Things to do in Monaco and Monte Carlo

Delivered to your email box first thing on Thursday morning.

September 30th Newsletter

A matter of life and death. (1)

Good news this week for electric vehicle owners. The number of charging points in Monaco are to be increased and updated to provide faster charging. No subscription is needed and they're free to use. Check the live web page to find your closest terminal.

Eating & Drinking

Monte Carlo SBM's "culinary weeks" began on Monday, with classic Greek dishes being served for lunch at the Deck until Sunday. This is the first of seven themed events taking place in different properties up to the New Year. Coming up: 11-17 October, Caribbean cuisine all day long at Mada One; 25-31 October, seasonal vegetable dishes at Limun; 15-21 November, Monegasque specialities in the Casino's Salon Rose; 29 November-5 December, Far Eastern lunch and dinner menu at Orange Vert; 6-12 December, shellfish at Cafe de Paris; 10-16 January 2022, healthy food at Hirondelle.

Next year the Cafe de Paris is closing temporarily. It's to be completely demolished and rebuilt, retaining the style but changing the layout. Reopening is scheduled for June 2023, when there'll be a new first floor restaurant with views of the square.

Sport

The FIA has announced changes to Monaco Grand Prix in 2022, removing the Friday rest day for drivers. Other than some rescheduling it's not expected to affect the 4-day event much.

Two new ping-pong tables have been installed in Princess Antoinette park. Bring your own bats and balls.

Covid

Very few changes to Covid restrictions were announced last weekend. Theatres can now fill 100% of their seats, and restaurants can take bookings for groups of 12. However masks remain obligatory outdoors. The Government's reasoning is that with cooler weather on the way as well as high infection in the surrounding region and a vaccination uptake which could better, there's a risk that the number of cases will begin to rise again.

Over in France teenagers will need a health pass from today to access cinemas, sports halls, restaurants and other venues. The measure is designed to encourage +12s to get vaccinated.

Last weekend in Nice the antivax-anti-pass protest turned nasty, with police having to use tear gas. The demonstrators were angry about an order for all future protests to be static, to avoid marches through the town centre disrupting Saturday shopping. One of the demonstrators has since been jailed for 10 months.

And finally...

You'll get more than you bargained for shopping on Boulevard des Moulins. Up to 2 October shopkeepers hope to boost trade with street entertainment, instagrammable decor, games and parades. Enjoy!

What's in the diary...