Em Sherif

Em Sherif, Monte Carlo: Verdict

If you are choosing between Em Sherif and one of Monaco's French fine-dining institutions for a serious dinner at the Hotel de Paris, Em Sherif makes sense when your group wants something other than another Provençal tasting menu. It occupies a different lane from Alain Ducasse's Louis XV or Les Ambassadeurs by Christophe Cussac; Lebanese mezze and grills rather than classical French; and at €€€€ pricing, you are paying for the address and the setting as much as the food. That trade-off is worth understanding before you book.

The Restaurant

Em Sherif is the Monaco outpost of a well-regarded Lebanese restaurant group that has built a consistent reputation across the Middle East. The Monte Carlo location sits inside the Hotel de Paris, one of the most recognisable hotel addresses on the Riviera, which immediately anchors the experience to a particular kind of occasion dining. The room carries the weight of that setting: expect a formal, polished atmosphere that suits a long, leisurely meal rather than a quick stop.

The restaurant has held a Michelin Plate across 2023, 2024, 2025, which signals consistent kitchen quality without the pressure of star-chasing. In parallel, Opinionated About Dining has tracked it across three consecutive years, ranking it #54 in 2023, #33 in 2024, #22 in 2025 in its Casual Asia rankings, a consistent upward trajectory that suggests the kitchen has been improving rather than coasting. For a returning diner who visited a year or two ago, that ranking movement is a reason to come back and reassess.

Lebanese cooking at this price point is built around abundance: a spread of cold and hot mezze, flatbreads, grilled proteins, desserts that arrive in waves. The format is inherently communal, which makes it a natural fit for groups of three or more. Two diners can work, but the format rewards sharing broadly across the menu, larger tables will extract more value from the experience both economically and in terms of range.

Private Dining and Group Bookings

For a group considering a private or semi-private experience, Em Sherif's position inside the Hotel de Paris gives it a structural advantage over standalone restaurants in Monaco. Hotel de Paris properties typically offer dedicated event support, which means larger parties have more infrastructure to draw on than they would at an independent restaurant. If your occasion calls for a cohesive private room rather than a section of the main dining room, it is worth contacting the hotel directly to understand current options, the database does not confirm specific private room configurations, so verify before committing.

What the format does confirm is that Lebanese mezze-style service translates particularly well to group dining. The communal, sequential nature of the meal keeps a table engaged across two to three hours without the rigidity of a tasting menu, it accommodates mixed dietary preferences more fluidly than a single-protein classical format. If your group includes people who do not want a fixed menu, Em Sherif's structure is more accommodating than, say, L'Abysse Monte-Carlo, where the omakase format leaves little room for deviation.

For comparable Lebanese group dining in other cities, the broader Em Sherif network and similar operators offer a useful reference point: Al Mandaloun in Dubai and Almayass in Abu Dhabi operate in a similar register. In Europe, Base Kamp by Aïnata in Courchevel is worth noting for anyone who moves between Riviera and Alpine circuits.

Booking and Logistics

Booking difficulty is rated Easy, which is notable given the Hotel de Paris address. That said, Monaco's dining calendar compresses heavily around the Grand Prix weekend in May, summer peak season (July and August), and major yachting events. If your visit falls into any of those windows, book well in advance regardless of the general accessibility rating. Outside peak periods, securing a table should not require significant lead time.

The restaurant is located at Place du Casino in Monte Carlo, sharing the address with the Casino de Monte-Carlo, which means it sits in the most tourist-dense block in the principality. That context shapes the room: you are likely to be dining alongside a mix of hotel guests and occasion diners rather than a local crowd. Em Sherif's own identity as a Lebanese restaurant within that setting means it draws a more international guest profile than most Monaco restaurants.

Dress code is not confirmed in the database, but the Hotel de Paris standard and the €€€€ price point both suggest smart attire is expected. Monaco in general skews formal in its hotel dining rooms, arriving underdressed at this address would be conspicuous.

For broader planning around a Monte Carlo trip, see our full Monte Carlo restaurants guide, our full Monte Carlo hotels guide, and our full Monte Carlo bars guide. If you are considering dining outside Monaco proper, Hostellerie Jerome in La Turbie is the most compelling nearby alternative for a different style of serious meal. For a more casual evening on the same trip, Beef Bar Monaco is the obvious choice at a lower price point.

Lebanese dining options worth knowing if you encounter the cuisine elsewhere: Amal in Toronto, Beirut Sur Mer in Abu Dhabi, and Beity in Chicago cover the major international markets. Across Monaco's wider food and drink scene, including experiences, Em Sherif sits at the upper end of both price and occasion gravity.

Who Should Book

Book Em Sherif if you are in Monaco for a multi-night stay and want one dinner that diverges from the French fine-dining circuit. It works for groups of four or more who want a communal, generous format in a serious setting. It is less suited to solo dining or to diners for whom the Lebanese format is unfamiliar, at €€€€ pricing, you get the most value when you are comfortable ordering broadly and sharing. For a returning visitor, the upward OAD trajectory from 2023 to 2025 is a genuine signal that the kitchen has sharpened, which makes a second visit more defensible than it might have been.

Ratings at a Glance

• 4.1 (152 reviews)
• Awards: Michelin Plate 2024, 2025; OAD Casual Asia #22 (2025), #33 (2024), #54 (2023)
• Price: €€€€
• Booking difficulty: Easy

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Em Sherif good for solo dining?

• Solo dining is possible but not the format's strength. Lebanese mezze is built for sharing, at €€€€ pricing, a solo diner will see less of the menu and spend more per dish than a group would. If you are eating alone in Monte Carlo, L'Abysse Monte-Carlo or a counter seat at a smaller venue will likely deliver a better solo experience.

Can I eat at the bar at Em Sherif?

• Bar seating specifics are not confirmed in the venue data. The Hotel de Paris setting suggests there is a bar area, but whether it functions as a standalone dining option at Em Sherif is not verifiable from available data. Contact the hotel directly to confirm before planning around it.

Is Em Sherif worth the price?

• At €€€€, it is priced in line with the top tier of Monaco dining, but it does not carry a Michelin star. The value case rests on the setting (Hotel de Paris), consistent recognition from both Michelin and OAD across three years, a format that rewards groups. If you are comparing it to similarly priced French alternatives in Monaco, Em Sherif offers a genuinely different experience rather than a cheaper substitute.

Is Em Sherif good for a special occasion?

• Yes, with the right group size. The Hotel de Paris address, the formal room, the communal Lebanese format all combine well for celebrations. For two people on a romantic occasion, the French fine-dining options in Monaco may feel more tailored. For a group celebration of four or more, Em Sherif's format is well-suited.

What should I wear to Em Sherif?

• The dress code is not formally stated in the available data, but the Hotel de Paris context and €€€€ price point both point toward smart to smart-formal attire. In Monaco's hotel dining rooms, erring toward overdressed is safer than the reverse.

What are alternatives to Em Sherif in Monte Carlo?

• For French fine dining at the same address: Alain Ducasse's Louis XV is the highest-prestige option. For creative cooking at a comparable price: Blue Bay Marcel Ravin. For Japanese at €€€€: L'Abysse Monte-Carlo. For a lighter Mediterranean option: Elsa. See our full Monte Carlo restaurants guide for the complete picture.

Is the tasting menu worth it at Em Sherif?

• Specific tasting menu details are not confirmed in the available data. Lebanese restaurants of this type typically offer set mezze spreads rather than a classical tasting menu format, but the exact structure at this location should be confirmed at the time of booking. If a fixed spread is available, it tends to be the most efficient way to experience the kitchen's range at a group table.