The Fairmont Monte Carlo is positioned in an amazing location, right in front of the famous Monte Carlo Casino, overlooking the Mediterranean Sea. The hotel has an extensive rooftop terrace which is home to the Horizon Rooftop Monaco restaurant.
We had an amazing lunch here the first time we visited Monaco back in 2011, so we decided to relive the experience and made a booking for during our holiday in nearby Nice in 2019.
Nice Ville Railway Station
Monaco is only a 22-25 minute train ride from Nice (depending on which train service you take), and Nice Ville’s railway station is only a 15 minute walk from the apartment we had rented. So it was super easy to take a trip to Monaco and spend time exploring the small Principality. In fact we stayed in Nice for two weeks, and had four day trips to Monaco during this time.
On the day of our lunch, we dressed to fit the scene, Hubby in a white linen shirt, and a nice pastel mediterranean-inspired green number for me. After breakfast in the apartment (a light breakfast, we were saving ourselves for our lunch), we headed on foot to Nice Ville railway station.
At the station, you buy your tickets using the self service machines. Issues to note here include that some machines will typically be out of order, and there are large crowds of tourists (mostly) lining up for the machines that work. We had allowed extra time to queue. The machines themselves, when working, are good. There are English language options, and it’s easy to buy a ticket if you know the name of the station you are headed to. We bought our two return tickets to Monaco-Monte-Carlo station for €16.40 in total (2019 pricing).
Given this wasn’t our first day trip to Monaco this holiday, we knew the ins and outs. We checked which platform, and smugly navigated the gates, escalators down and stairs up to reach the platform in plenty of time. You need to have your ticket stamped as you leave the ticket hall and access the platform area (not on the platform itself). We knew this, as we had got this wrong on our first day trip.
The Train to Monaco
Nice to Monaco is a popular train route. The platform quickly became crowded and only some of us would secure a seat for the trip. We were heading out early to maximise our time in Monaco, so there were also business commuters amongst the tourists. We were fortunate this time and were able to take the journey seated. There are a small number of stations between Nice and Monaco, so more people typically alight throughout the journey.
Monaco-Monte-Carlo station has been built entirely underground. It was spotless each time we visited. A tip should you ever arrive in Monaco by train is that there are a number of exits which will conveniently take you directly to different areas of Monaco. So take the time to check the maps to see which exit will save you time getting to where you need to be. You can sort this out in advance – here is a link with information on the exits. We were actually visiting a couple of shops before our lunch so we took the Parvis Sainte-Dévote exit.
The Fairmont’s ‘Horizon Rooftop Monaco’
After some shopping along Rue Grimaldi, which resulted in new shorts for Hubby, we made our way to the Fairmont. We opted to walk, as it was only 20 minutes from where we were, and it’s a great way to enjoy more of picturesque Monaco. The port, and the way Monaco is built up into the surrounding hills is the kind of view we can’t imagine ever growing tired of.
On arriving at the Fairmont, we made our way through the bustling lobby to the elevators, and rode up to the Horizon rooftop restaurant.
The Terrace
The rooftop terrace which houses the restaurant is extensive! An elevated wooden platform ensures that those tables not right against the balcony still have a great view of the sea. White umbrellas and wispy white curtains provide shade and privacy for the outer tables. The tables on the elevated wooden platform are sheltered by an extensive vergola system, adjusted to provide airflow and shade as needed. This all makes for a very comfortable setting.
We were greeted on arrival and given some options for where we would like to sit. We chose a table with a view out to sea. Note that a program of land reclamation has been happening in Monaco, and one section of reclamation is taking place adjacent to the Fairmont. It was underway while we were visiting, and did result in some background noise. However it was easy to block this out, and we sat with a view away from the work.
Wine was our first point of business, and we ordered a bottle of Italian Pinot Grigio (€60, 2019). It was opened at the table and was accompanied by an ice bucket. The wine stayed refreshingly cool across our lunch.
The Array of Options
Horizon is a buffet (€45 each, 2019), and a very well executed one! Fish and meat fillets are nicely presented for you to select from before being cooked to order by chefs working a number of grills. The focus of the buffet is seafood, and the range of options is fantastic. Being summer, salads of all descriptions were also on display, and regularly refreshed. The attention to detail is great and makes for happy dining.
We ordered our fish, tuna for me, and salmon for Hubby, and selected our accompaniments. Then we sat back to enjoy the afternoon. We returned to the buffet to try different options, and to get more of the dishes we loved.
There was no shortage of beautifully presented desserts either. A range of colourful cakes, pastries, mousses, fresh fruit and even macarons were on display. We could also choose from striking round bottles of fruit juices to complement. Tea and coffee was included and we chose espressos.
With the sun shining on to the Mediterranean Sea, the blue skies, and fantastic ambience, we were enjoying our afternoon. It made for a relaxing way to spend some time. The people watching didn’t disappoint either.
Heading Home via the Monte Carlo Casino
Eventually it was time to head back to Nice. I mentioned at the start of the story that the Fairmont is adjacent to the Monte Carlo Casino. As Monaco is quite hilly, the Horizon restaurant is almost level with the elevated casino. So instead of taking the elevators back down and leaving via the lobby, there is an exit which will take you straight to the sea facing side of the casino via a short walkway.
We stopped for some photos of the amazing Casino building before making our way back to the immaculate Monaco-Monte-Carlo station for our return trip to Nice. We certainly didn’t need any dinner that night!