What to do in Monaco for a 2- or 3-day weekend?

What to do in Monaco - Day 1

11am - Landing at the Hôtel Hermitage

To arrive at the Hermitage is to enter with great pomp into that most mythical, almost sacred, of Monegasque hospitality. Here, the word palace takes on its full meaning: not ostentation, but controlled pomp, old-fashioned refinement and peaceful majesty. Sparkling chandeliers, delicate moldings, grandiose volumes... the architecture evokes the great hours of a Gatsby-style social life, between elegance and grandeur.

In the breakfast room, Gustave Eiffel designed the wrought-iron skylight. It's just one of the many details that remind us that history is everywhere, in the ceilings, the galleries and the attentive gestures of the liveried staff. The rooms, adorned in pure Belle Époque style, offer a serene refuge from the hustle and bustle of the city. For Monaco is also an almost unreal vision of a city perched between sea and cliff, where the silhouette of modern buildings flirts with the curves of the Formula 1 circuit.

Hôtel Hermitage Monte-Carlo
277 keys, prices from 800 euros per night in high season
Square Beaumarchais, 98000 Monaco

12:30 - Lunch at the legendary Café de Paris

A top gastronomic destination, Monaco knows how to please gourmets. Strategically located just a stone's throw from luxury boutiques and the legendary Place du Casino, it's hard to miss Café de Paris during a 2- or 3-day weekend in Monaco, the legendary brasserie of the Société des Bains de Mer, completely revamped in 2022. Its terrace, overlooking the square, is one of the best spots to watch the ballet of carriages, dark glasses and high heels, while enjoying well-executed brasserie cuisine. On the menu: a fine cut of meat, grilled octopus or catch of the day, accompanied by a generous green salad and golden pommes grenailles. An address that's both efficient on the plate and spectacular in its decor.

Café de Paris - Hôtel de Paris
Place Du Casino, Monte-Carlo 98000 Monaco

4pm - Wellness break at the Thermes Marins

To round off a relaxing weekend in Monaco, head for the Thermes Marins, where you can unwind in one of the nautically designed cabins, reminiscent of the hushed luxury of yacht bathrooms.

A subtle playlist of lounge and classical music lulls you to sleep, while a light scent of ylang-ylang wafts through the air. The fully personalized massage gently releases tension from the body. A suspended interlude, to be extended in the spa and pool area shared by the Hermitage and Hôtel de Paris, overlooking the port.

8pm - Festive tropical dinner at Amazonico

One of Monaco's finest restaurants, Amazonico imposes its tropical style right from the entrance: lush vegetation, tropical motifs, subdued lighting, music that builds to a crescendo as the evening progresses. The address achieves this rare combination: good food in a real atmosphere. By 8pm, the atmosphere is subdued, and we settle in for dinner. On the plate, sharing is the order of the day. Peruvian-style tuna carpaccio, sea bream tartar with tiger leche, nigiri revisited with truffles... Influences sail between South America and Asia, with real precision in textures and seasonings. A special mention goes to the camarones melosos: caramelized shrimp with mango, garlic and ginger, topped with a panela mayonnaise and enhanced with roasted peanuts and vintage baerii caviar. A generous, addictive dish. Matured rib-eye steak, spiced lamb... Meat pieces are spit-roasted and carved in the dining room before your very eyes. In a flamboyant setting, the quality is there, sincere and precise. The ambience goes up a notch, and the bar becomes the new focal point. The cocktail menu is one of the most creative and technical in Monaco. Salted cashew syrup, smoked passion fruit, house infusions: the creations play on balance, surprise and precision. The spirits are carefully selected, like Hendrick's Grand Cabaret, a confidential edition with a singular aromatic profile, or this rare mezcal with woody and mineral accents.

Amazonico
Place du Casino, 98000 Monaco
@amazonico_montecarlo

What to do in Monaco - Day 2

10am - Clarins x myBlend spa facial

Tucked away in the bowels of the Monte-Carlo Bay Hotel & Resort, one of the finest spa hotels on the Côte d'Azur, lies a spa that's well worth the detour. The curvaceous, mahogany-wood space oscillates between Japanese minimalism and futuristic design: a cocoon both elegant and high-tech. The second address after the Hôtel de Paris in Saint-Tropez, the Clarins x myBlend spa combines cutting-edge technology, cosmetic expertise and an ultra-targeted approach. Each treatment is tailored to the skin's specific needs, according to a fluid, rigorous protocol that follows a precise sequence: cleansing balm, cleansing foam, peptide scrub, moisturizing fluid, mask boosted with CellSynergie technology (anti-aging or radiance), deep massage, serum and final fluid.

Monte-Carlo Bay Hotel & Resort
40 Avenue Princesse Grace, Larvotto 98000 Monaco

11am - Exploring the Casino's hidden history

While the Casino's electric atmosphere at night - gaming tables, the muffled rustle of chips, bursts of laughter and clattering machines - is a delight to behold, it's also worth discovering in the quiet of the morning, before it opens to the public. Open between 10 a.m. and 1 p.m., the visit allows visitors to admire the interior designed by Charles Garnier: gilding, frescoes, monumental staircases... Much more than a temple to gambling, it's a fragment of Monegasque history, intimately linked to the destiny of the Principality. The discovery is almost silent, in a subdued light that highlights every architectural detail.

1pm - Stroll through Halles gourmandes

Below the Rocher, just a stone's throw from Place d'Armes, is a market on a human scale, where you'll come across chefs scouting out new spots as well as local regulars. In the shadow of the palaces, it's here that Monaco reveals another facet: simpler, livelier and rooted in everyday life.

Fish, fruit and vegetable stalls vie with each other for freshness, while the Halles couvertes are home to a selection of gourmet stalls, perfect for lunch on the go. Italian plates, high-flying sandwiches, grilled vegetables or a revisited socca bar: the offer is eclectic but well-sourced.

8pm - Exceptional dinner at L'Abysse

No weekend in Monaco is complete without fine dining. Among the finest, L'Abysse Monte-Carlo - Yannick Alléno offers a rare experience, combining ceremony, extreme precision and haute cuisine. In an intimate dining room, a dozen guests take their seats at the counter. In an almost religious silence, they watch chef Yasunari Okazaki's precise movements. The omakase menu unfolds like a high-precision score: ten stages, served in a precise order, with attention paid to gesture, timing and the cutting of the fish.

Whether it's leaf-stripping treviso topped with umeboshi cream, cucumber pickled by macro-fermentation, or an infusion of celery, tomato and olive oil served as an aromatic prelude, each bite is designed to dialogue with the next. The nigiri service is like a ballet: we start with the most delicate fish, and end with an otoro sushi sculpted into a flower, which melts in the mouth. No soy sauce here, but a brush dipped in homemade umami, carefully placed between the fish and the rice.

But L'Abysse Monte-Carlo - Yannick Alléno is more than just a technical feat. It's also a place of passion. We chat with our counter-mates, share our impressions of our homemade infusions, compare textures and cuts of fish. Conversations turn to Japanese whisky, fermentations and precision cooking. It's a real space for exchange, almost like a small circle of insiders.

The choice of beverages follows the same exacting standards, with a selection of rare sakes, playing on subtle accords with light, sometimes fruity notes, far removed from the sweet, classic profiles. A special mention goes to the Fu Junmai, 8°, elegant and silky, which goes perfectly with the dessert - barley ice cream with malt caramel. More than a meal, a total experience.

L'Abysse Monte-Carlo - Yannick Alléno
Hôtel Hermitage Monte-Carlo
1 Square Beaumarchais, 98000 Monaco

What to do in Monaco on your last day

10am - Dive into the Monte-Carlo Beach Club

The famous beach club at the Monte-Carlo Beach hotel has been setting the pace for Monegasque summers since 1928, with its cinematic decor - retro cabins, striped parasols, pools and solarium - that looks like it's straight out of a Wes Anderson film. This iconic venue is an integral part of the Société des Bains de Mer hotel network, which shares a private club spirit.

Guests of the Hermitage, Hôtel de Paris or Monte-Carlo Bay enjoy privileged access to all the group's facilities, from the Thermes Marins to the Beach Club, thanks to a discreet shuttle that facilitates travel between sea and palace.

Monte-Carlo Beach Club
Avenue Princesse Grâce, 98000 Roquebrune-Cap-Martin

12pm - Finishing with a Michelin-starred lunch at Elsa, piloted by Marcel Ravin

Starred restaurants are legion on the Côte d'Azur, and Monaco is no exception. After entrusting the double-starred Blue Bay to Marcel Ravin, the Société des Bains de Mer also entrusted him with the culinary direction of Elsa, located on the other side of the bay, at Monte-Carlo Beach. At Elsa, the Martinique-born chef reveals a more intimate facet of his universe. Less spectacular, more vegetal, and recently crowned with a star.

Here, seaweed is more than just a stylistic effect: it flavors both the homemade ciabatta and the butter that accompanies it. A tartlet of bottarga and ricotta as an amuse-bouche sets the tone, before giving way to a dish of shellfish, topped with a surprising nasturtium ice cream, or a stone-cooked red mullet, accompanied by lacto-fermented radicchio and a lemon sabayon. The pieces of meat arrive whole at the table, then are cut up in front of you. Most of the vegetables come from the restaurant's own garden. A sincere and creative address where the product reigns supreme, a perfect climax to a weekend in Monaco.

Elsa - Monte Carlo Beach
Avenue Princesse Grâce, 98000 Roquebrune-Cap-Martin