While you won’t see the Monaco national football team competing in this year’s FIFA World Cup in Russia, that doesn’t mean you can’t be swept up in the football frenzy in the Principality. The tournament – which kicks off on Thursday, June 14th and culminates with the final in Moscow on the 15th of June – will light up big screens in bars, restaurants and clubs across Monaco so you can be sure not to miss a single goal.
So apart from who will receive the FIFA Golden Ball as the tournament’s leading top scorer, the big question is: where in Monaco to watch the 2018 World Cup?
Casual Crowd
The atmosphere is guaranteed to be loud at favourite expat hang-outs like Stars’N’Bars and Slammers Bar near Port Hercules and McCarthy’s Irish Pub, located adjacent to Monaco’s highly sought after waterfront stretch of Larvotto property. These sports bars will be showing all games live from Russia on the big screen. We predict that France VS Australia on June 16th, and any game involving England will be particularly popular and would recommend arriving early to secure a front row seat!
If you fancy grabbing a bite while watching the main event, La Pizzeria at Monte-Carlo Beach is a casual favourite for its authentic Neapolitan wood-fired pizzas. And, particularly for the latter half of the tournament, the chefs fire up a barbeque every day from July 1st!
Trendy Terraces
At the Fairmont Monte Carlo’s rooftop Nikki Beach, you’ll be able to cool down in the swimming pool when the action on the pitch heats up – a certainty when Spain meets Portugal on June 15th! This is just one of three locations inside the luxury Monaco hotel that will be broadcasting live from Russia, the other two being SAPHIR24 which is open 24/7 and the 7th floor Champagne Bar – the perfect spot for celebrating your team’s victory!
COYA Monte-Carlo is the hottest new opening the Principality has seen this year and the perfect place to sip on a signature cocktail in the Pisco Bar and Lounge while supporting the Latin American teams in the tournament – Peru in particular! COYA’s innovative Peruvian cuisine has won it a legion of fans across the Middle East and London and here it has arrived with a typical Monaco twist: A long, lazy brunch is served, COYA-style, every Sunday and the festivities continue late into the afternoon with a pool party nextdoor at Jimmy’z.
Glamour and Goals
Special matches – such as the knockout rounds and, of course, the final on July 15th – merit memorable locations and luckily for football fans, Monaco is overflowing with five-star establishments. Inside the sumptuous Monte-Carlo Bay Hotel and Resort, the Blue Gin bar is a very cool cocktail bar with a waterfront setting.
Other contenders for the most glamourous spot to watch the FIFA World Cup in Monaco, especially if you have an apartment in the Carré d’Or district, include the Brasserie du Café de Paris Monte-Carlo and Le Crystal Bar à l’Hôtel Hermitage, where you can sip on a cocktail of the month or celebrate your team’s victory with a cigar from its prestigious Cigar Cave.
