In Monaco, restaurants rarely survive on cuisine alone.
Atmosphere matters.
View matters.
Music matters.
And increasingly, storytelling matters too.
Few addresses currently combine all five with as much theatrical confidence as Em Sherif Monte-Carlo, which has now reopened for its fifth season inside the legendary Hôtel de Paris Monte-Carlo.
After its traditional seasonal closure, the Lebanese fine-dining destination welcomed guests back on 10 April with a refreshed 2026 menu that continues the restaurant’s evolution from elegant Levantine restaurant into one of Monaco’s most immersive Mediterranean dining experiences.
Founded in Beirut in 2011 by Mireille Hayek, the Em Sherif group has expanded internationally from Lebanon to London and Doha while preserving a highly refined interpretation of Lebanese gastronomy. Since arriving in Monaco in 2022, the Monte-Carlo address has steadily established itself as one of the Principality’s most distinctive culinary escapes.
At the centre of that success stands Executive Chef Yasmina Hayek.
A graduate of the prestigious Institut Paul Bocuse and daughter of founder Mireille Hayek, she represents the new generation of Lebanese haute cuisine: technically polished, highly creative and deeply attached to family culinary traditions.
For 2026, her kitchen introduces several striking additions to the menu.
Among the new signature grills are Le Lobster, skewers of marinated blue lobster tail served with fennel condiment, alongside Lahmeh Black Angus, featuring marinated Black Angus beef skewers paired with zaatar chimichurri. Another standout arrives in the form of Shawarma Lahmeh: slow-confited lamb shank accompanied by artichokes and coriander.
Yet the soul of Em Sherif still lives inside its mezze.
Guests continue to gather around generous selections of hot and cold Lebanese classics, from silky hummus blended with tahini, lemon and extra-virgin olive oil to smoky muttabal with flame-grilled aubergine and pomegranate. Familiar favourites such as spicy Batata Harra and grilled marinated halloumi remain essential parts of the experience.
Desserts, meanwhile, continue the restaurant’s balancing act between nostalgia and reinvention.
The famous Baklawa Em Sherif returns once again with its pistachio variations, joined this season by creations such as Meghli, the traditional spiced rice-flour pudding with nuts, and a more contemporary Coconut Riz bi Halib combining coconut rice pudding, puffed rice nougatine, mango-passion fruit and cardamom sorbet.
Cocktails also play a central role in the restaurant’s identity.
Signature drinks such as the Beirut Mule, blending rum, arak and citrus, sit alongside creations including Oasis on the Rock with gin, green tea, ginger and verbena, and the floral Rose Royale featuring Champagne, St-Germain, lime and rose. Each can also be prepared in alcohol-free versions, reflecting Monaco’s growing appetite for sophisticated non-alcoholic mixology.
Of course, much of the appeal lies beyond the plate.
The restaurant’s terrace overlooking the Mediterranean has become one of the season’s most atmospheric evening settings, especially as live music performances and DJ sets return from Friday to Sunday, expanding to nightly entertainment throughout July and August.
The adjoining Chicha Lounge Bar adds another layer to the experience, transforming dinner into a full Riviera night out rather than a simple meal.
This year, the venue will even lean slightly into sport culture, with selected matches from the 2026 FIFA World Cup scheduled to be broadcast within the lounge area.
Dinner service runs daily from 7:30 pm to 10:15 pm, with three nightly sittings during peak summer months. Guests may dine à la carte or select the “Beyrouth Mon Amour” menu priced at €220 excluding drinks and mignardises.
The dress code remains “Casual Chic,” although shorts are still firmly unwelcome, a reminder that even Monaco’s relaxed glamour continues to maintain certain traditions of formality.
And now, appropriately enough for a restaurant built around reinvention, guests will enter through a brand-new entrance on Avenue de Monte-Carlo.
