TASTE TEST: Chez Pierre, where you feel at home
Santi Caleca
Perhaps the most family-friendly restaurant in Monte Carlo?
Charm and discretion. As you go down the escalators of the fabulous Métropole Shopping Center, you may not have noticed a small sign, suggesting you turn around. It would be a pity not to! Because this sign is inviting you to head to “Chez Pierre”, a brand new restaurant that has taken up residence in the shopping centre.
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An intimate venue, decorated with taste and finesse, combining comfy red seating, white tablecloths and chequered floors. Jazz songs, such as It’s a good day by Peggy Lee, or Let’s Misbehave by Irving Aaronson, or even Zaz’s cover version of Champs-Elysées , can be heard over the tinkling of glasses. On the walls, the most beautiful spots in London, Paris and Monaco are depicted on golden, old-fashioned glass panels.
A family adventure
Pierre Baldelli, the proprietor, welcomes you in person into the warm atmosphere. After sixteen months of work refurbishing what was formerly a Japanese restaurant, the premises were completely redesigned, to the point that customers felt that the premises had been extended.
It’s a brand new adventure for Pierre, who already had experience in the restaurant business. Having worked at Cipriani Monte-Carlo, he launched the new venue with his sons Luca, who works in the dining room, and Marco, who works behind the impressive and elegant bar. “It’s totally a family affair,” says Pierre. “Food brings us together. Everything that is on the menu is food that we eat, food that we love.”
And the family touch is felt at every level. The cozy room, which has a mellow atmosphere in the evening, can accommodate about 50 guests. Very varied guests in fact, since families with children are welcome, as are dogs, who are provided with a small cushion or mat to lie down on during the meal. “It’s a small restaurant for locals, for people in the know. As they say, “Those who know, know”, Pierre explains. “Having kids in a restaurant is brilliant, and very important.”
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Even the name comes from this intention to have an intimate, almost secret restaurant: “I had left my previous job, I was looking for premises, and a former customer said, ‘When are we going to eat ‘Chez Pierre’ (at Pierre’s)?’ So it was that person who came up with the name of the restaurant. “
The menu, concise and to the point, is made up of purely seasonal products and therefore changes regularly. But the establishment still has some signature dishes, such as organic eggs mimosa, glazed shoulder of veal with jus and confit of endives, or meringue float with pink pralines.
“We work with local products,” Pierre adds. “We use fromage frais and craft beers from Sospel, olive oil that’s made in Valbonne… We’re here to support local producers. Even the cushions come from the MyCrown collection, with 30% of the cushions’ sale price going to the Albert II Foundation.”
Our opinion
We are happy to borrow an expression from Pierre’s customers: the restaurant is a veritable “candy jar of happiness“. The warm atmosphere and the smiling, welcoming service by the staff immediately make you feel comfortable, and you can easily imagine having lunch or dinner here with your family, colleagues or other half.
As far as the food is concerned, it’s quality all the way! The fresh produce is harmoniously paired and you can’t help but enjoy the simple but creatively prepared dishes. Whether it’s the ratatouille with pesto, the eggs mimosa with a homemade mayonnaise “with a secret ingredient“, or the “Salade Pierre” accompanied by a good mustard sauce, you are bound to enjoy what you choose, and it is excellent value for money.
Desserts are not forgotten: you can enjoy crispy profiteroles, deliciously topped with homemade hot chocolate sauce, or fresh strawberries with chantilly. Indulge yourself!
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Finally, if you want to accompany your meal with a glass or a bottle of wine, there is a wide selection of thirty items (as well as seven champagnes). And connoisseurs should definitely take a look at “Pierre’s secret drawer”, you won’t be disappointed!
Pierre’s presence in the dining room is much appreciated, as he passes from table to table for a quick chat: “my goal is that you feel good”. And it would be an understatement to say ‘mission accomplished’!
Pierre has also agreed to share a little secret with Monaco Tribune and its readers. If you want to connect to the internet, the restaurant’s wifi password is “chezvous” (at home). Of course!
Practical details:
- Métropole Shopping Centre, 4 Avenue de la Madone, 98000 Monaco
- Open Mondays to Saturdays for lunch and dinner (open in the afternoon for coffee or aperitif)
- Lunch menu: 29€ (main course + dessert + coffee)
- +377 99 92 07 92