"Harry's Bar Venice transplanted to Monaco's marina since 2010 — order the beef carpaccio and a Bellini, and book it for an anniversary."
Giuseppe Cipriani opened Harry's Bar in Venice in 1931 and, along the way, invented both the Bellini and beef carpaccio. Cipriani Monte Carlo, which opened in 2010 on Avenue Princesse Grace, is the family's outpost above the Larvotto marina: the same menu, the same brown-leather armchairs and mahogany, the same dishes that made the name. You come for the carpaccio sliced translucent, the Bellini poured from white-peach purée and Prosecco, and a room dressed to feel like the saloon of a private yacht. It is expensive in the way Monaco is expensive, and it does not apologize for it.
The Kitchen
The Cipriani kitchen does not chase Michelin stars; it protects a canon. The beef carpaccio, raw beef sliced paper-thin under the pale mustard-and-mayonnaise sauce Giuseppe Cipriani created at Harry's Bar in 1950, is the dish to order and the reason the word carpaccio exists. After it come the Venetian staples the family has served for decades: baby artichoke salad, tagliolini gratinati with prosciutto, risotto, calf's liver alla veneziana, and a whole branzino.
The Bellini, invented in the same Venice bar around 1948, is the aperitivo, arriving tall with white-peach purée and Prosecco. Desserts close on the Cipriani vanilla meringue cake. Cooking is deliberately conservative; this is hospitality and consistency rather than invention, executed by a brigade trained to the house standard set in Venice. Plan on €150 to €250 a head once you add a starter, a pasta, a main, and a Bellini or two. The bill is a Monaco bill, and the marina view is part of what you are paying for, not an accident of the location.
The Room
The room is built to evoke a luxury yacht: brown leather armchairs, mahogany panelling, polished steel, mirrors, and a marble floor, with windows and a terrace facing the Larvotto marina and the superyachts moored along it. Lighting is warm and flattering, and sound is a confident, moneyed hum that rises in high season. Tables are generously spaced; this is a see-and-be-seen room, but not a cramped one. Dress is smart and resort-elegant: no formal jacket rule, but Monaco dresses up, and beachwear is out despite the marina setting. Service is polished, multilingual, and used to a demanding clientele. The terrace is the seat to request in summer.
Best for an Anniversary in Monte Carlo
Book Cipriani for an anniversary because it delivers occasion without a tasting-menu marathon. First, the terrace over the Larvotto marina at dusk is one of the most romantic seats in Monaco, with the superyachts lit up below and the sea beyond. Second, the meal is à la carte and paced to your evening: start with Bellinis and carpaccio, share a pasta, and you are never locked into three hours facing the kitchen. Third, the room has the glamour the occasion wants, dressed-up old-school Riviera dining, the kind of evening that photographs well and feels like a celebration. Reserve the terrace in summer, arrive for sunset, and open with two Bellinis before the carpaccio.
Not for
Skip Cipriani if you are price-sensitive or want cutting-edge cooking — this is conservative Venetian food at full Monaco prices, and the marina view is part of the bill.
Frequently Asked
Is Cipriani Monte Carlo worth it?
It depends on what you want. For the Cipriani classics done properly, beef carpaccio and a Bellini, with a terrace over the marina, yes; for value, no, because Monaco prices are steep and the cooking is conservative rather than thrilling. Plan on €150 to €250 a head. You are buying glamour, consistency, and the view as much as the food. Compare it with the city's best in our Monte Carlo dining guide.
How hard is it to book Cipriani Monte Carlo?
Easy in the off-season, harder in summer and during big events. Reserve by phone at +377 93 25 42 50 or through the restaurant site, and book well ahead for July and August and during the Grand Prix, when the terrace goes first. Lunch is generally easier than dinner. Ask specifically for a terrace table over the marina, since that is the seat worth having here.
What is the dress code at Cipriani Monte Carlo?
Smart and resort-elegant. There is no formal jacket-and-tie rule, but Monaco dresses up and beachwear is not welcome despite the marina setting. Think linen and a blazer rather than shorts and sandals; women dress for a night out. The crowd is monied and the room is see-and-be-seen, so erring toward smarter is the safer call, especially on the terrace in summer.
What is the average meal price at Cipriani Monte Carlo?
Plan on €150 to €250 per person once you add a starter, a pasta, a main, and a couple of Bellinis; the Bellini itself runs around €20 and up. Truffle dishes, the seafood, and serious wine push it higher. This is full Monaco pricing, and a chunk of it is the marina-front location. Service is included on the Riviera but a further tip is customary.
Is Cipriani Monte Carlo good for an anniversary?
Yes, especially the terrace at sunset over the Larvotto marina, which is one of the more romantic seats in the principality. The à la carte format keeps the meal as long or short as you like, and the room has old-school Riviera glamour. Reserve the terrace and arrive for dusk. For more ideas, see our anniversary dinners guide.
What should I order at Cipriani Monte Carlo?
Open with a Bellini and the beef carpaccio, the two things the Cipriani family invented and the reason to come. Follow with the baby artichoke salad and the tagliolini gratinati with prosciutto, then calf's liver alla veneziana or the whole branzino. Finish with the Cipriani vanilla meringue cake. The classics are where this kitchen is strongest; the off-menu specials are less the point.