U Cavagnetu
Price guide: Mid-range
14 Rue Comte Félix Gastaldi, Monaco Ville, 98000
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#5 of 7
expert-rated restaurants in Monaco- Recommended for:
- Families with teenagers, Singles, Relaxation
Expert review of U Cavagnetu
There are real people in Monaco - and this is where they eat.
Tucked away in an old-town street as narrow as a sleeve, this bustling little bistro is where you go for traditional Monégasque and Côte-d’Azur dishes. (‘Cavagnetu’ is Monégasque for a picnic basket.)
Many other eateries up here on the Rock claim to do something similar, but U Cavagnetu does it best.
It’s a pretty attractive place, too. Enter from the street and you’re into a warren of rooms, variously vaulted and done out in fresh ochre tones. There’s a mildly North-African feel, allowing you to ponder on the closeness of Mediterranean cultures.
Should it have turned out nice again, you may also go through and eat on the terrace. Wherever you choose, you're several furlongs from the Monte Carlo bling yet within curtseying distance of the Princely palace. There are very much worse places to be.
Food and drink:
As I said, Monégasques specialities. So look out for barbajuan – big, fried ravioli filled with Swiss chard, chopped meat, egg, cheese, oil and rice. Or pissaladière, a species of pizza without tomato but with onions, anchovies, olives and herbs. Or socca, a chickpea-flour based flan.
There are lots of others, they're mainly shared with the rest of the Côte-d'Azur and they’re mainly pretty good – though I’d be wary of pieds et paquets, unless you’re an unconditional fan of lambs’ feet and intestines, endlessly simmered.
Ambience:
Happy mix of holiday-makers and locals who know a good thing when it’s on their door-step. The place has been run by the same family for more than 40 years. They've made their mark. Locals, incidentally, tend to gather on the restaurant’s mezzanine level.
Service:
Warm and sharp.
Location:
Tiny street in the old town, up on the Rock. Not too far from the Princely Palace.
Price advice:
As ever, it all depends on how much you eat, but you might expect a decent dinner for some 28 euros.
More information on U Cavagnetu:
- Price guide:
- Type:
- Restaurant
- Food:
- French, Mediterranean, Traditional
- Address:
- 14 Rue Comte Félix Gastaldi, Monaco Ville, 98000
- Telephone:
- +377 97 98 20 40
- Website:
- http://www.ucavagnetu.com
- Serves:
- Lunch, Dinner
- Opening times:
- Apr-Oct, lunch 12.15-2pm; dinner 7.30pm-9.30pm. Nov-Mar, lunch only.
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Reservations:
- Suggested
- Free tags / Keywords:
- Al fresco
