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Café de Paris, Monte Carlo
2010-07-26 10:00
More information and interactive maps for the Cafe de Paris
In 1868, to the delight of Russian royalty and European nobility, the steam train arrived in Monaco, and among the first ports of call for those early tourists would have been the newly-built Cafe Divan.
Built in the form of a Swiss chalet, with a view of the
Jardins des Boulingrins,
this favoured institution offered coffee, billiards, a tobacconist's and a perfumier. Over the years that followed it evolved into the
Cafe de Paris that we know today, and which still serves its original purpose as the mother of all meeting places.
The cafe's Art Nouveau interior dates, surprisingly, from the 1980s, but exudes a timelessness which fits in entirely with the buildings in its immediate neighbourhood - Charles Garnier's original Opera and
Casino, and the Hotel de Paris. And that's the point. Because, whether you're taking your mid-morning espresso, sipping a cocktail after a day of heavy-duty relaxation, or simply watching the world go by, just being here makes you part of the Monte Carlo story. People-watching,
car-spotting, coffee-drinking - it's all part of the pleasurable experience of being in Monaco.
Like everywhere else in Monaco, everything is possible at the
Cafe. So if you want gourmet dishes, slot machines or live music, they're all available without moving very far from your table, and there are more pleasures throughout the year. From October to March each year there's an
oyster bar during the day, and flaming
crepes suzettes (invented in Monaco) in the evenings.
And if you do come and take lunch here - highly recommended - do look out for the programme of celebrity speakers that runs throughout the year.
More information and interactive maps for the Cafe de Paris