This was published 6 years ago
Six of the best Monaco indulgences
6 ImagesIf it's an indulgence you're after, opportunity abounds in this luxurious principality.
1/6
Hotel Hermatige: Look no further for your chance to stay in an historic monument that has been at the heart of Monaco tourism since the early days of the principality's resurgence. The Belle-Époque decor is sumptuous, culminating in the Eiffel-designed conservatory dome of the Winter Garden, beneath which guests partake of breakfast bathed in stained-glass light.
2/6
Opera de Monte-Carlo: The Salle Garnier attached to Monte-Carlo's legendary casino was engineered by Gustave Eiffel and designed by architect Charles Garnier, also responsible for the opera house in Paris, and was inaugurated in 1879 with a performance by Sarah Bernhardt, signalling the principality's audacious cultural ambitions.
3/6
Restaurant Joel Robuchon: This restaurant's terrace has views over the sea, but prop yourself at the chef's table for an even more exclusive view into the open kitchen of this Michelin-star restaurant for a fascinating look at chefs and sous-chefs in action as they prepare your French haute cuisine nibbles.
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Monte-Carlo Beach Club: Though technically a sashay across the border into France, this glamorous beach club has been an essential part of Monaco's social life since the 1920s and retains much of its Art Deco style and all of its superb waterfront location.
5/6
Thermes Marins Spa: The sleek, light-flooded wellness centre in marble and glass is perched on a clifftop just below the casino, and overlooking Monaco's main harbour where luxury cruise ships dock and mega-yachts gleam. Don't be surprised to spot tennis stars and minor European royals pounding the treadmills.
6/6
Castelroc: Despite its location on the city walls across the square from the princely palace, this lovely restaurant is strangely overlooked – except, of course, by the Monegasques themselves, who've been eating here since the 1950s.
