The only Michelin-starred Japanese restaurant on the Côte d’Azur, Yoshi Monte-Carlo blends purity, precision, and Japanese artistry in a serene setting inside the Hôtel Métropole Monte-Carlo.

Some restaurants dazzle. Others whisper. Yoshi Monte-Carlo does neither.

It composes – in quiet gestures, in precise flavors, in light that falls just so across the table.

Hidden inside the Hôtel Métropole Monte-Carlo, just steps from the Carré d’Or and the Casino Gardens, Yoshi is not loud about its excellence. And it doesn’t need to be. It is the only Michelin-starred Japanese restaurant on the Côte d’Azur, holding that distinction since 2010. A decade and more of quiet mastery, served piece by piece.

The Atmosphere: Minimal, Serene, and Almost Sacred

Designed by celebrated French architect Didier Gomez, the dining room is intimate and restrained, with soft lighting, clean lines, and a tranquil, almost sacred rhythm. Nothing shouts for attention. There is no grand chandelier, no clinking of crystal. Just calm. Clarity.

The room opens softly onto a Japanese-inspired garden, imagined by Jacques Messin – a private landscape of pebbles, greens, and shadows. The effect is total: a quiet retreat in the middle of Monte-Carlo, where every breath feels deeper and every movement more intentional.

This is a place that asks you to slow down. And offers beauty, in return.

A Japanese Restaurant in Monaco That Honors Purity

At the heart of Yoshi’s kitchen is Chef Takeo Yamazaki, a craftsman in the truest sense. Trained in Tokyo, shaped by his long collaboration with the legendary Joël Robuchon, Chef Yamazaki brings a deep, almost reverent focus to his cuisine. Every cut, every placement, every balance of acid and umami is intentional.

Here, purity is the art. The menu moves with quiet confidence between temperature, texture, and form. From the crisp brightness of a hamachi sashimi, to the soft, warm earthiness of wagyu beef grilled on the teppanyaki, every dish holds both strength and restraint.

There are nigiris, makis, sashimis, all prepared with seafood so fresh it seems to disappear the moment it touches your tongue. And there are cooked dishes – fish and meats grilled to perfection – where smoke meets delicacy in perfect proportion.

Nothing is rushed. Everything is timed.

A Michelin-Starred Experience, Served with Grace

Earning a Michelin star in Monaco is no small achievement. Keeping it for over a decade is something else entirely.

Yoshi does so not through grand theatrics, but through discipline, consistency, and deep respect for tradition. There are no unnecessary flourishes here – only the quiet thrill of precision.

That’s what makes Yoshi one of the best Japanese restaurants in Europe, not just the Riviera.

Service follows the same philosophy. Graceful. Discreet. A glance, a step forward, a perfectly timed pour of warm sake or cold white tea. The waitstaff moves with care, not choreography. And the sommelier, well-versed in Japanese sake, rare green teas, and select Japanese whiskies, offers pairing suggestions that deepen each bite without ever overshadowing the food.

The Drinks: A Journey in Their Own Right

The drink list at Yoshi deserves a moment of its own. Carefully curated by the in-house sommelier, the selection includes fine Japanese sakés, delicate and dry, or soft and floral, each suited to the dish at hand.

There is also a thoughtful list of Japanese whiskies, some smooth, others smoky, each revealing another dimension of the cuisine. And for those who prefer something without alcohol, green teas are offered in ceremonial precision – steeped at just the right temperature, in just the right way.

It’s not just a pairing. It’s an extension of the meal’s conversation.

Opening Hours

• Lunch: Friday to Sunday, 12:30 p.m. – 2:00 p.m.
• Dinner: Wednesday to Sunday, 7:30 p.m. – 10:00 p.m.

Reservations strongly recommended.

This is a small, intimate space with limited seating – each table carefully placed, never crowded.

Why Yoshi Belongs in Monaco’s Culinary Conversation

• The only Michelin-starred Japanese restaurant in the Côte d’Azur
• Intimate dining  space designed by Didier Gomez
• A Japanese garden crafted by Jacques Messin
• Chef Takeo Yamazaki, protégé of Joël Robuchon
• Flawless service ,tea, and whisky selections
• Located inside the Hôtel Métropole Monte-Carlo, one of Monaco’s most refined addresses.

And you?

Have you ever had a meal so quiet it stayed with you louder than words?

If you’ve dined at Yoshi, I’d love to know—was it the garden, the tea, the lightness of a nigiri that held your memory?

And if not yet…

perhaps one day you’ll find yourself inside the Métropole, the doors opening softly, and a new kind of calm waiting just behind them.