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Why You Should Visit Monaco Right Now
With new restaurants and cool pop-ups, the principality is having a moment. iStock-Good Life Studio
In summer, Monaco swells in size as travelers arriving by helicopter, yacht and luxury car descend on the petite principality. Seasonal restaurants and hotels swing open their doors, welcoming in concepts from the world's most sought-after chefs and pop-ups from some of the biggest names in fashion.
There's never a wrong time to visit Monaco, but this season, things are hotter than ever thanks to an influx of haute new happenings freshening up this iconic stretch of the French Riviera.
Zeffirino has opened its first outpost in the French Riviera. Laurent Benedetti
Zeffirino, the Genovese restaurant that has hosted popes and patrons like Frank Sinatra and Celine Dion, opened its first outpost in the French Riviera on a stylish strip alongside Cipriani Monte Carlo, near the famous Fairmont hairpin. With third-generation Marco Belloni at the helm and fresh pasta crafted by chef Thierry Paludetto (also behind Beefbar Monaco), you can expect the same quality, elevated Ligurian cuisine that places a heavy emphasis on the family's famous pesto Genovese.
When the weather is nice (and in summer, when isn't it?), you'll want to reserve a table on the romantic patio shrouded in perfectly polished Mediterranean greenery. Start with an aperitif like a Ligurian Negroni infused with Côte d'Azur Cap Gin, best sipped alongside cheesy focaccia with pesto, before sampling the signature pesto plate with trofie pasta — which is even more indulgent when topped with Sicilian gamberi (shrimp) tartare.
The new Anahi offers traditional South American cuisine. Marion Butet Studio
Across the street, Paris-born Anahi debuted this summer with its signature South American cuisine spotlighting traditional Argentine techniques and ancestral recipes, plus Latin-inspired cocktails designed by legendary bartender Colin Field (formerly of Bar Hemingway at Forbes Travel Guide Five-Star Ritz Paris). Don't miss open-flame-grilled dishes like the wagyu tomahawk steak, which pairs beautifully with arroz de Gonzalo (smoke-grilled prawn rice) or berenjenas en escalivada (charred eggplant and peppers), and be sure to leave space for savory churros topped with caviar.
The Hugo Toro-designed Marlow, whose name nods to the English town on the banks of the Thames, is another recent addition in Monaco's sparkling new seaside district, Mareterra. Serving up a Mediterranean spin on British cuisine, expect plates that range from sourdough grilled cheese and lobster rolls to beef Wellington with black truffle mashed potatoes and fish and chips with mushy peas and fries.
Make your summer sweeter by stopping by Five-Star Hôtel de Paris Monte-Carlo. Cedric Grolet took over as the hotel's executive pastry chef and opened Cedric Grolet Monte-Carlo, an all-day tea room and dessert boutique on July 30. Grolet has amassed a big following for his immaculate trompe l'oeil treats, like Mango, whose white chocolate shell looks just like the fruit and encases a mango-vanilla molten center and mango mousse.
Jacquemus has brought its trademark stripes to Monaco. Yoann and Marco Pop-Up Flavors and Fashions
Locals will tell you September is the best month to visit the Riviera, and one of the principality's top chefs, Marcel Ravin, is closing out the summer season in style with a dinner at Elsa at Forbes Travel Guide Recommended The Monte-Carlo Beach. Part of the fifth edition of the Festival des Etoilés Monte-Carlo, Ravin and chef Domenico D'Antonio will cook alongside Florent Pietravalle, of Avignon's La Mirande, on September 23 during a six-course dinner soirée.
The Monte-Carlo Beach's poolside Le Deck has taken on a playful, French Polynesian-inspired spin for the season with architect Dorothée Delaye's beautifully designed wicker furniture and poppy, printed banquettes. The menu, however, still very much celebrates the best of the Mediterranean through its lavish seafood spreads where the highlight, of course, is the catch of the day.
Meanwhile, at Ravin's Las Brisas at Forbes Travel Guide Recommended Monte-Carlo Bay Hotel & Resort, the summer restaurant is the place to be for sun-soaked, Provence-style lunches complete with live music and rosé from lauded Château Sainte Marguerite.
One of the most-talked-about pop-ups of the season, Jondal à La Vigie is a transplant of the celebrated Ibiza concept and is every bit as much of an experience — especially when you arrive via boat to the private pontoon. Order the fried scorpion fish that's meant to be carved and stuffed into tortillas like tacos — you won't regret it.
On the fashion side, Parisian brand Jacquemus has temporarily taken over the Monte-Carlo Beach Club's pier and Pool Café with yellow-, white- and black-striped parasols and beach beds inspired by the designer's recent 'La Croisière' collection. And since you can't be at a Jacquemus-branded beach club and not indulge in retail therapy, two Provence-inspired boutiques are outfitted with summer-ready bags, shoes and clothing that'll have you fitting right in with the Riviera's signature style.
The Maybourne Riviera is a clifftop retreat for reflecting and rejuvenating. Stephane Aboudaram World-Class Wellness Concepts
Monaco has been a destination for wellness getaways since Thermes Marins Monte-Carlo debuted at the turn of the century. The expansive wellness haven suspended over the Port Hercule is still the place to see and be seen as you unwind in the heated indoor saltwater pool, hammam and sauna or on the Jacuzzi-clad solarium.
This summer, Four-Star Hotel Metropole, Monte-Carlo unveiled its new Spa Metropole by Guerlain with Riviera-tailored treatments like Golden Sand, a heated quartz crystal massage, and the Monaco Glow facial with a Guerlain makeup finish designed to exude a sun-kissed complexion.
Just outside of Monaco at Forbes Travel Guide Recommended The Maybourne Riviera, wellness and longevity club Surrenne Riviera also opened at the clifftop retreat in time for high season with three floors catering to the concept's holistic and scientific approach to well-being. While it's easy to spend an entire spa day here alternating among bespoke massage treatments, spin classes overlooking the sea and plunges in the photogenic infinity pool, you can turn your stay at the modernist hotel into a dedicated retreat with world-leading guest practitioners at the helm. MORE FROM FORBES Forbes Forbes Travel Guide's Best Hotel Bars For 2025 By Jennifer Kester Forbes From Anguilla To Australia, Forbes Travel Guide's 2025 Star Award Winners By Jennifer Kester Forbes 5 Florida Hotel Spas For A Rejuvenating Getaway By Katie Lara Forbes 18 Undiscovered Beach Getaways By Forbes Travel Guide
