Monaco has plenty of Japanese restaurants, but it was missing a place like SEN: small, intimate and deeply connected to Japanese culture, where dinner can feel almost like a private conversation with the chef. Located inside Le Méridien Beach Plaza on Avenue Princesse Grace, SEN brings a different kind of Japanese dining to the Principality — discreet, personal and centred on the food.
Conceived by the Kodera family, a well-established name in Monaco’s gastronomic world and an official supplier to the Prince’s Palace, the restaurant has the atmosphere of a Japanese speakeasy. Co-founder Aya Kodera wanted SEN to reflect omotenashi, the Japanese culture of hospitality in which care for the guest is expressed through small details rather than ceremony. She is joined by Thomas Peeters, an experienced hospitality consultant and passionate traveller whose interest in restaurants has taken him from independent addresses to Michelin-starred and World’s 50 Best tables.
The setting suits the concept. Le Méridien Beach Plaza brings SEN directly to Monaco’s Mediterranean waterfront, but the restaurant itself feels deliberately removed from the activity outside. Soft lighting, natural materials and simple Japanese references create privacy without making the room overly formal.
The real introduction to Japan, however, comes through Chef Hiroki Hiyama. Trained in Tokyo and Kyoto, Hiyama later worked in London and Italy, experiences that widened his culinary vocabulary without taking him away from the foundations of Japanese cooking. At SEN, technique, seasonality and the quality of the product come before unnecessary complication.
© Photo Cedou
This makes the meal feel personal. Hiyama’s cooking tells you something about where he comes from: the precision of the knife work, the importance given to texture and temperature, the restraint of the seasoning and, above all, the respect shown to the main ingredient. Mediterranean influences appear naturally, particularly through fresh fish and produce, alongside specialist ingredients and condiments imported from Japan.
Lunch is built around one of Hiyama’s signatures: temaki prepared to order. Timing matters here. The contrast between warm seasoned rice and crisp nori is at its best the moment the hand roll reaches the table. Sushi, sashimi and seasonal dishes complete the lunchtime menu, making SEN an interesting alternative for a business lunch or a quieter midday meeting in Monaco. Lunch menus start from €35, while à la carte starters and temaki begin at €8. Nigiri is available from €16 for two pieces, sashimi from €18 for four pieces and donburi from €30, with desserts starting at €7.
Dinner reveals more of the kitchen. Sushi and sashimi sit alongside seasonal seafood, selected meats and Japanese specialities, with dishes such as scallop carpaccio with caviar, salmon tartare and beef fillet with Japanese sauce showing the broader direction of the menu. Rather than covering ingredients with elaborate combinations, Hiyama keeps the focus on their flavour and texture. At dinner, starters and temaki begin at €8, while nigiri starts from €14 for two pieces. Sashimi platters are available from €56 and hot dishes from €20, with desserts starting at €7.
Sake is an important part of the experience. The list travels through different regions and breweries of Japan, from delicate, fresh expressions to bottles with greater depth and complexity. It is worth asking the team for recommendations rather than automatically turning to wine.
The restaurant also lends itself naturally to private dinners and events. Its scale and discreet atmosphere make it particularly suitable for occasions that require privacy — something that can be surprisingly difficult to find in Monaco.
That is ultimately where SEN finds its place. Monaco was missing this kind of Japanese restaurant: intimate, distinctive and personal, where the connection with the chef and Japanese culture matters as much as the dishes themselves. It is less about putting on a show and more about sitting down, taking your time and discovering Japan through Hiyama’s cooking.
Address: Le Méridien Beach Plaza, 22 Av. Princesse Grace, 98000 Monaco
Phone: +377 37 70 43 47