Culinary specialties

Barbajuan. At the top of the list is the traditional barbajuan, or barbagiuan, a small fried roll stuffed with chard, spinach, ricotta cheese, grated parmesan, onions and leeks. The surprising name of this delicious appetizer comes from its creator, a certain Mr. Jean, who decided to fry the chard ravioli he was about to serve to his guests, due to a lack of sauce. The dish thus created was named "Barbajuan" or "Uncle Jean" in Monegasque.

Estocafic. Fish lovers will enjoy estocafic, or stockfish: a dried cod stew, rehydrated in olive oil and cooked with onion, garlic, black olives and rosemary, all washed down with white wine

Pearls of Monaco. The sea of Monaco offers other treasures, such as the famous oysters of Monte Carlo, better known as "pearls of Monaco", fished in the port of Fontvieille, and which are distinguished by their refined taste of hazelnut.

Pavés du Rocher. Inventedduring a contest on the occasion of Prince Rainier III's 25th birthday in 1974, these little sweets are made with cream, milk, honey, sugar, oranges, lemons and almonds, cut in the shape of a rock

Crêpe Suzette. Among the legends surrounding the birth of the crêpe Suzette, we find Monaco and, more precisely, its famous Café de Paris, where the Nice native Henri Charpentier was apprenticed. In his autobiography, he tells how he invented the famous dessert: while preparing orange pancakes soaked in cognac for the Prince of Wales, he accidentally ignited the liquor. Not wanting to lose face, Charpentier would have assured the Prince that he had invented this recipe, especially for his visit, and would have named it "crêpe Princesse". The Prince then asked that the pancake be renamed with the name of a little girl present among the guests, in this case Suzette. Although the veracity of the anecdote has never been established, the Café de Paris counts this dessert among its unmissable specialties

Galapian. While we're on the subject of desserts, galapian is also a must-try in the Principality, in the form of a sweet almond and cherry tart flavored with vanilla.

Tourta de blea. Also known as chard pie, it can be eaten both sweet and savory, depending on the preparation. It is sprinkled with powdered sugar for dessert.

Pissaladière. Coming from Nice, the pissaladière is a delicious hot or cold tart with candied onions, topped with anchovies and black olives. Its Monegasque version includes tomato. It is regularly served as an aperitif.

Pan Bagnat. A round vegetable sandwich bathed in olive oil that follows a very strict recipe and is even the subject of a culinary competition every year in the Côte d'Azur capital. Although some shopkeepers offer variations (particularly vegetarian), the people of Nice fiercely defend the original recipe!

Socca. A thin pancake made of hot chickpea flour and peppered with pepper.

Fougasse. Soft sweet or salty cookie, generally sprinkled with red and white aniseed

U Pan de Natale. Also called "Christmas bread", this small round bread is eaten during the end of year celebrations. It is recognizable by its four nuts arranged in a cross around an olive branch, symbol of peace and prosperity.

Local drinks

Beer from Monaco. Made from organic malts, it has been brewed for years in the Port Hercule Brewery. Note that there is no shortage of local craft beers, especially from the Côte d'Azur valleys.

Monaco Cocktail. Red and white cocktail, in the colors of the flag of the Principality, made with grenadine and white beer.

L'Orangerie. A liqueur similar to its Italian neighbor, limoncello, concocted for generations thanks to the 600 orange trees present in the Principality. In fact, bitter oranges, or bigarades, are harvested every year in January and distributed to the resident population. Every year, no less than eleven tons of fruit are harvested

Côte d'Azur wines. The Côte d'Azur has a number of vineyards that produce red, white and rosé wines. These sunny wines come from the domains of Saint-Jeannet or Bellet, near Nice, or Villars-sur-Var, the only AOC Côtes de Provence in the Alpes-Maritimes department

The olive from every angle

If you want to cook Monegasque style, or even Côte d'Azur style, one condiment in particular must have a place of choice in your cupboards and your plates, to honor the local culinary heritage. It is, of course, the olive and its derivatives

Olive. Let's talk about the olive as such, grown with passion in the Mediterranean basin. And for good reason: the sun, the heat and the dry soil greatly favor its cultivation. Green or black, but always full of oil, it can be enjoyed without moderation!

Olive oil. It is your best ally in the kitchen. Extracted according to a very precise process and often perfumed, virgin olive oil is on sale in all markets

Tapenade. Fresh and tasty, tapenade is a small purée made of black olives, capers and anchovies, which is generously spread on a slice of bread

Eating habits

Closely related to France, the Principality of Monaco has the same meal times as in France. However, one aspect should catch your attention: although this territory is very small, it is full of restaurants and culinary spots, which will allow you to taste local products and Italian or Côte d'Azur specialties, as well as atypical dishes. Many chefs are interested in world cuisine, so Mediterranean gastronomy is not the only one on board!

The markets

Even if there are many gourmet restaurants in Monaco, it is possible to have a snack on the go, especially by taking advantage of the two markets in the Principality. The Condamine market, on the Place d'Armes, has been offering fresh fruit and vegetables every day for nearly 150 years. The "halle gourmande", just behind it, is home to a plethora of food stands, to eat in or take away, where it is easy to treat yourself at low prices. The Monte-Carlo market is located on Avenue Saint-Charles. Market gardeners and producers are present every day, and the booths offer many Mediterranean specialties, to be enjoyed all day long