La Vigie Zanoni Monte-Carlo has opened at the tip of the Monte-Carlo Beach peninsula, bringing chef Simone Zanoni’s Italian cooking to one of the Riviera’s most recognisable headlands. The restaurant welcomed its first guests on 12 June, marking the property’s headline arrival for the 2026 season as Monte-Carlo Beach returns for the summer.
What to expect at La Vigie Zanoni Monte-Carlo
The headland it occupies, Pointe La Vigie, has long drawn swimmers and yachts to its waters off the Roquebrune-Cap-Martin coast, minutes from Monaco. At La Vigie Zanoni Monte-Carlo, the menu leans into generous sharing plates, seasonal pastas and carefully selected meats and fish, with flavours built for long afternoons by the sea rather than formal, multi-course dining.
Signature dishes include tuna crudo with strawberries, arancini and pastas from Zanoni’s repertoire, among them tortellini carbonara and ravioli with braised veal shoulder. The setting is decorated with lemons and bees, with small pots of honey placed on each table, a nod to the chef’s interest in seasonal, locally minded produce.
Zanoni frames the project around atmosphere as much as food. “What we try to do is not just to create something delicious, but to create a fantastic environment where everybody feels well,” he says. At lunch the kitchen leans on lighter, sharing-led plates, while evenings bring a slower, more relaxed mood as the light fades across the bay.
From Lake Garda to the Riviera
The chef behind La Vigie Zanoni Monte-Carlo, Simone Zanoni, grew up near Lake Garda in Lombardy and trained through Gordon Ramsay’s restaurant group, later heading the group’s three-Michelin-starred London flagship. He went on to earn a Michelin star at Le George, the Italian restaurant at Four Seasons Hotel George V in Paris, in 2017, followed by a Michelin green star for his work on sustainable sourcing. He also runs L’Italien par Simone Zanoni at La Mamounia in Marrakech.
Beyond the restaurants, Zanoni has built an unusually large public profile for a chef of his standing, helped in part by Casa Zanoni, his online store and the series of home cooking videos he started filming during lockdown, alongside books and television appearances. His style favours warmth over formality, an outlook that suits the relaxed, sun-led mood of the new opening.
Sea views and long lunches
La Vigie Zanoni Monte-Carlo can be reached on foot along a path through the pine forest or by boat, thanks to a private jetty that makes it a natural stop for those out on the water. Lunches are designed to run into music-filled evenings, with sharing plates that guests can order at their own pace.
“What we want to do is leave people the freedom to consume it the way they want,” Zanoni says.
Monte-Carlo Beach sits within the Monte-Carlo Société des Bains de Mer group and operates as a seasonal property on the French side of the border, a short distance from the Principality. The 2026 season opened in April, and the Italian restaurant gives the resort a new dining option at its furthest point, away from the main pool and beach club.
The opening joins a busy season at Monte-Carlo Beach, which counts the Michelin-starred Elsa among its restaurants. La Vigie Zanoni Monte-Carlo runs through the summer, serving from lunch into the evening at the tip of the peninsula.
Quick summary – La Vigie Zanoni Monte-Carlo
- 📍 Location: Pointe La Vigie, Monte-Carlo Beach peninsula, Roquebrune-Cap-Martin
- 🍝 Cuisine: Seasonal Italian, Mediterranean
- 🥂 Signature experience: Sharing plates from lunch into the evening
- ✨ Ambience: Sea views, lemon and bee décor, music-filled evenings
- 📅 Open: From 12 June
- 🚤 Access: On foot via the pine forest or by boat to the private jetty
montecarlosbm.com/en/restaurant-monaco/la-vigie-zanoni, @montecarlosbm
