Monaco’s Soulful Native Cuisine Is Worth the Trip

Jeff Koehler

Skip the celebrity chefs for a taste of the principality’s best down-home dishes.

Though it’s only about half the size of Manhattan’s Central Park, Monaco – the Riviera byword for beauty, glamour, and extravagance – is exceptionally global. The world’s second-smallest country (and second most densely populated) counts 38,000 residents in its enclave: 9,000 native Monégasque citizens and the remainder from 139 different nations. Dining here reflects this cosmopolitan character, with global cuisine, seafood towers, and fine-dining establishments from chefs such as Alain Ducasse and the late Joël Robuchon that have earned it among the most Michelin stars per square foot of any place in the world.

But traditional Monégasque cuisine is a refreshingly simple and soulful riff on Niçoise and Ligurian staples. (Nice lies a dozen miles to the west, and even via the winding coastal road, the Italian border is less than ten miles to the east). Or rather, it’s a humbler version of those cuisines: “Dry, poor, and with strong flavors,” is how a local once described it to me.

Until the mid-1800s, Monaco was an isolated and unprosperous fishing village. Locals ate what they could grow on the sun-baked hills that rise sharply from the sea: lemons and bitter oranges, olives, chard, fennel, garlic, tomatoes, and onions. From the sea they netted anchovies and sardines and traded for salt cod with Spanish or Portuguese ships that called at the port. 

The opening of the Casino de Monte-Carlo and the railway to Nice in the 1860s changed Monaco’s fortunes, and the traditional Monégasque diet feels distant from the food most associate with the principality today. Still, the national dish isn’t caviar, but a deep-fried, half-moon-shaped puff pastry a bit like a small empanada stuffed with Swiss chard and ricotta. Make reservations for high-profile tables when travel resumes, but don’t miss these traditional Monégasque dishes, still loved by locals as a way to taste the flavors that rise from these once barren hills.

Barbajuan (“Uncle John” in the Monégasque language) is a crisp fritter filled with Swiss chard and ricotta, and sometimes with leeks, rice, and grated Parmesan. Try it at: Brasserie de Monaco, in the port facing the sea – order a plate of them with one of the brasserie’s beers, brewed on-site.

Monaco’s version of pissaladière, a savory, pizzalike tart from Liguria, comes two ways – rouge with tomatoes or blanche with onions. Generally served as appetizers, they’re both garnished with black olives and anchovies. Try it at: The small, one-Michelin-starred La Montgolfière, hidden away atop the Rock of Monaco in Old Town.

Estocafic (“stock fish”) is a delicious salt-cod stew with plenty of tomatoes and onions. Try it at: Castelroc, across from the palace. Opened in 1953, it serves what many locals deem the principality’s finest Monégasque classics.

Sold by street vendors from giant round pans, pancake-thin socca is made from chickpea flour, water, and olive oil, and served with salt and pepper to sprinkle on top. (It’s also a favorite street food in Nice.) Try it at: Chez Roger, a simple and always popular stand in Marché de la Condamine.

Round buns filled with tomatoes, onions, black olives, hard-boiled eggs, and unsalted anchovies or tuna, pan bagnat (“wet bread”) evolved as a snack for fishermen and morning market workers. It takes its name from the heavy drizzle of olive oil that crowns it. Try it at: A Roca, which makes a superb version. Access the restaurant by passing through the produce stalls along the outside of Marché de la Condamine and then heading inside the market.

Fougasse bread is flavored with orange-blossom water and decorated with aniseed, hazelnuts, and almonds. Try it at: L’Épi d’Or, whose fougasses are some of the most highly regarded among the principality’s many traditional boulangeries selling the sweet treat.

One of the world’s most famous desserts, crêpes suzette are flambéed tableside with sugar, butter, lemon and orange juices, and Grand Marnier. According to local legend, the dish was born at Monte-Carlo’s Café de Paris, prepared for the visiting Prince of Wales (the future King Edward VII) and named for a woman in his party. Try it at: Café de Paris, of course, whose highly sought terrace tables face the famous casino.

There are many cruise lines that stop in Monaco as well including Regent Seven Seas.

For more details and booking information, visit our upcoming trip.

Matt Wolfe, B.F.A. from University of S. Florida, Carol Birkner, B.S.E. from ETSU

River & Ocean Cruise Specialist, AMA Waterways certified, Viking River Cruise Specialist, Avalon Cruise Certified