A few minutes above Monaco, on the road towards the Tête de Chien in La Turbie, Les Santons offers an easy change of scenery. The road climbs away from the coast, pine trees take over from dense streets, and the restaurant appears with a large shaded terrace that immediately suggests long lunches and summer dinners outdoors.
Les Santons entered a new chapter this summer, changing ownership in June and reopening only three days later. The intention was not to reinvent a restaurant that already had a loyal clientele, but to preserve what worked and gradually introduce new ideas. The entire existing team, including the chef, stayed on — an important point for regulars who have been coming here for years.
Many of those regulars arrive from Monaco. According to the owners Rémy Amandola and Frédéric Bouazis, around 80 per cent of its clientele has some connection to the Principality, from residents and returning visitors to international guests recommended by hotels in Monaco and the surrounding area. Its location is certainly part of the attraction: close enough for an impromptu lunch or dinner, yet far enough above the coast to feel like a proper escape.
The menu has retained several dishes that guests specifically asked to keep. Grilled octopus remains one of the favourites, alongside lamb and the more traditional kidneys, which continue to have a particularly loyal following. Around these familiar plates, the kitchen has introduced a broader selection guided by the seasons and the quality of the produce available.
The food is Mediterranean, generous and direct. A meal might begin with vitello tonnato, fried courgette flowers or sea bream tartare, followed by tuna, paccheri with truffle cream or Black Angus entrecôte. Pizzas come from the wood-fired oven in the evening, adding to the relaxed character of the restaurant, while desserts stay with familiar pleasures such as tiramisu and pavlova.
Produce changes with the season rather than simply with availability. The main menu is reviewed roughly every three or four months, while daily suggestions allow the kitchen to respond more quickly to deliveries. Fruit and vegetables are sourced through local suppliers, and particular attention is paid to meat, with Black Angus and Argentine beef among the selections.
The restaurant is perhaps at its most distinctive when the brasero is lit. Every Thursday evening and throughout Sunday, a separate blackboard menu puts cooking over fire at the centre of the meal. Usually built around three meats and three fish, with vegetables and accompaniments cooked on the brasero as well, it is a format made for the terrace.
Here, the preparation becomes part of the evening. Guests can see the flames, catch the scent of oak wood and watch meat, fish and vegetables being cooked in front of them. It brings a livelier rhythm to Les Santons while remaining in keeping with the uncomplicated style of the restaurant.
Summer naturally belongs to the terrace. Tables sit beneath the pines, making it an appealing address for escaping the heat of Monaco over lunch or staying late into the evening. In winter, attention moves indoors. Two dining rooms accommodate around 90 guests, with a fireplace and wood-burning oven giving the restaurant a warmer, more intimate character during the colder months.
The programme is set to develop beyond the regular service too, with musical evenings and seasonal dinners among the ideas planned for the coming months. Special menus could centre on convivial dishes such as paella, couscous, fondue or raclette, giving regular guests another reason to return as the seasons change.
Hospitality remains deliberately informal. The aim is for guests to feel comfortable whether they come for a quick pizza, a family Sunday lunch around the brasero or an evening over several courses. That accessibility has long been part of Les Santons, and the new direction keeps it firmly in place.
For Monaco residents, Les Santons has one particularly persuasive advantage: it offers the feeling of leaving town without having to travel far. A short drive leads to pine trees, open air, a generous Mediterranean table and, on brasero days, the smell of oak fire drifting across the terrace. The restaurant may have new owners, but the qualities that made people return remain — now joined by fresh energy in the kitchen and around the table.
Address: 138 Rue de l'Amendola, 06320 La Turbie
Phone: 04 93 41 15 76