Stars 'N' Bars Monaco

Who knew that one afternoon I would be sitting on the terrace overlooking Port Hercule in Monaco at an American themed sports bar and restaurant called Stars‘N’ Bars? But you know what? It turned out to be a fun place!

Stars 'N' Bars Monaco

With Monaco known worldwide as being very high end, Stars ‘N’ Bars holds its own very well and doesn’t seem to come with the high sticker price attached.

Originally an abandoned warehouse, Stars ‘N’ Bars Monaco is now a gathering place for everyone. Here you will find business people on their lunch hours, families, and from what I have seen on my visits, quite a few very good looking single people getting a start to their night out.

Size wise, this restaurant is easily on par with those similar types of businesses in North America, so there is lots of room to sit down and enjoy a meal, have a meeting or mix and mingle with others.

In fact I recall my first visit with a few friends easily turning into a three to four-hour plus stay and our table on the terrace kept expanding with others joining in on the fun. Stars ‘N’ Bars is a great venue to meet new people.

The bar/restaurant itself is built over three levels with a state-of-the-art sound system, tons of sports memorabilia to see and purchase, an amusement arcade area, discotheque facilities and flat screens throughout the establishment and of course, the large terrace out front next to the water’s edge.

The staff are upbeat and quick to provide good service, and although I wouldn’t consider myself a ‘foodie’, the food here is delicious and very much like a North American restaurant would serve.So if you are from North America and have a craving for those home-style hamburger and fries, check out Stars ‘N’ Bars Monaco.

Open from 11am until 12am every day of the week, Stars ‘N’ Bars can be found at: 6 Quai Antoine 1er on the edge of Port Hercule.

 

Stars‘N’ Bars Monaco always seems to have a lively and fun atmosphere and given its location, it’s an ideal place to watch the day go by and see the twinkling of the lights around the principality during the evening while the yachts bounce gently on the water at the port.

The Oceanographic Museum in Monaco

One place that you really must visit if you are in Monaco is the Oceanographic Museum (Musée Océanographique).

Oceanographic Museum

Not only is the inside of the Oceanographic Museum interesting to tour throughout but for architectural buffs such as myself you will find this magnificent structure and it’s impressive façade are well worth checking out.

The Oceanographic Museum looks so strong and magnificent yet sits elegantly perched on the edge of ‘The Rock’ in Monaco on avenue St-Martin, a very pleasant five-minute walk from the Prince’s Palace.

When you visit, not only see the full front of the museum, but make your way down the stairs to the left side of the building where you will also be able to take in just how regal it looks from the edge of the sea.

The cost of admission for one adult to enter the Oceanographic Museum is 14,00 €, the opening times for visiting changes throughout the year so refer to  the website noted above beforehand but in general expect the museum doors to be open from about 10am until 6pm.

The inside of the museum is just as remarkably well maintained and grand as the outside, it also has an abundance of space so even when it’s busy it doesn’t feel overcrowded.

Here you can learn about the history of oceanography in the region and discover all the artifacts collected over the years.  On the lower level is a very large aquarium area with a very unique and colorful range of fish species to discover.

Head up to the rooftop of the Oceanographic Museum for breathtaking vantage points of Monaco and beyond, you can even enjoy a meal and drinks at La Terrasse Restaurant while taking in even more of the amazing panoramic views.  In the far northwest corner of the rooftop is the relatively new Turtle Island where a small number of large turtles are living.

I love taking people to the Oceanographic Museum and its surroundings in Monaco for the first time, just to see the reactions of awe and wonder on their faces, and be sure to wonder through the quiet winding paths of the wonderfully manicured Saint-Martin Gardens next door as well.