It is hard to beat a summer on the Mediterranean. Whether you are traveling by land or by sea, here are some of the best restaurants that Mediterranean port cities have to offer. Some of our top recommendations include Da i Gemelli in Portofino, Italy and Il Camino in Mallorca, Spain. Barcelona is excluded from this guide, as it deserves its own complete guide.
View the full Barcelona Guide here.
For travel packing recommendations, check out Jess’s Packing List.
Mallorca
Overall: Highly Recommend
Service: 7.5/10 Atmosphere: 8/10 Food: 8/10 Wine List: 6/10
This delicious tapas restaurant is in the heart of old town Palma. There are tons of fresh daily specials, as well as a standard menu including pan con tomate and the like (do not miss out on the jamon iberico- possibly the best we have ever had!) For lovers of Sabor in London, El Camino in Mallorca is a must-visit. It is modern, trendy, lively, and the food is delicious. El Camino has two main seating options- a large and long bar overlooking the kitchen, plus high-top tables in the back. Reservations are strongly encouraged (and we would almost say required). If you have one meal in Mallorca- make it El Camino, you won’t be disappointed.
There is a charming square less than a 2 minute walk from El Camino, which has several good bars for a drink on a beautiful day. We tried to go to Gibson Bar, but it was too busy and we ended up at Bar Nicolás next door. We would recommend going to this spot for drinks before a great lunch at El Camino.
Cannes
Overall: Highly Consider
Service: 6.5/10 Atmosphere: 8.5/10 Food: 7.5/10 Wine List: 7.5/10
Ignore the bad google reviews, this place is worth a visit. El Guérite mixes a beach club atmosphere (live music eventually turns into a DJ around 3), with a charming and classy space that is suitable for older age ranges (which we recommend going earlier). Reservations are a must (send in a request through Seven Rooms and they will email you back). Don’t wear nice heels- the floor is sand- but do bring a bathing suit if you want to venture down their private beach and take the stairs down to the (icy!) water. The food is also good- the crudité was humongous, and our favorite item on the menu was the signature La Guérite pasta (excellent for cheese lovers).
Getting there is an adventure- it is located on it’s own island, a 5-10 minute boat ride from Porto Canto, which is right in Cannes (but often on the other side of town from where cruise ships dock). You can arrive in your own small boat, alternatively the restaurant offers transportation in their speed dingies after you make a reservation, and they recommend you arrive at the port 15 minutes before your reservation time.
Monte Carlo
It is very important to know that there are an extremely limited number of taxis in Monte Carlo, and the city is on a steep hill. It takes about 45 minutes to walk uphill from the part of port closest to town, up the hill to the “central” area near the casino.
Uber/Lyft/etc is not allowed to pick you up in Monte Carlo. However, if you are arriving from an outside city (such as Cannes, for example), Uber is allowed to drop you off.
Taxis generally need to be called 30 minutes before you need them, but sometimes restaurants can call them in quicker (here is the official government taxi company).
This casino used to be a nice and elegant place to get a pre-dinner cocktail, but they have since removed the bar seats, added a minimal entrance fee for “tickets”, and dropped the once heavily enforced dress code. It is packed, there are ripped jeans and flip flops, and there is almost no seating. Since times have changed, we will skip this place moving forward.
Overall: Probably Skip
Not rating
Buddha Bar used to be really cool 5+ years ago, and you can feel it. It’s a bit outdated and the food is just okay, but on a nice night it does offer a great outdoor terrace for hookah or a bottle of wine. We may or may not go back, but there are probably better places. If you go, do dress for a night on the town.
Portofino
Overall: Highly Recommend
Service: 8/10 Atmosphere: 6.5/10 Food: 8/10 Wine List: 7.5/10
Portofino is not our favorite spot because it can get so packed with crowds of tourists (hence part of the atmosphere rating). However, it is absolutely worth getting off the boat to visit Da i Gemelli, an Italian restaurant that has been run for 8 generations and is now in the hands of the Gemelli twin brothers, Paolo and Matteo. It is right in the center of town, and the outdoor seating can get a bit sunny, but it is worth booking a reservation via email ([email protected]), and securing your spot for an outstanding lunch. The seafood is fresh, and we highly recommend asking for the price of a fish and ordering it baked with olive oil and potatoes. Skip mamma’s tomato pasta (sorry!) and make sure to get some fresh seafood apps (but be careful not to order too large of portions! ask for smaller ones). They also have a full wine list, with some good options.
Villefranche-sur-Mer
Overall: Recommend
Service: 8/10 Atmosphere: 7/10 Food: 8/10 Wine List: 6.5/10
This is the perfect spot for lunch in Villefranche, and the google ratings do not lie- this place is good. We walked up that morning to secure a reservation for later that afternoon, but we would probably recommend making a reservation ahead of time (though it did not get busy on the Sunday we were there). This nice restaurant is located along a row of spots by the harbor, and it offers some excellent French-Italian cuisine with fresh ingredients. The risottos are the best we have ever had.
Overall: Highly Recommend
Not rating
This is a very casual spot in the center of town offering burgers, chicken tenders, and nachos. Do not get the nachos. H0wever, the chicken tenders are outstanding, crispy, delicious, uniquely coated, and simply… great. We highly recommend ordering some chicken tenders as a snack (with some dry rosé wine), or taking a to-go order of tons of these little guys back to your boat. They’re even good room temp. We did both of these things and did not regret either.
Antibes
Overall: Consider
Service: NA Atmosphere: 8/10 Food: 7/10 Wine List: 8.5/10
This is the place to see and be seen, and the celebrity photos lining the wall certainly bolster that reputation. You can probably tell from the name that this is an Italian restaurant, and it has the stone-lined walls of the restaurant give that ambiance. We would recommend dinner for a more “sceney” vibe than lunch, and our service wasn’t great the time we went- but we have heard that it is typically much better (so we though it unfair to rate). They brought out a truffle pizza, which was delicious, but our favorite item on the menu actually turned out to be the side of penne all’arrabbiata.
Overall: Consider
Service: 6/10 Atmosphere: 9.5/10 Food: 7.5/10 Wine List: 8.5/10
This one-star Michelin restaurant has the attitude of a one-star Michelin restaurant, and the service ranged from a 10 to a 2, so we averaged it out at 6. However, this is probably one of the most luxurious and romantic restaurants in France. The view is outstanding, overlooking the ocean, the lighting is dim but there is no need to turn on a phone flash light, the ceilings are high, and the decorations are ornate. This all makes sense because Eden Roc is one of the nicest hotels in the world. We were with a large party, so we had to do a set menu, which was good overall (with the exception of the tiny cheese plate). You go here for the “experience” (we have heard that they make an outstanding rice dish at lunch though, so do keep an eye out for that).
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