
As for the dinner cuisine,
Water and coffee are also included, the chef serves some of the most renowned Mediterranean specialties, all of which are based on local products.
Polpetta
Restaurant Polpetta was the favorite restaurant of Prince Ranier, and it is also among the most loved restaurants in Monaco by many
Monegasque citizens as it has a rich history in Monaco.
The restaurant was founded thirty years ago, and to this very day, it has the same name and logo, which makes it great for discoverability, as well as makes the restaurant more nostalgic.
The kitchen is traditionally Italian, and the specialties on the menu are fish, meat and home-made pasta.
La Note Bleue Monte-Carlo
This is definitely one of the best and most popular and loved restaurants in Monaco.
The restaurant is a great place for a delicious meal and presents the perfect balance between simplicity and sophistication and comfort to elegance.
On the terrace area, you can enjoy the sun, and for the warm days, the terrace has also gotten a new water misting system, making it more pleasant to sit and enjoy the food.
As for the beach, it features white cotton beds which are perfect to lie on to sunbathe and relax.
Restaurant La Piazza Monte-Carlo
This popular restaurant has a large selection of homemade pasta, local fish, and seasonal products.
Just a few minutes away from the Casino of Monte-Carlo, you’ll find this restaurant. Here, you can enjoy traditional Italian cuisine in a lovely, relaxing setting
The restaurant also has an extensive wine list with both Italian and French top-class wines.
