Monaco Life steps outside of the Monaco bubble to track down the restaurants with the finest sea views that the French Riviera has to offer.
Sun, sea and haute cuisine… Residents and visitors on the French Riviera are spoilt for choice when it comes to great restaurants and great views, so Monaco Life has narrowed down the list of “must try” experiences to a select number of high quality dining destinations that might well include some you haven’t heard of.
From Menton to Saint Tropez, make sure at least one – if not all – of these delectable addresses is on your restaurant card this summer.
Casa Fuego in Menton
Perched on the edge of Menton, Casa Fuego is the lesser-known and perhaps more relaxed sister to the world-renowned Mirazur. Mauro Colagreco’s Argentinian-inspired restaurant, which places the asado grill at its heart, looks out over the old town and the Mediterranean from a cosy, but still sublimely designed interior and intimate terrace space.
Prices are very reasonable given the quality of the cuisine on offer. Expect classic local dishes combined with the chef’s native Argentinian favourites, all cooked on a wood fire.
Ceto in Roquebrune-Cap-Martin
Everyone was waiting for the grand opening of the Maybourne Riviera, formerly Vista Palace, and its Michelin-starred restaurant Ceto, led by iconic chef Mauro Colagreco, is proving itself well-worth the hype.
Seafood reigns supreme here, with a menu deeply inspired by all the ocean has to offer. Highlights include the sea lettuce ravioli with langoustine and a citrus consommé, blue lobster with violet artichoke from Nice and a whiskey butter, shellfish in vermouth, and the catch of the day with asparagus infused with kumquats and a micro-seaweed sabayon with a sea urchin dressing.
Even the desserts get a sprinkling of the sea. The cuisine is creative, beautiful and perfectly matched by the incredible panorama from this exciting address.
It does have a Michelin-star, so expect gastronomy prices with the world-class view.
SEEN by Olivier in Nice
The Anantara Plaza Hotel hasn’t long opened, but its gastronomic rooftop restaurant is already proving popular with the city’s foodie set. The menu is clearly fusion-focused thanks to restaurateur Olivier da Costa’s background in Lisbon, Sao Paulo and Bangkok. This is the fifth SEEN by Olivier to open and he describes it as an “immersion of all the senses in pure indulgence”.
Lobster buns sit alongside Wagyu rump linguine and beef shank with pink berries and chives on an eclectic, world food menu. But it’s the metropolitan view that Monaco Life loves it for: a 360° extravaganza of the Riviera’s capital and its stunning Baie des Anges.
Maison de Bacon in Antibes
Head down the coast a little and you’ll come to the city of Antibes, a forever favourite with tourists in the region thanks to its picturesque cobbled streets and status as a capital of luxury yachting. But instead of wandering the old town looking for a place for a bite to eat, Monaco Life recommends driving a bit further to the Cap d’Antibes peninsular. It’s here you’ll find a true classic.
Maison de Bacon dates back to 1948, when it was established by the Sordello family who ran the restaurant until 2021, when it was purchased by the talented restaurateur Laurent Le Fur. Major renovations have taken place over the last few years, but the spirit of the restaurant, its epic views and some of its dishes remain the same. Tradition is important here and the menu champions local delicacies and just-landed catches like no other.
La Passagère in Juan-les-Pins
Just the other side of the Cap d’Antibes is the Belles Rives hotel, a place renowned for its literary and artistic links with the greats of the 20th century, such as F. Scott Fitzgerald, Ernest Hemingway and Pablo Picasso. The views here stretch out beyond Juan-les-Pins, Golfe-Juan and Cannes to the impressive Estérel mountains in the distance.
Location is key at La Passagère, with “culinary gems” of the region dominant on Chef Aurélien Véquaud’s seductive Michelin-starred menu: spider crab with a verbena foam and caviar; locally-caught wild fish with green beans, girolles and kalamansi; and bonito with lemon.
L’Or Bleu in Théoule-sur-Mer (main image)
Next up is this jewel of a destination: a Michelin-starred restaurant within the confines of an elegant hotel that boasts simply jaw-dropping views of the Estérel mountain range and the near untouched crystal waters of this part of the coast.
Dining at L’Or Bleu is a genuinely spectacular experience thanks to Chef Alain Montigny’s – a former Meilleur Ouvrier de France – ever-changing menu that juxtaposes Mediterranean classics with flavours of the world beyond.
Récif in Saint Raphaël
With the Cap Dramont to one side and the sprawling sandy beaches of Saint Raphaël to the other, the 1950s Roches Rouges hotel and its Michelin-starred Récif restaurant were always going to be head turners.
Chef José Bailly has taken meat entirely off the menu, allowing for a fully immersive experience into the world of the sea and its bounties. Two menus are offered by: the five course Anecdotes for €135 or the six course Mare Nostrum for €160. Either is a winner.
Club l’Indochine in Saint Tropez
The final stop on our gourmet tour of great sea view restaurants has to be in Saint Tropez. Of course, this is a place known for its incredible dining scene and emblematic hotels, but this address offers something a little different.
Club l’Indochine by The Duc Ngo is found at the ultra-glamourous Villa Belrose. It’s the product of a clever collaboration between German-Vietnamese chef and entrepreneur The Duc Ngo and French chef Jimmy Coutel, who together present two contrasting styles: that of the historically haute cuisine France and that of “the fresh, expressive cuisine of Indochina”.
If this pairing and the unparalleled views of the Bay of Saint Tropez aren’t enough to tempt you, then what about this… The hotel boasts a vast selection of over 500 exclusively French wines, which makes Club l’Indochine’s wine list one of the most extensive in the south of France.
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Main photo view from L’Or Bleu source: Hôtel Tiara Yaktsa Côte d’Azur