Monaco’s ritzy reputation began more than 150 years ago with the debut of the James Bond-famous Belle Époque-style Casino de Monte-Carlo. Throw in a fresco-adorned clifftop palace, the super yacht–lined harbor, and one of the most anticipated events in the luxury sports industry’s social calendar (the Monaco Grand Prix), and it’s no wonder the principality has emerged as a summertime playground for jetsetters and royalty alike.
Flanked by the Mediterranean Sea and the French Alps, the petite principality may be the world’s second-smallest state, but with freshly revamped grande dame hotels, a sleek new seaside promenade, and two billion dollar land expansion project Mareterra—which rapidly earned the nickname “world’s most expensive neighborhood”—Monaco is proving it’s more than royals and race cars.
There’s also the prestigious Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters tennis tournament—and some seats even come with panoramic Mediterranean Sea views, too. While the principality may claim a few superlatives—with the annual Monaco Yacht Show, the unofficial closer to high season, often touting the world’s priciest super yacht—it’s much more accessible than most travelers realize.
Thanks to an uptick in direct seasonal flights,
And thanks to an uptick in direct seasonal flights, it’s even easier to reach. Here’s where to go and what to do when you get there. Getting there and around
The Nice airport is the gateway to the French Riviera, and now you can fly direct year-round from New York (JFK) or Newark with business-class-only La Compagnie; seasonally from Atlanta, Philadelphia, and Washington, DC; or from most major cities in Europe.
If you’re taking a train from another part of France or Italy, you’ll have to connect in Nice or the Italian border town of Ventimiglia. From Nice, it’s a 25-minute drive or seven-minute helicopter ride to the principality via Blade. Once you arrive in Monaco, the easiest way to get around is by foot or bus (you can tap a credit card or pay for a ticket onboard). Carshare services like Uber and Bolt will drop you in the principality, but you can’t request a car to take you from Monaco to another destination.
You can, however, order a taxi or request one through your hotel and charge it to your room, if you’re staying at one of the Monte-Carlo Société des Bains de Mer properties. The best things to do in Monaco
Monaco’s rocky shoreline doesn’t sport the same swaths of sandy beaches as some of its neighbors, which is why so much real estate is dedicated to pools (there’s even an open-air, Olympic-sized saltwater pool on the port).
Sunbathe along the waterfront solarium that’s the Côte
Sunbathe along the waterfront solarium that’s the Côte d’Azur version of Scandinasafari around the coast to spot migrating fin and sperm whales. While Cannes is defined by La Croisette and Nice’s pebble-strewn shores are bordered by the Promenade des Anglais, Monaco’s main beachside stretch, the crescent-shaped sliver Larvotto, recently received a modern makeover helmed by Renzo Piano
A handful of beach clubs and restaurants spill out along the palm-fringed promenade. For a more subdued scene than Saint-Tropez that’s every bit as glamorous, sprawl on a floral-patterned sunbed (a nod to the 1960s-era motif designed for Princess Grace) at La Rose des Vents’s seasonal, Gucci-themed beach club. If you don’t want to peel yourself away from the plage for lunch (and who could blame you?), you can dine on ca at your lounger
Across the bay, cliffside La Vigie Zanoni, chef Simone Zanoni’s al fresco Italian eatery, resembles an intimate, unfussy version of Capri. The sweeping views of the principality alone are worth it—and if you’re taking part in a boat day, you can even pull up to the restaurant’s private dock. Rooftop Nikki Beach Monte Carlo’s cabana-clad pool embraces the Riviera’s party-heavy beach club vibes, but for something more understated, cruise over to La Môme Riviera’s rose-striped parasols and Italian restaurant, which hover along the rocks in nearby Roquebrune-Cap-Martin.
When you arrive at the private pontoonercule),
When you arrive at the private pontoonercule), the tucked-away enclave feels like you’ve stumbled upon a private island. Nearby Loulou Pirate is a spruced-up take on a fisherman’s hut and embraces the same barefoot-chic vibe today as when the original locale was a hotspot for the likes of Brigitte Bardot in the 1960s and ‘70s
At Monaco’s newish fashion district, One Monte-Carlo, near the casino, splurge or window shop at designer boutiques like Cartier and Saint Laurent, or sip a glass of champagne under the Art Nouveau-style pavilions at Le Jardin Belle Epoque by Perrier Jouët’s pop-up outside Hôtel Hermitage Monte-Carlo. For vintage and second-hand luxury finds, browse Le Dressing’s two boutiques in the portside La Condamine district.
If your trip falls over a Friday, hop on a direct, 30-minute train to Ventimiglia for the open-air weekly market—among the largest in Italy—and pause for lunch at waterfront stalwart Marco Polo 1960. In the evening, catch a performance by the likes of Norah Jones, James Blunt, and John Legend during the Monte-Carlo Summer Festival; take a seat for a classical concert or opera like Carmen at Opéra de Monte-Carlo; or watch a film under the stars at the open-air cinema beneath the Oceanographic Museum.
Where to eat and drink The French Riviera
Where to eat and drink
The French Riviera is dotted with Michelin-starred restaurants running from the coast up to perched medieval villages like Èze and the neighboring town of Menton, where for the past 20 years Mauro Colagreco’s three-star Mirazur has been as revolutionary for France’s culinary scene as Noma for Denmark’s. Inside Monaco’s covered Condamine market hall in the Place d’Armes square, Colagreco’s Mitron Bakery features a selection of sourdough loaves that are milled and baked daily in Menton.
(While the indoor market is closed for construction, vendors are serving from kiosks in the square.)
If the weather is nice, head to the smaller port in Fontvieille to Les Perles de Monte-Carlo for platters of freshly shucked oysters and perfectly seasoned sea bass (this place fills up fast, so reserve in advance). Nearby, the original Beefbar—which has expanded to include a swish collection of restaurants everywhere from Saint-Tropez to luxury cruise ships and private flights—draws a local crowd for lunch (the smash cheeseburger is one of the house favorites).
The terrace of Liguria-born Zeffirino is another go-to for its Genovese pesto coating fresh, square-shaped mandilli pasta (even Frank Sinatra was a fan of the namesake chef Zeffirino’s pesto). At new eco-district Mareterra—where homes and buildings were designed by Renzo Piano, Tadao Ando, and Sir Norman Foster and residents include billionaires and Formula 1 local legend Charles Leclerc—a handful of shops and restaurants have also opened their doors, including London transplant zēphyr, anchored by its own sultry cocktail bar Naked & Famous.
Throughout the principality, young chefs are shaking up
Throughout the principality, young chefs are shaking up stuffy fine-dining concepts, replacing decadent, drenched-in-sauce dishes with lighter fare that lets the Riviera’s seasonal ingredients shine. One of the best examples is Blue Bay Marcel Ravin, where subtle flavors of the Caribbean and its distinct spices are infused into the Martinique-born chef’s cuisine. Picture artisanal plates dressed with vanilla sugar cane vinegar and cassava crumble.
The open kitchen unfolds into the airy dining room accented by natural materials like sleek wood paneling and coral-inspired screens disguising tables, so they feel more like private booths—but the true showstopper is the seaside terrace, especially at sunset. There’s no shortage of places to see-and-be-seen in the principality, from Roaring Twenties-inspired rooftop restaurant La Môme Monte-Carlo, where a singer serenades tables that peer over the port and Prince’s Palace, to Amazónico, another rooftop setting that overlooks the glistening casino and where entertainment ranges from Bossa Nova and Cuban music to DJs spinning “electro-tropical” beats.
Across the square, book dinner at Greek-Mediterranean GAIA, which draws a fashionable crowd of locals and famous faces year-round (discretion is key, so avoid trying to snap shots of F1 drivers). Take a seat in the foliage-filled terrace, which feels plucked out of the Athens Riviera, and sip a selection of expertly curated Greek Assyrtiko wines. Share classic spreads like taramosalata before ordering from the restaurant’s own fish market, where options include carpaccio or ceviche, as well as grilled whole fish with a drizzle of lemon oil.
As the evening progresses, join the well-heeled crowd
Then, as the evening progresses, join the well-heeled crowd filing into speakeasy-style, members-only lounge NYX. Monaco’s nightlife ranges from bottle service at late-night lounges like velvet-lined SASS CAFE to DJs spinning tribal house beats at nearby COYA Monte-Carlo, a waterfront, Perur a cavernous, late-night club, you’ll find a few of those, too, including Twiga and Jimmy’z Monte-Carlo)
For something more lowkey, start or end your evening with apéro (pre-dinner drinks and light bites) or a nightcap under the Eiffel-designed glass dome at Gustave at Hôtel Hermitage or at Hôtel de Paris’s legendary Le Bar Américain, a 1920s-era haunt popular with everyone from Joséphine Baker and Cary Grant to Lady Gaga. Open year-round, jazz, swing, blues, and soul performers entertain every evening and bar snacks include some of the best barbajuans (Swiss chard-filled fritters) in town.
Where to stay
Monaco’s sprinkling of five-star Belle Époque hotels are huddled around the Carré d’Or (Golden Square), crowned by the historic centerpiece Casino de Monte-Carlo. The independently owned, Jacques Garcia-designed Hôtel Métropole Monte-Carlo boasts designer names like the Spa Métropole by Guerlain and the Karl Lagerfeld-designed Odyssey, an urban rooftop oasis with a heated saltwater pool and Italian poolside restaurant Zia.
Reviving Joël Robuchon’s longstanding institution, the late chef’s
Reviving Joël Robuchon’s longstanding institution, the late chef’s former right hand is at the helm of the namesake, two Michelin-starred Les Ambassadeurs by Christophe Cussac. Jacques Garcia was brought back on board to spearhead the two-year renovation of the restaurant, which features an open-kitchen concept, chef’s table with 360-degree views of the team at work, and cigar lounge in the extended lobby bar, where a trio of museum-worthy pieces by Pablo Picasso, Francis Bacon, and Andy Warhol anchor the space.
One other aspect popular with fans of the former Robuchon eatery has also been brought back: the legendary bread and dessert trolleys. Facing the casino, the Hôtel de Paris Monte-Carlo is perhaps the most emblematic of Monaco, and after a multi-year, multimillion-dollar renovation, it’s among the most modern as well. You’ll still see timeless glamour in the gilded dining room of three-star Le Louis XV – Alain Ducasse, with its gold leaf-painted frescoes and columns (and Bordeaux-modeled wine cellar lined with more than 350,000 bottles).
But with revamped Art Deco rotunda rooms overlooking the super yacht-filled harbor, and the expansive Prince Rainier III Suite, outfitted with a two-level outdoor lounge and infinity pool perched over the casino, rooms not only offer some of the best views, they’re some of the most luxurious in the South of France. The family-friendly Monte-Carlo Bay Hotel & Resort feels like more of a Mediterranean island retreat, with seaside sun beds and beach fare from two Michelin-starred chef Marcel Ravin; Balinese-style beds by the sand-bottom lagoon; and water sports like parasailing and tubing available off the hotel’s pontoon.
At the opposite end of the principality,
At the opposite end of the principality, in what’s technically considered France, the terra cotta-colored Monte Carlo Beach exudes retro, 1930s charm with Art Deco, California villa-inspired rooms hugging the coastline, and an Olympic-sized saltwater pool that served as a backdrop for Helmut Newton’s Vogue and Vanity Fair shoots. A perk for guests staying at Monte-Carlo Beach, Hôtel de Paris, and Hôtel Hermitage: access to the pool and private plage at Monte-Carlo Beach Club, which sports a Jacquemus-themed pontoon with matching striped beach beds.
For a stay that comes with sky-high rooms showing off sweeping views of the principality, modernist The Maybourne Riviera is perched along the rocky peninsula of Roquebrune-Cap-Martin and features chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten’s New York transplant, abc kitchens riviera, plus a striking infinity pool suspended nearly a thousand feet above the sea.
