Le Café de Paris  

On the Place du Casino, the terrace of the Café de Paris is the best zone for taking the temperature of Monaco. Philippe Jourdin (from the Four Seasons in Tourettes) put in a stint here last year; and then Jean-Claude Brugel, coming from the Monte-Carlo Beach, brought the calm wisdom of a Meilleur Ouvrier de France. Today the Café de Paris can open up a bit, even if what we look for here are general dishes and world specialties. Risottos, veal piccatta with eggplant caviar; roasted lamb; tete-de-veau with gribiche sauce; and baked andouillette are some house standards, as is the crepes Suzette (Wed. & Thu. nights) in winter. There's an oyster bar and an eclectic wine card, beers on tap (Weihenstephan), thematic weeks and special menus for Opera evenings. Polished, old-boy service.