Monaco Tourist Information and Tips

Eat

How to go wrong? Food in Monaco is universally excellent. There are many fine restaurants, beginning with the Cafe de Paris across the street from the casino, to the waterfront restaurants along the Port de Fontvieille. During the winter months, you will find the restaurants to be decently priced--for Monaco. Bouillabaisse is excellent here.

Budget

There are a huge variety of other restaurants and cafes in the city with a moderate price tag and excellent food. There are a few simple cafes along the marina-side, more like beach bars than anything else, that serve simple meals such as pizza, salads and hotdogs throughout the day. These can be excellent for simply sitting back during the hot midday with a cold beer or glass of wine, a snack to recharge your batteries from exploring the city, and the gentle lapping of the Mediterranean (and often the roar of supercars) in your ears. Most of these restaurants are equipped with water-misters in the ceilings that gently cool and refresh the clientele.

• Stars 'n' Bars , 6 quai Antoine-1 , ? 97-97-95-95 . June-Sept daily 11AM-midnight; Oct-May Tues-Sun 11AM-midnight. Bar open until 3AM . American style sports bar serving standard burgers pizzas and sandwiches. Drinking or dining during Happy Hour offers reasonable value for money.

• Pizzeria Monegasque , 4 rue Terrazzani , ? 93-30-16-38 . Mon-Sat noon-1:45PM and 7:30-11PM (until midnight Fri-Sat) . For those on a budget, be sure to grab a slice of one of their delicious gourmet pizzas that taste even better when sitting on the outdoor terrace. Main courses are also available from 10€-22€.

Drink

Champagne has the status of a national beverage in Monaco. A single glass can cost as much as €40 at a fashionable restaurant!

• Zebra Square , Top Floor Grimaldi Forum Ave. Princesse Grace , ? +377 99 99 25 50 . Showcasing panoramic views from the top floor of the Grimaldi Forum, the outdoor seating area offers the perfect spot to see yachts cruising into the harbor. Top models and the people who want to be with them dance the early mornings away here and we defy you not to do the same. Cocktail list is impressive and bite sized treats are available.

• Bar at the Columbus Monaco , 23 Avenue des Papalins Monte Carlo , ? 00 377 92 059000 . More laidback and informal than some of its counterparts, its subdued atmosphere is a refreshing change from some of the high energy Monaco bars. Decked out in shades of chocolate, its almost as sweet as the chocolate martinis, which come with a big truffle in each glass which slowly melts into your drinks and tastes heavenly. Formula One race car driver David Coulthard is a co owner, which means you're likely to run into some of his race car competitors.

• Jimmy'z , Le Sporting Club Avenue Princesse Grace, Monte Carlo , ? + 377 9216 20 00 . The ultimate night club in Monte Carlo, the famed Jimmy'z is frequented by royalty and the uber-rich, which isn't a surprise considering some of the hefty price tags, a beer will cost you upwards of ?20. If you can't afford it, there are other clubs to go to. There are two entrances -one, two floors down in Le Sporting Club, the other at street level, and many a rock star and billionaire have walked through both. Staff can be quite rude, but so are most of the patrons. Definitely an experience.

Sleep

If you're on a budget, Monaco is not the best place to be. For example, a two star hotel without breakfast and bathroom will cost around €60 per person. A better option is to stay in one of the many towns outside of Monaco, for example Ventimiglia, which is a sea-side town situated on the French-Italian border on the Italian side. Nice is only 1/2 hour away from Monaco and it's very cheap to use the frequent trains. During the winter season, a comfortable two star hotel will only cost you about €20 a person.

The Monaco Tourism center staff will also sit down and make phone calls to assist walk-ins in finding accomodation. Even if you ask for "cheap" lodging.

 

Work

If you are seeking a career aboard one of the many superyachts in Monaco a good place to register and start looking is Crew Central.

Respect

In many ways, the Respect section of the France page can detail how to be respectful toward the Monegasque population, however it should be noted that Monaco is a separate nation and it would be very insulting to casually conflate the two. Keep in mind that Monaco's population retain their own history, their own culture and their own lifestyle. With that in mind, everyone is approachable, happy to chat with you and globally simply kind. Directions or other help are only a smile and a question away.

 

Stay safe

Monaco is a very safe, crime-free location, with a strong police presence. Every public space is blanketed with cameras and any kind of disorder may produce an immediate reaction and the attendance of many officers.

 

Source: Wikitravel.org