Lunchtime in Monte Carlo, Monaco

We may earn money or products from the companies mentioned in this post.

Being in the French Riviera, Ryan and I couldn’t pass up an opportunity to visit Monte Carlo, Monaco. After meeting Sami and having a crêpe brunch in Nice, we took the tram to Place Garibaldi, walked to the port, and took the #100 bus to Monaco for just €1.50 each. Leaving France was bittersweet; I would miss our time in France, as everyone we met was friendly despite us trying to converse in broken French. I loved the beautiful shuttered buildings, the plane trees and pointy cypresses, and the chugging sound of the cicadas – the soundtrack of summer.

The reticulated #100 bus to Monaco was full, but we got seats and maneuvered our luggage as the bus wound its way along the cliffs. After about 30 minutes craned around in my seat, taking photos out the window, we arrived in Monte Carlo, Monaco!

Unfortunately there weren’t any lockers at the train station, hotels, or casinos where we could leave our luggage, so we walked all over, towing our bags behind us. Not surprisingly, Monaco is not a budget-friendly place. We walked up to the casino, past the Automobile Club de Monaco, and we had to stop to take photos.

We walked up to the casino, past the Monaco Grand Prix turns 1, 2, and 3, looking out for the red and white striped kerbs still marked with rubber.

Ryan, Sami, and I stopped under the shade of a small mimosa tree and enjoyed the cool sea breeze, a brief respite from the sweltering heat and blistering sun, while deciding what to do. Sami knew someone who grew up in Monte Carlo and had given us a short list of what we should do. Number one on the list was to eat at the Café de Paris, next to the casino. So off we went!

The famous casino, with a collection of very fancy cars parked out front.

The gorgeous Art Nouveau interior was sparkling and beautiful, but we sat outside on the shaded patio, with misters above trying to keep the place cool. It was just 3pm so I wasn’t too hungry, but I ordered a kir (€8.00) and a mousse au chocolat (€12). Ryan ordered the salmon tortellini, which was very tasty. Sami ordered the fish soup which came with croutons, rouille, and cheese; a cranberry-flavoured non-alcoholic beer (also delicious); a stuffed rabbit; and a massive serving of profiteroles. He was hungry and was able to polish it all off, although Ryan and I assisted with the profiteroles drenched in chocolate sauce.

The tourist dress code!

After some rest and people-watching, we left the cafe. We got some postcards and walked back down to the port to look around. The two local bakeries that I had researched and that served barbagiuans, the national dish of Monaco (fried pastries filled with Swiss chard, spinach, ricotta, cheese, onions, leeks, and egg whites) were closed on Mondays. So we walked back to the train station where we took a train to Ventimiglia on our way to Genoa.