Beefbar Monaco, the original Beefbar on Fontvieille harbour

Beefbar is a global name these days, with restaurants from Milan and Edinburgh to New York, but it began here, on Fontvieille harbour, in 2005. That’s why people look it up as if it were one of Monaco’s sights, and in a way it is. I think it’s a good spot for steak with the sea in front of you, as long as you’re clear which part of the menu is sensible and which part is a splurge.

The first of its name

Riccardo Giraudi’s brand opened its first Beefbar here in 2005, and the restaurant bills itself as the original and a reference for meat lovers on the Riviera. It’s at 42 Quai Jean-Charles Rey, facing the marina at Fontvieille and well away from the bustle of Casino Square. The architecture is smart and the mood relaxed.

This is also where the first Beefbar Butcher Shop opened, a new-style butcher’s counter designed by the studio Humbert & Poyet, with big marble and brass fridges showing off the cuts, the breeds and the beef charcuterie. There’s even a set of Bernardaud porcelain plates decorated with colourful emojis, six starter plates made just for this branch.

If you don’t know the area, I cover it in Fontvieille harbour, one of the quietest walks in Monaco.

What should you order at Beefbar Monaco?

It starts with what the house calls street food, sharing plates borrowed from around the world. The ribeye ham Croque Sando with the house sauce at 32; Rock Corn with spicy mayo at 22; Kobe beef gyozas; mini burgers or Angus tacos. There’s also a section of Monaco icons, with Maison Perrin ravioli and truffle cream at 39, and the grilled coquelet they’ve served since 2005, at 42.

Then comes the serious meat. The restaurant says it imports directly, with no middlemen, from France, Italy, the United States, Japan, Namibia and Australia. The 200 g French filet mignon from the Giraudi selection is 44. At the other extreme are the so-called emperor cuts, Kobe or Matsusaka wagyu, at 145 per 100 g. Sides are extra, with fries at 14.

How much will it cost?

The PDF menus don’t print a currency symbol, but in Monaco you pay in euros. With a shared starter, a 200 g fillet and a side, reckon on about 75 a head before drinks and pudding. Wander into the Japanese cuts and the bill takes off, since 300 g of Kobe at that rate comes to over 400.

My move would be to come at lunchtime. The Ultimate Smash Cheeseburger, with a double Black Angus patty, is 34 at lunch and 45 at dinner. Same dish, same harbour, eleven less. The lunch menu also carries the same French filet mignon at 44, so a proper steak doesn’t have to wait for the evening either.

Opening hours and booking

Beefbar opens for lunch every day from 12:00 to 14:30. Dinner runs Sunday to Thursday from 19:30 to 22:30, and Friday and Saturday until 23:00. Book by phone on +377 97 77 09 29, by email at [email protected] or through the website.

It’s in the Michelin Guide’s Monaco selection, without a star, listed under meats. If you want starred cooking, the full list is in Monaco’s Michelin-starred restaurants.

Fitting it into your visit

Fontvieille is the part of Monaco most visitors skip, which is a shame. Beefbar is a stroll from the Stade Louis II, so on an AS Monaco match day it’s the obvious dinner. And if you come to Fontvieille in the morning to see the district, lunching here saves you heading back into the centre.

For a side-by-side with the rest of the city, cheap eats to splurges, my shortlist is in where to eat in Monaco. And if what you’re after is proper Monégasque food, that’s a different story, told in Monaco’s food.

My verdict

I like Beefbar for two reasons. It’s the original, which counts for something in a city full of international chains’ branches, and it publishes its menu with prices. At lunchtime, with a burger or a French fillet and a view of the harbour, it’s one of the pricey meals in Monaco that makes sense to me. At night, with wagyu by the gram, it becomes a treat you have to decide for yourself whether to pay for.