Sharing, the Robuchon way: redefining fine dining on the Esplanade du Portier

Robuchon Monaco has introduced a new Sharing Menu — a refined yet relaxed way to experience the house’s precision-led French cuisine, without sacrificing the standards that defines the Robuchon name.

There is a particular weight that comes with the name Robuchon. It evokes discipline, butter-laden potato purée and a near-mythical devotion to craft. So when Robuchon Monaco announced this February that it was expanding its offering with a new Sharing Menu, the question was not whether it would be good — but whether it could balance looseness with the exacting standards that have long defined the house. The answer, reassuringly, is yes.

The concept, described by the restaurant as “a fresh, convivial and dynamic way to enjoy culinary experience”, is positioned as a natural evolution rather than a reinvention. In practical terms, it means that instead of moving sequentially through a rigid tasting format, the table becomes the stage. Starters and mains arrive in a considered rhythm, designed to be passed, discussed and experienced together. It is interactive and relaxed, without ever feeling casual. The à la carte menu and the six- and seven-course tasting journeys remain available, preserving the formal architecture of the Robuchon experience for those who want it.

A Parisian dining room on the Mediterranean

The dining room feels unmistakably Parisian — elegant but not austere — washed in soft, light green pastel tones and vertical lines that temper the formality. Service unfolds with quiet choreography. There is a sense that someone is always watching, but never hovering. The staff guide you through the menu with fluency and warmth; they are polished yet approachable, confident enough to laugh, perceptive enough to know when not to. Within minutes, you feel less like a first-time guest and more like a returning regular.

The food reflects the same balance of discipline and ease. Joël Robuchon, who held the record for the most Michelin stars in the world — more than 30 across his global restaurants — built his reputation on elevating simplicity to luxury. His pommes purée, whipped with astonishing amounts of butter, became shorthand for indulgent precision. His philosophy remains embedded in the kitchen here. As he once said, “Perfection is a lot of little things done well.” At Robuchon Monaco, those little things are everywhere.

Robuchon’s signature favourite – caviar and king crab. Photo credit: Cassandra Tanti

Then the food arrives

Our Sharing Menu begins with a procession of starters. The whitetail carpaccio arrives first — translucent slices lifted by a precise, flavour-packed garnish that transforms the dish into something quietly extraordinary. It is the finest carpaccio I have eaten. The salmon gravlax, served with homemade wholegrain mustard, is textbook in its balance of salt, sweetness and texture.

Then arrives what I am told is Robuchon Monaco’s most sought-after dish: King crab and Oscietra caviar, served in its tin. Beneath a lavish layer of Robuchon caviar rests sweet, generous chunks of king crab. Using a mother-of-pearl spoon, you delve through the layers, spooning the delicate mixture onto warm homemade blinis and petite toasts — or savouring it neat. The combination is as indulgent as it promises to be, and I find myself thinking I would gladly return for this alone, accompanied by a chilled glass of champagne.

The main courses sustain the momentum. The grilled wagyu entrecôte is seared to a dark, caramelised crust while remaining supple within, served simply with grilled asparagus and fresh spinach. The gigot d’agneau de lait au feu de bois — milk-fed lamb cooked over wood fire — is perfectly flavoursome and tender. As someone raised in Australia, where lamb is both commonplace and fiercely judged, I can say this was exceptional: delicate, deeply flavoured, unforced. And the potato purée? It is every bit as silken and indulgent as legend suggests. One suspects the butter content is formidable. One also decides not to ask.

Even with little room to spare, the crème caramel proves irresistible — trembling, bittersweet, immaculate.

Flavourful whitetail carpaccio and perfectly seared, decadently luscious wagyu

A legacy unfolding in Monaco

Robuchon Monaco does not exist in isolation. The brand’s journey in the Principality has been gradual and deliberate. Robuchon Le Deli opened first on Avenue Saint-Laurent, followed by Le Petit Café on Rue du Portier — a more intimate, café-style expression of the house. After the closure of its former address at the Hôtel Métropole Monte-Carlo, the opening of Robuchon Monaco on the Esplanade du Portier marked a confident return, conceived as the gastronomic flagship in Monaco. The new Sharing Menu feels like the next logical step in that progression: a loosening of structure without loosening standards.

Positioned at the far end of Monaco’s evolving food and bar strip, the restaurant sits slightly removed from the tourist current. When the terrace opens for the season, it will add another dimension to an address that already feels poised to anchor this growing neighbourhood. There is pleasure in stepping outside after dinner into the low hum of the surrounding establishments, aware that you have just experienced something memorable inside.

Credit is due to the team who bring that experience to life: assistant manager Salvatore Strangio, Chef Jonathan Larrieu, server Sophia and sommelier Nicolas Baan. Their assurance and attention to detail shape the evening as much as the kitchen does.

Robuchon once built an empire on the idea that greatness lies in the accumulation of small, disciplined acts. At Robuchon Monaco, that philosophy remains intact. The difference now is that it can be passed across the table.

See also: 

Brunch 2.0: Why Monaco’s weekend ritual just got a Robuchon upgrade

 

Main photo courtesy of Robuchon Monaco