Shopping in Monaco is an experience in itself, with an array of high-end haute couture along with some daily retail spots for casual shopping. From modern malls brimming with high-end boutiques and brand names to bustling street markets offering delicious regional fare, you can easily fill your days jumping from shop to mall to market.

Given its location sandwiched between France and the Mediterranean, it should be no surprise that gourmet food and fine wine play a big part in life here and you’ll find plenty of that here. You’ll also find some high culture with a heart and a few suitable spots to pick up a souvenir or 2 in our list of best shopping experiences in Monaco.

  • 1

    Le Metropole Shopping Center

    High-end boutiques and exclusive brands inside air-conditioned comfort

    Le Metropole Shopping Center
    • Luxury
    • Shoppers

    Le Metropole Shopping Center is all about luxury living, which is obvious when you see its lavish furnishings of crystal chandeliers, Italian marble floors, and upscale brands. With 80 shops selling everything from gourmet food and beauty treatments to designer clothes and exclusive timepieces, you’ll find most of your shopping needs met under the highly ornate ceiling.

    A good spot to escape the summer heat and humidity, you’ll also find a handful of swanky restaurants inside. Great if you need refuelling while you shop. With lots of high-end boutiques and exclusive brands available at Le Metropole Shopping Center, it should be no surprise that things aren’t cheap here. Even if a wild shopping spree isn’t on your itinerary, the window-shopping alone may well make a trip here worthwhile.

    Location: 17 Avenue des Spélugues, 98000 Monaco

    Open: Tuesday–Saturday from 10am to 7.30pm (closed Sunday and Monday)

    Phone: +377 92 16 77 01

    Map

    photo by Leandro Neumann Ciuffo (CC BY 2.0) modified

  • 2

    Fontvieille Shopping Center

    An oasis of the everyday in well-heeled Monaco

    Fontvieille Shopping Center
    • Luxury
    • Shoppers

    While Fontvieille Shopping Center maintains some of the elegance you’d expect from a location such as Monaco, there’s plenty of more practical offerings here too. On the one hand, you’ll find the private collection of antique cars of H.S.H. Prince Rainier III. On the other, you’ll find lots of everyday shopping, there’s a large Carrefour supermarket here to buy groceries and everyday items at very reasonable prices.

    The McDonald’s on the 2nd floor offers some great views of the marina and its yachts, as well as the Prince's Palace of Monaco. This is a good spot to enjoy the contrast of some cheap fast food while simultaneously savoring the trappings of wealth that Monaco has become so widely known for.

    Location: 25 Avenue Albert II, 98000 Monaco

    Open: Monday–Saturday from 9.30am to 7.30pm (closed on Sundays)

    Phone: +377 92 05 57 00

    Map
  • 3

    La Condamine Market

    Sample some of the local delicacies at this lively, historic market

    La Condamine Market
    • Food
    • Shoppers

    La Condamine Market manages to maintain a warm Provençal feel to it amid all the Monaco opulence and has done since it was established some 140 years ago. This market is an excellent spot to sample distinctively Monegasque fare, including socca, fougasse, and barbagiuans. It’s no surprise then that the food hall here is a favorite spot for lunch among the locals. Besides the indoor food hall and the fruit, vegetable, and meat stalls, you’ll also find stalls of fresh flowers perfuming the air.

    In recent years, several bars and restaurants have set up in the food hall after the bustle of a day’s market trading has ended. This has ensured the area remains vibrant throughout the evening as locals and visitors descend for food and drinks.

    Location: Marché de la Condamine, Place d'Armes, 98000 Monaco

    Open: Daily from 6am to 2pm

    Phone: +377 93 30 94 72

    Map
  • 4

    Steffano Ricci

    Get fitted for a finely tailored Italian suit at this Monaco institution

    Steffano Ricci
    • Luxury
    • Shoppers

    The Florentine fashion house, Steffano Ricci, is best known for its refined Italian tailoring. That’s not all you’ll find on offer though, as a trip inside its Monaco boutique will reveal. As well as finely crafted suits, you’ll find all sorts of accessories including belts, cufflinks, wallets, and footwear. The store also sells high-end home furnishings and even has a department dedicated to kitting out superyachts – which is great if you’ve brought yours with you.

    Located in the Fairmont Hotel, Steffano Ricci has more of the feel of a private gentleman’s club than a clothes shop. The company prides itself on providing the highest levels of customer service to go along with the hefty price tags of its luxury items.

    Location: 12 Avenue des Spélugues, 98000 Monaco

    Open: Daily from 10.30am to 7.30pm

    Phone: +377 97 70 37 37

    Map
  • 5

    Sabrina Monte-Carlo

    Pick up some unique knick-knacks to decorate the home

    Sabrina Monte-Carlo
    • Luxury
    • Shoppers

    Sabrina Monte-Carlo is a locally owned design studio offering unique tableware, furnishings, furniture, fabrics, and other accessories. The studio specializes in both indoor and outdoor decorations. It has kitted out everything, from Mediterranean villas and chalets to superyachts and private jets.

    With a further 3 showrooms in the region showcasing the brand’s flair for interior and exterior decoration, Sabrina’s is a treasure trove of items and materials as well as a great source of expertise coming in the form of its well-trained and very experienced staff. There is a very chic Mediterranean vibe here. Take note of the unusual opening hours.

    Location: 39 Av. Princesse Grace, 98000 Monaco

    Open: Tuesday–Thursday 9.30am to 6.30pm (closed from Fridays to Mondays)

    Phone: 377 97 97 57 60

    Map
  • 6

    Les Grands Chais Monégasques

    Sample some of the finest wines at this Monaco landmark

    Les Grands Chais Monégasques
    • Couples
    • Luxury
    • Shoppers

    Les Grands Chais Monégasques is something of a local landmark, as it's the oldest wine cellar in Monaco. It supplies many of the most prestigious restaurants in town. Besides selling wine, the cellar also hosts wine tastings in its elegant surroundings.

    Les Grands Chais Monégasques has a gift shop offering bottles from most of the big-name wine and champagne producers, as well as many of the smaller ones. It isn’t only wine and champagne represented here though – the cellar also stocks a very fine collection of whiskeys, too.

    Location: 11 Rue Baron de Sainte-Suzanne, 98000 Monaco

    Open: Monday–Friday from 8am to 8pm, Saturday from 9am to 8pm (closed on Sundays)

    Phone: +377 93 30 26 80

    Map
  • 7

    Monte Carlo Market

    Browse the wares at this colorful farmers market

    Monte Carlo Market
    • Food
    • Shoppers

    Monte Carlo Market is a farmers market selling all kinds of fresh fruits and vegetables, as well as dairy and bakery items. While this is predominantly a street market, you’ll also find a grocery store, a pasta outlet, a bar, and a butcher’s shop. There are occasionally flowers and plants for sale here too.

    This fairly small market is located near Saint-Charles Church on Avenue Saint-Charles. The number of vendors and types of products being sold greatly depends on the time of year. Despite its modest size, Monte Carlo Market brings a much-welcomed dash of color and life to this part of town.

    Location: 7 Avenue Saint-Charles, 98000 Monaco

    Open: Hours vary by season

    Phone: +377 93 25 46 45

    Map
  • 8

    Chocolaterie de Monaco

    Indulge in an impressive array of chocolate temptations

    Chocolaterie de Monaco
    • Food
    • Shoppers

    Chocolaterie de Monaco is a paradise for chocolate lovers. With confectionery skills honed over a century, these chocolatiers serve up a vast array of deliciously sinful cocoa-based indulgences. The Viennois hot chocolate comes highly recommended. Aside from chocolates, you can also sample from a broad range of premium loose-leaf teas which makes for an effective way to cleanse the palate between sweets.

    You’ll find a great selection to choose from – Chocolaterie de Monaco also has some very attractive boxed chocolates which make for great souvenirs to take home, or as gifts for family and friends.

    Location: 20 Rue Princesse Marie de Lorraine, 98000 Monaco

    Open: Monday–Saturday from 9.30am to 6.30pm, Sunday from 10am to 6pm

    Phone: +377 97 97 88 88

    Map
  • 9

    Boutique du Rocher

    An interior decorator’s dream

    • Luxury
    • Shoppers

    Boutique du Rocher is something of an interior decorator’s dream in Monaco It sells just about everything, from local arts and crafts to antique toys and hand-carved picture frames. First opened over 50 years ago by Princess Grace of Monaco, the shop has managed to maintain much of its character and glamor over the years.

    Boutique du Rocher not only offers the opportunity to uncover some unusual trinkets and bits and bobs to decorate the home, but proceeds from each item go to the Princess Grace Foundation. This charity supports children’s hospitals as well as several cultural institutions, so you can shop with a social conscience.

    Location: Rue Emile de Loth, 98000 Monaco

    Open: Monday–Saturday from 10.30am to 5.30pm (closed on Sundays)

    Phone: +377 93 30 33 99

    Map
  • 10

    Maison d’Art Monaco

    Pick up a future family heirloom, or just admire the amazing art

    • Luxury
    • Shoppers

    Maison d’Art Monaco is an art gallery that collects, displays, and sells works of art. The gallery particularly specializes in Old Masters from the 13th to 18th centuries. It organizes many displays and exhibitions as opportunities to introduce works of art to collectors and potential buyers.

    Whether you’re looking for a piece of art to decorate your home, as an investment, or you simply want to admire high-quality works of art, you’ll find artwork spanning centuries at Maison d’Art. Despite its specialisation in the works of the Old Masters, the gallery's collection has diversified to include the works of contemporary artists. Among the many artists represented here include Santi di Tito, Johan Richter, and Damien Hirst.

    Location: 27 Avenue de la Costa, 98000 Monaco

    Open: Monday–Friday from 9am to 1pm and 2.30pm to 6.30pm (closed on Saturdays and Sundays)

    Phone: +377 97 97 11 60

    Map
Shane Mac Donnchaidh | Contributing Writer