The United States phenomen, “Black Friday” falls on November 24 this year, but some brands have already announced their deals.

It is an unmissable event for bargain hunters. Like during the sales, the different stores give great discounts on all sorts of products for Black Friday. For some, these are even their best deals of the year. Here is a list of some of the partner brands on Carlo, the local app:

• La Maison du Limoncello: First, a lovely gift idea for liqueur lovers. «La Maison du Limoncello» store and workshop, located in the heart of Monaco-Ville, specialising in the manufacture of the famous Limoncello du Rocher with the best lemons on the Riviera, is taking 15 % off bottles of the lemon liqueur.
• Aldo: Head over to Aldo in Fontvielle if you are looking for a great pair of boots or ankle boots for winter. The store is offering a 40% reduction on a selection of items.
• By K: Need some new pieces for the season in your wardrobe? The “By K” fashion store on rue Grimaldi is full of gems from exclusive brands such as Autry, New Balance, Maison Labiche or Birkenstock. And for Black Friday you can get 40% off, on a selection of items.
• Bahri Monaco: On the accessories front, reductions of between 20% and 50% are shown on a selection of items at Bahri. Located on rue Grimaldi, it is the ultimate destination for watch fans and connoisseurs. The store has been selling both trendy models and luxury watches for over 30 years.
• Heli Air Monaco: More unusually, Heli Air Monaco is offering BlackFriday deals on its flights. Could this be the right time to try out a unique experience, and admire the Riviera from another angle? You can discover Monaco from the sky, for example, for €70 instead of €78 per person.
• MonacoBike: while we’re on the subject of transport, at the Principality’s electric bicycle sales and rental service, MonecoBike, if you buy one of a selection of items, you will get 40% off the second item! An excellent way to visit our beautiful region while staying fit.
• Monte-Carlo Beer: This is the benchmark beer brand in the Principality. Monaco Beer, which has just launched two new varieties, one alcohol-free and one IPA (short for India Pale Ale), in addition to its signature blonde and amber, is offering half price on all its beers. Ideal for organising a party in Monaco’s colours!
• Habitat: As for home decoration, there are some good deals to be had, including at Habitat. The designer/manufacturer since 1964  has more than 1,000 furniture and sofa product items in a contemporary style. In addition, the store’s returns policy means there is no risk of disappointment.

While Black Friday only lasts 24 hours, traders are offering deals ahead of time and over the weekend following Black Friday. The last day of the promotional event has even been dubbed Cyber Monday. This is the Monday following Black Friday, with the deals only being available on line. With the festive season just a few weeks away, this is a perfect opportunity to find some early gifts for under the tree, without breaking the bank.

The Monegasque (-63,503 kg) beat Austrian Sergio Odabai by TKO (technical knockout) at the start of the fifth round, at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas on Thursday evening.

Hugo Micallef’s unbeaten run continues. With nine wins, two of which before the final bell, and 0 defeats, the boxer from the Prinicipality once again showed the full extent of his talent a few weeks after his first knockout victory in Monaco.

PORTRAIT. Hugo Micallef, prince of the rings with artistic sensibility

In his first transatlantic bout, Hugo Micallef clearly outclassed Sergio Odabai, cheered on by his childhood friend Charles Leclerc, who was in Las Vegas to take part in the next Grand Prix and who came to support the 25-year-old boxer.

Hugo Micallef undefeated since turning pro

After the victory was announced, Charles Leclerc even went into the ring to congratulate Hugo Micallef. This weekend, it will be Hugo’s turn to encourage his buddy in the paddocks at the Las Vegas Grand Prix.

“Hugo dominated his opponent throughout the four rounds,” said André Micallef, President of ASM Boxe and Vice-President of the Monegasque Boxing Federation.

“His coach made the wise decision to stop the fight before the fifth. However, it was a hard-fought battle with the Austrian, who never gave up. Hugo hit him hard in the second round, and Odabai had to spit out his mouthguard.”

Hugo Micallef’s next fight is scheduled to take place in early 2024, before focusing on qualifying for the upcoming Paris Olympics.

On Wednesday evening, two models dating from 1881 replaced an obsolete pair. 

The two 65mm cannons are back in service on the Fort Antoine esplanade, after almost a century. Prince Albert II and Princess Charlene each shot one, with noise-cancelling headphones over their ears.

The two new arrivals, replacing the two previous guns that had become obsolete and whose ammunition was no longer available, were previously in service for the Prince’s Carabinieri Corps from 1890 to 1926. Since then, they were kept in the Musée des Princes et de Leurs Gardes (Princes and their Guards Museum) at the Moneghetti barracks. “We had to make a decision about replacing the guns, and we didn’t want to go down the route of buying new ones. These guns needed to be remilitarised,” Lieutenant-Colonel Martial Pied told Monaco Info.

At the end of 2019, the Lieutenant-Colonel had contacted a French company, Munitique, with a view to putting these old models back into service. There were nearly three years of tests and research on suitable ammunition leading up to this inauguration. The recommissioning also served to implement a system with reusable casings. As work was carried out on the calibre of these guns, it was discovered that they were… Italian. They were used on National Day on Sunday.

“We are very attached to the Princely Family”: Monaco celebrates National Day 2023

We polled you on the subject on Facebook. 

Among the many types of food to be found in Monaco, the Japanese culinary art is celebrated in several Monegasque restaurants. Among the classic Nihon ryōri or washoku dishes, to give them the traditional Japanese name, sushi has conquered the world, whereas it is only an occasional meal in Japan itself. We have asked vinegar rice enthusiasts to share their favourite addresses.

“For eating outdoors, By Kodera at the market: fresh, made to order, refined.” This comment was echoed by many others about the Place d’Armes restaurant, in the La Condamine Market’s food court. Opened in 2015, MC By Kodera was the first Japanese restaurant to become an appointed supplier to the Prince of Monaco in 2017. “Our restaurant’s concept is that even in Monaco, you feel like you are in Japan,” such was the ambition of this estiablishment, which seems to have won over its clientele. On the sushi front, fish takes pride of place. Sea bass, sea bream, amberjack, salmon, tuna, cuttlefish, squid… You can choose à la carte and prices range from around €5 per piece, up to €9.50 for scallop sushi. As for the Maki, they cost between €9 and €14 for six, alongside the different sushi platters.

• Closed on Sunday and Monday evening
• La Condamine food hall

Where to find Monaco’s best bakery? Your views

Next we head to Rue Plati, above the Promenade Honoré II. This is where Monaki opened in early 2021 with  a different kind of service: takeaway and delivery only. And successfully so, as this reader tells us: “At Monaki, you can’t sit in but everything is fresh, delivery is fast, it’s not too expensive, it’s ideal for sushi.” A dozen or so readers agreed. In fact the establishment was voted “Best Sushi” by Monte-Carlo Gastronomie trade fair, which will soon be returning to the Chapiteau de Fontvieille. And on the menu at Monaki, platters, sushi and California rolls of all kinds, at an affordable price, ranging from 18 sushis for €16 to 71 for €80.

• Monday to Friday: 11 am – 1.30 pm / 6.30 pm – 9.30 pm
• Saturday and Sunday: 6.30 pm – 9.30 pm
• 3 Rue Plati, 98000 Monaco

Let’s head back to the Port de Fontvieille and pop in to MoshiMoshi, which several of you recommend. “The sushi is made in front of us. So fresh, straight into our mouths.” A good advertisement for the «sushi bar» that is looking to combine Japanese cuisine and Mediterranean flavours. There is table service for lunch and dinner, with a slightly different menu. In both cases, maki, nigiri and sashimi are available at prices ranging from €7 to €20. The restaurant’s speciality is the MoshiMoshi roll, from 8-piece rolls with salmon, breaded shrimp, shredded crab or tuna tartare. Costing from €19 to €29, several varieties of the famous rolls are only available in the evening.

• Open Monday to Saturday for lunch: noon to 3 pm
• For dinner from Monday to Thursday: 7 pm – 10.30 pm
• For dinner Friday and Saturday: 7 pm – 11 pm
• 32 Quai Jean-Charles Rey, 98000 Monaco

While these three establishments got a unanimous vote, a few others also got a mention from our readers. Beginning with one of the most upmarket in the Principality, Yoshi, at the Hôtel Métropole. This is where Chef Takeo Yamazaki provides set menus that include sushi and sashimi, as well as a rich à la carte menu where, however, prices are higher, on account of the exceptional quality of what is served. Expect to pay between € 19 and €59 for eight California rolls and up to €185 for a selection of 25 pieces of sushi.

• Open Tuesday to Saturday, for lunch from 12.15 pm to 2 pm and dinner from 7.30 pm to 10 pm.
• Hôtel Métropole Monte-Carlo

Michelin Guide 2023: how did Monaco’s and the Côte d’Azur’s restaurants fare?

Let’s stay in the same price range with Buddha-Bar Monte-Carlo, where Asian cuisine is prepared by Monegasque Chef Eric Guillemaud. You can try the “sushi experience” with sashimi, rolls and crispies ranging from €20 to €30. A more « traditional » menu is also available, featuring salmon, avocado, shrimp and cucumber.

• Open from 6 pm to 2 am from Tuesday through Saturday.
• Place du Casino, 98000, Monaco

The final recommendation from our readers is the MayaBay, which opened in 2007 as a gourmet Japanese restaurant, with Thai cuisine being introduced in 2009. Today, the two culinary styles feature on the menu where nearly 180 dishes are on offer, including a number with sushi. Hosomaki, Urumaki, Sashimi, Nigiri… The restaurant offers a wide choice, including a rich selection of seafood items, but also meat such as urumaki tempura with Japanese wagyu, with 8 pieces for €47. Most of the menu is more affordable in this highly rated Principality establishment.

• Open Tuesday to Saturday from noon to 11 pm.
• Le Rocabella, 24 Av. Princesse Grace, 98000 Monaco

Prince’s Palace Chef cooks for underprivileged in Washington

The knife was “as long as a forearm.”

The evening didn’t end well for these two young people in their twenties, who had no prior brushes with the law… One, a 22-year-old former receptionist with the SBM group, was charged with “Violence or assault with a weapon resulting in a TIW (Temporary Incapacity for Work), while intoxicated” and “Carrying and transporting a category C weapon”. The other, a 24-year-old apprentice labourer, was charged with “Violence resulting in a TIW of 8 days or less, in a state of obvious intoxication.”

The two young men, both defendants and victims, were summoned to appear before the magistrates’ court on Tuesday 14 November, on charges that date back to June. Although there has been water under the bridge in the intervening months and there was no evidence of animosity at the hearing, the altercation was particularly violent. After an insult from the younger man, tempers flared between the two drunken strangers, who had barely crossed paths. The older man landed a punch, and just as things seemed to have calmed down, his adversary came back, now with a knife in his hand.

One of the defendants “disfigured”

“You got back into your car, but when you saw the blood on your face, you decided to go back, armed with a kitchen knife with a 10-centimetre blade,” said the court president, asking “Why was this knife in your car?”  The defendant replied “A month before we had a barbecue with my family. You have to realise that I was disfigured, I’ve never been in such a state. Plus, when he hit me, he broke my car’s rear-view mirror and windscreen.” 

The other young man admitted “I shouldn’t have struck the first blow because of what was said, and I apologised immediately afterwards. We even shook hands. His friend, who was there at the time, took the knife and notified the police.” An honest act that was appreciated by the public prosecutor. “Both are responsible, nevertheless, and producing the knife was a totally excessive gesture. There could have been a fatality.” The public prosecutor asked for a four-month suspended sentence for each of them.

Suspended prison sentence

The knife attacker’s lawyer took the floor: “I blame my client for his lack of maturity in returning to the scene. One cannot take the law into one’s own hands. But I sincerely believe that he had no intention of using the knife. He never pointed it at him. You should also be aware that when SBM heard about the case, his contract was not renewed. I ask you to show the utmost clemency.” In terms of damages, €25,000 were claimed for emotional distress, plus €1,200 for repairs to the car.

“None of this would have happened if it hadn’t been for the alcohol,” argued the opposing lawyer, considering it was not an act of self-defence, but of revenge. “This man came back with a knife and that is the only thing I feel is relatively serious. And he wasn’t pointing the knife because he was hiding it! ” As for the claims for damages, the Monaco defense lawyer exclaimed : “Where are we? San Francisco? 25,000 euros for a punch is excessive. I would ask you to consider a fairer amount. We are asking for €5,000.”

He knocks a pensioner down on Avenue d’Ostende and ends up in court

While both young men were found guilty by the court, the armed defendant was given an eight-month suspended prison sentence and ordered to pay €1,000 in damages. The other man was given a three-month suspended sentence, and ordered to pay 500 euros.

The victim, who suffered multiple injuries as a result of the accident, was on the pedestrian crossing. 

A moment’s inattention that could have happened to anyone. The driver tested negative for alcohol or drugs, and has shown kindness and courtesy to the victim since the accident. The two protagonists appeared in front of the criminal court on Tuesday, November 14, to recount the events of October 26, 2022.

“You were travelling from Nice to the avenue d’Ostende, because you usually park in the vicinity to go to work,” said President Florestan Bellinzona. “Madam was crossing the road, and you hit her head on. She was thrown four metres. You didn’t brake immediately, because it was only after the accident that you realised there was someone on the road.”

While the investigation showed that the driver was under the influence of neither drink nor drugs, nor even on the telephone at the time, it was nonetheless a violent accident and the victim was prescribed 60 days off work. She suffered a number of facial injuries and several fractures, some of which required surgery. “I blacked out following the accident, and although I have a few flashbacks, my recollections are hazy,” explained the Monegasque resident, who admitted having been affected over the intervening year, particularly with respect to driving, but also when performing basic day-to-day tasks. She is still in pain and has not recovered total freedom of movement.

A doctor was on hand

The 33-year-old banker from Nice apologised and offered to help. The victim appeared receptive, which was not previously the case. “Sir, you tried to send madam flowers, but she refused them,” said the court’s president.

“My client was unconscious. Thankfully, she was quickly attended to by a passing doctor from the IM2S, until the emergency services arrived. Since that day, it has been a real struggle for the former teacher in the Principality,” argued Mr. Brandone from the Nice Bar, asking for the appointment of a court expert to assess damages and an advance of €5,000.

Prosecutor Julien Pronier took the floor: “In fact, the driver was following all the rules, it was a careless mistake. The accused is not a delinquent, but he is still responsible. I request a fine of €500.” A request that was perfectly acceptable to the defence, who described a “careful” driver and an “insured and well-maintained” vehicle. Mr. Bergonzi agreed that “tiredness and inattention are at the heart of this matter.” The Monegasque lawyer told the court that his client “had not been sleeping at night for over a month and was seeing a psychologist.”

Driver of fatal accident in Louis-II tunnel at 156 kph, under influence of alcohol and cocaine

After deliberation, the court agreed with the request by the Public Prosecutor’s Office and ordered the driver to pay a fine of €500. It will also order an expert appraisal and the payment of an advance of €5,000 as requested by the plaintiff.

The Kids Tour caravan stopped off in Beausoleil on Wednesday afternoon for the 11th stage of this second season.

Nearly 100 children turned up for an autograph session with Vanderson, AS Monaco’s Brazilian international defender.

Two Academy players, Mattéo Minguzzi (elite group) and Soufian Awragh (U19), also took part in the activities with the young ASM fans, who were able to meet the mascot Bouba, try their hand at the accuracy contest on the giant target or play FC24 on Playstation 5.

Vanderson, all smiles in Beausoleil

“I’m really pleased to be here today with all these children,” said Vanderson. “It’s great to be able to share this time with them. They look like they’re happy and enjoying the afternoon, and that’s the most important thing. We appreciate this closeness.”

Eleven stages have already taken place this season, from Monaco to La Turbie, via Roquebrune-Cap-Martin.

The Museum is putting on sale a 50 euro gold coin with the effigy of Prince Rainier III. 

The brief but unique exhibition was held at the Musée des Timbres et des Monnaies (Stamp and Coin Museum) earlier this month. “Le Duché-Pairie de Valentinois Ancien Fief des Grimaldi” displayed a collection of coins and historical documents supplied by the Prince’s Palace Archives and the Académie d’Aix.

Prince Albert II, Princess Stéphanie and Louis Ducruet opened the exhibition on Thursday, 2 November, guided by the exhibition’s curator, Professor Jean-Louis Charlet, and the Director of the Office des émissions de timbres-poste (Stamp Issue authority) Lara Terlizzi.

“It is important to recall a little history: the Péronne Treaty between France and Monaco was signed by King Louis XIII and Prince Honoré II on 14 September 1641. By means of this Treaty, the King of France granted the Prince of Monaco the Duché-Pairie de Valentinois, in compensation for the land lost in the switch from the Spanish protectorate to the alliance with France. The signature of this treaty is an  essential event in the history of Monaco and franco-monegasque relations. The exhibition therefore formed part of Prince Albert II’s special interest in all the former Grimaldi de Monaco sites. The Prince wanted to enhance and expand his numismatic collections to the currencies of the former fiefdoms,” Lara Terlizzi told Monaco Info.

A 50 euro gold coin with the effigy of Prince Rainier III

The coins on display came from the former collection of the late numismatist Régis Chareyron, which was acquired by the Sovereign. The coinage dates from the end of the 12th century to the beginning of the 15th. In addition, the collection includes Monegasque coinage with the title of Duc de Valentinois, from Prince Honoré II to Antoine I and Jacques I.

During the visit, Prince Albert II received a €50 gold coin commemorating the centennial of the birth of Prince Rainier III. This gold coin, with a double effigy of the Builder Prince, is designed to remind us of the longevity and importance of his reign. This is the first time that Monaco has minted a €50 coin.

You can acquire one too: 499 copies of the coin have been produced and are available for sale at the Stamp & Coin Museum. However, you will have to pay €2,500 for one of these unique coins!

Prince Albert II and Princess Stéphanie talk about their childhood with Prince Rainier III

The low-cost company will take you to from Nice to Alicante, Malaga and Kefalonia, and back. 

Preparations are already underway for the summer season 2024 and inexpensive flights to the sun have already been announced in Spain and western Greece, specifically Kefalonia, an island in the Ionian Sea.

From Friday 5 April 2024, Alicante will be served by a weekly flight, then two from May through August. One-way tickets from Nice are on sale from €32.

From 2 June 2024, there will be three weekly flights to Malaga until September 1st. Ticket prices start at around €31.

How do I get from Monaco to Nice airport?

As for the island of Kefalonia, flights will start on 30 June 2024. A weekly flight on Sundays will be scheduled until 1 September 2024. Tickets are priced at €90 for the inaugural flight.

Vehicles that are badly parked, or abandoned for long periods of time in the same space and without a season ticket can now be impounded more efficiently.

The Principality is taking a tougher line. A Sovereign Order and two ministerial decrees that came into force on Wednesday 1st November have given the Public Car Parks Service new means of ensuring better use of the spaces available in Monaco’s public car parks.

“While the quality of the reception and infrastructure is often praised, public car parks are not immune to various forms of misuse, from abandoning vehicles to storing bulky items, which has a negative impact on customers who can no longer benefit from the spaces,” reads the Government website.

Monaco and its highly coveted car parking spaces

These ‘squatter’ vehicles prevent turnover of parking spaces, to the detriment of both occasional customers and season ticket holders. Abandoned vehicles in poor condition may even pose a safety risk to both the users and the car park facilities.

This is why it will now be possible to impound, and more efficiently, vehicles that are badly parked or abandoned for long periods of time in the same space and without a season ticket.

Monaco Tribune has compiled a list of the key events you shouldn’t miss in the Principality this month, as well as some ideas for outings. 

The funfair

The fair is back at Port Hercule this year with two new attractions: the King Tower (a 130 kph drop tower that rotates around an axis, taking you up to 45 metres above ground level) and the Jump Zone trampoline course. Play Ball is also making a comeback along with the classic Extazy, Mega Dancer, Combat Spatial, and Jumping Frog… If you need  waffles, brioches, crêpes, socca or hot dogs to steady your nerves, head over to the Quai Albert Ier.

More details

• Until November 19
• 11 am – 11 pm daily (midnight on Fridays and Saturdays)

Monte-Carlo Jazz Festival

This year, the Monte-Carlo SBM has added twelve dates at the Opéra Garnier, where you can attend concerts by renowned musicians such as Ibrahim Maalouf, Ron Carter, Marcus Miller, Billy Cobham and Dominique Fils-Aimé. Our article gives you the full programme !

More details

• From 17 November to 2 December

Monaco’s National Day

Every year on 19 November, Monaco celebrates Prince’s Day, with a host of activities in store. On Saturday 18 November, head to the Marché de la Condamine for a festive evening, followed at 8.15 pm by fireworks over Port Hercule, then a musical show entitled “Blønd and Blönd and Blónd!” by the Swedish three-piece, Tø, Glär and Mår. On Sunday, along with the traditional celebrations on the Rock, from Monaco Cathedral to the Place du Palais, the singer Nach, whose real name is Anna Chedid, will be performing on stage at the Espace Léo Ferré at 6 pm.

More details

• Evening at the Condamine market: from 7.30 pm
• Musical show for adults and children aged 10 and over

Centenary exhibitions

The Principality is hosting a number of exhibitions in the centenary year of Prince Rainier III’s birth, “Le Prince Rainier III, un marin avant tout” (Prince Rainier III, above all a sailor), “Le Prince et ses animaux” (The Prince and his animals) and “Le Prince Rainier III, une roseraie en hommage à son épouse” (Prince Rainier III, a rose garden in tribute to his wife) can be seen in the State Apartments at the Prince’s Palace, the Rainier III Zoological Gardens and the Princess Grace rose garden respectively. In the exhibition hall on Quai Antoine I, you can also see the impressive exhibition on the Builder Prince’s life work !

More details

• “Le Prince et ses animaux”: admission €6 – Until 31 December 2023
• “Le Prince Rainier III, un marin avant tout”: free admission – Until 31 December 2023
• “Prince Rainier III, a rose garden in tribute to his wife”: free admission – Until January 2024
• “Le Prince bâtisseur. An ambition for Monaco” (The Builder Prince. An ambition for Monaco): free admission – Until 31 December 2023

Other ideas for outings

• 19 November: Betclic Elite – AS Monaco Basket / Blois – Salle Gaston Médecin at 4.30 pm
• 28 November: “Tout l’art du Cinema” – L’année dernière à Marienbad by Alain Resnais at the Théâtre des Variétés at 8 pm
• 30 November: Euroleague – AS Monaco Basket / Olympiacos Piraeus – Salle Gaston Médecin at 7 pm

The Sovereign inaugurated the new school, where children aged 5 to 11 follow the British curriculum. 

“Small in size, but with big ambitions.”  On Monday, 13 November, the British School of Monaco celebrated its first anniversary in the presence of Prince Albert II, who inaugurated the establishment and unveiled the plaque commemorating his visit to the 100% British school.

Also present were Isabelle Bonnal, Commissioner-General in charge of the Directorate of National Education, Youth and Sports (DENJS), Patrice Cellario, Minister of the Interior and Régis Bergonsi, National Councillor, representing the Council President, Brigitte Boccone-Pagès.

They celebrated not only the school’s anniversary, but also its growth as in its first year alone attendance has increased from 7 to 35 pupils, with a maximum capacity of 96 children. These children, aged 5 to 11 years (in line with British standards), are spread over the school’s six classes.

Should we stop using the car for the school run in Monaco?

Very small pupil numbers

“Each class has 5 to 6 pupils. The maximum will be 16 pupils per class, when the school is full,” explains Olena Prykhodko, who co-founded the school with Luke Sullivan.

Although the classes are taught in English, pupils are not necessarily native English speakers, quite the contrary! At present, children of 17 different nationalities attend the school. “Sometimes we take in children who do not speak English at all, but they catch up very quickly,” says Olena.

As for the curriculum, it is absolutely in keeping with the one that is taught in British schools. “The approach to learning is a little different to the French and Monegasque systems,” says Olena. “In our school, and in the British system, a lot of the focus is on reading: children will read a book over a term, and a lot of subjects will revolve around it. Maths, Science… It’s all connected.”

Secondary classes soon?

The teachers were carefully screened before being “imported from the United Kingdom.” They all have at least five years’ experience in primary education, as well as a Master’s degree in Education or a qualified teacher status.

This excellence comes at a cost. The school is completely private, with no funding other than the fees paid by the families, which cost €35,000 a year per child.

While the British School of Monaco currently only provides primary education, it plans to extend to secondary education (from 11 to 18 years old). “We will be submitting an application to the Government, but our goal is to stay a small school. There will therefore only be one secondary class per year, which will give us a total of roughly 100 pupils,” says Olena Prykhodko in conclusion.

It took place on Saturday 4 November in the sublime setting of the Salle Empire at the Hôtel de Paris. 

With tuxedos for the men, and ballgowns and tiaras for the women, participants donned THE outfit they’ll never wear anywhere else for this exceptional event, part of the proceeds of which go to the Princess Grace Foundation.

Legendary Café de Paris opens again at last

The Golden Oscar for the Golden Voice of the Year was awarded to Vittorio Grigolo at the charity gala organised by Noble Monte-Carlo in partnership with the Monte-Carlo Société des Bains de Mer. The great International Tenor took part in the opening ceremony alongside soprano Delia Grâce Noble, both accompanied by the Garde Républicaine Française orchestra.

The Grand Ball of Princes and Princesses takes place under the High Patronage of Prince Albert II – © Noble Monte-Carlo 

On its social networks, Noble Monte-Carlo extends its thanks to the Sovereign for his presence, the Mayor of Monaco Georges Marsan for “his support for these artistic and cultural projects that bring together great artists“ and Stephane Valeri for “the support and complicity of the Société des Bains de Mer,” of which he is CEO since January this year.

And it was fully booked from day 1!

It was an eagerly awaited date in the Principality. The famous Café de Paris Monte-Carlo, the flagship establishment of the Société des Bains de Mer (SBM), welcomed customers once again on Tuesday 14 November, after an extensive refurbishment.

With a capacity of 500 place settings, the restaurant was fully booked at lunchtime, and many people had to wait patiently before they could enter the restaurant, which has been given a complete facelift by the David Collins design and architecture studio, while retaining some elements from the previous incarnation. The most observant guests will have noticed, for example, the glass screens decorated with the signs of the zodiac.

TASTE TEST Taera, delicious Venezuelan cuisine in the heart of Monte-Carlo

Showcasing French gastronomy

Customers enjoyed their meal in the warm, friendly atmosphere that is typical of Parisian brasseries, whether on the comfortable banquettes indoors or on the sunny terraces outside. The one on the first floor boasts a beautiful view of the Place du Casino, and has us dreaming about what the eagerly-awaited Amazónico, scheduled for next spring, will provide, on the roof of the Café de Paris.

But let’s get back to the brasserie, which provides a rich menu, typical to this type of establishment, and created by chef Victor Marion. Eggs mimosa, pâté en croûte, scallops, “François Blanc” French onion soup, Burgundy snails, home-made foie gras, oysters, fish soup…

France’s rich culinary heritage is showcased, with Mediterranean touches such as the traditional pissaladière, Moneco-style barbagiuans or the Belle Salade Niçoise!

Not forgetting the desserts: crème brûlée with Sicilian pistachio, chocolate soufflé tart, île flottante, Grand Marnier millefeuille , flambéed ‘omelette norvégienne’ (baked Alaska). There’s plenty for gourmets to choose from.

Revealing the secrets of Monte-Carlo Casino’s paintings

Are you familiar with the history of the Crêpe Suzette?

The must-do sweet treat is of course the Crêpe Suzette, flambéed at your table, whose accidental invention is one of the highlights in the history of the Café de Paris:

“This crêpe started out in 1896 at the Café de Paris Monte-Carlo, when the Prince of Wales and future British King, Edward VII, was a regular visitor to Monaco, with many crowned heads and well-stocked wallets following in his wake!

One day, during lunch at the Café de Paris, Chef Carpentier was preparing crepes doused in liqueur in front of the Prince, when the contents of his frying pan accidentally caught fire. The Prince of Wales was enchanted and asked the chef what his recipe was called.

Caught off guard, but saved by his quick repartee, the Chef admitted that the recipe had been invented for the occasion, and suggested that they be called “Crêpes Princières” (Princely Pancakes). »

The Prince of Wales, in a show of gallantry, suggested instead that they be named after the charming lady with whom he was sharing his meal. Her name was… Suzette.”

18-hour service

155 years after opening as the Café Divan, the Café de Paris Monte-Carlo is an institution that is constantly reinventing itself.

Whether it is for a coffee or a meal, the establishment provides a simple, chic welcome, with a lively atmosphere typical of Parisian brasseries on the ground floor, and a quieter, more intimate setting on the first floor.

Thanks to its 18-hour service, the establishment will welcome you even late in the evening, making it an ideal place to eat after a performance at the Opera, for example.

One thing is for sure, the Café de Paris Monte-Carlo is definitely a must-see in Monaco. Whether it is your first time there or not!

Practical details:

• Place du Casino, 98000 Monaco
• Open every day from 8 am to 3 am
• Information and bookings: +377 98 06 76 23 or on the SBM website