The Pearls of Monte-Carlo — Restaurant in Monaco

Our friends paid 504 Euros for 4 cooked lobsters, split in two at our request, 4.2 kilos. It puts it at 120 Euros a kilo. We were only in charge of getting them at the restaurant. They were nicely presented on a tray, SHELLS UP, so it was impossible to see the inside. As the tray was just too big for my husband to carry, he asked for a box instead, which was done, out of his sight. When we finally got the lobsters home and our friend opened the box, she was very surprised to discover that the meat of the tails of TWO lobsters (4 halves) was totally GREEN on the surface instead of the usual white. I called, and was told that there is nothing wrong with the lobsters, it was just because what they ate last was green, so the bowel was full of green stuff, and that gave that color to the meat, nothing to worry about, no danger at all. And it is true that it did not have a foul odor or taste. But it was certainly NOT appealing to the eye. We ate part of it, with no enthousiasm, and the rest went to the garbage. So my question to the Pearls of Monte-Carlo establishment is, even if they were "not dangereous to eat", would the have SERVED THEM IN THEIR RESTAURANT to someone sitting at a table? I can guarantee that they would not, as the customers would plainly refuse them. This is very dishonest, and I will make sure everyone in Monaco know the story, and, at 85 years old, I do know LOTS of people. Furthermore, it put us in a bad situation with our friends, who I am sure thought that, had they been the ones picking up the order, they would have noticed and refused the "green meat" lobsters. I will NEVER again eat anything coming from the Pearls of Monte-Carlo , including their oysters that I routinely chose in Restaurants. Their taste would be quite bitter. Shame on you Pearls of Monte-Carlo.

UPDATE - This is the answer of the "owner" of Pearls of Monte-Carlo. Response from the owner a week ago Good morning, 120 x 4.2 = €504 You have paid the advertised and displayed price...... Our lobsters are alive. When you pre-cook and then cut a female lobster in half, you will sometimes find green-colored coral (ovaries) that will turn red when grilled. Many customers ask for lobsters with coral. So to answer your question: YES we serve lobsters with coral, and throwing them in the trash is simply a waste, especially on living things. In the future, we believe that moving towards other businesses/restaurants will be much wiser for you. Yours sincerely, The Pearls of Monte-Carlo

And this is MY answer. As far as the price, the order was placed by phone. So there was no "displayed" price to see, and my friends are not the type to ask how much they would have to pay a kilo. The complaint is NOT that it was 504 Euros, but that it was 504 Euros for disappointing merchandise. I just included the ticket, to that you could not say it did not happen or that you were closed on that day. The rest of your answer does not even come close to our complaint, so, either you did not even try to understand what we were saying, no good, or you did , and answered anything just for the benefit of the people who will read my review. Worse. Why are you even talking about the "corail" (eggs) of the female lobster? Of course you would serve lobster with corail. You say yourself that, once cooked, the corail turns RED (totally true). These lobsters were FULLY COOKED to be eaten cold with the mayo you provided. And there was NO RED in sight, because there was NO CORAIL. And we are not talking about RED, we are talking about GREEN. What is GREEN once cooked is the liver/pancreas, called TOMALLI (see pict) and not to everyone liking, but no one forces you to eat it. But what everyone eats is the tail, and the meat was GREEN of 3 of the lobsters. And THAT, was not acceptable AND WOULD NOT BE SERVED IN YOUR RESTAURANT, unless hidden by an herbs mix. As a remark, if green meat lobster is SO GREAT, why does not it figure on one of the 185 pictures on your site? And thanks for your final advice, very professionnal, you...

This was my second visit here, after a great experience 3 years ago, and I'm happy that it hasn't changed.

To start, make sure to make a reservation as seating is limited and fills up quickly. I had a reservation for 1 at 14:00 on a Monday, and there was only one more tables open when I arrived, which was quickly filled and I heard at least one party get turned away. The views are spectacular, though I've been fortunate to have great weather on both visits.

The restaurant's goal seems to be to showcase their excellent fish without disguising the freshness and natural flavors. On this visit I ordered the "special" raw oysters and I was skeptical at first to pay €48 for a dozen... but I was happy I did. They were incredibly rich in flavor and the brine in the shells was all the sauce they needed. I was satisfied with 12, but I wouldn't have minded eating another order.

I then had the grilled 3-piece large prawns. They were served with halved tails and lightly seasoned, and of course with the heads still attached, as they should be. The flesh was cooked perfectly and not overdone as many restaurants serve their prawns, and the vegetables on the side were a welcome complement to the prawns.

The wine and drink list was sufficient for the menu, and service was adequate. And by "adequate", I mean that my waitress let me enjoy my meal and enjoy the views while getting me everything I needed... which is excellent service to me. Lunch shouldn't be rushed, and I appreciated the...

My husband and I were on our honeymoon and spent a day in Monaco. Made a reservation at this place after a recommendation and we requested a waterside table. Showed up at our reserved time but no one greeted us until about 10 minutes of standing there. He tried to seat us at a more interior seat, which we asked again for a better view (because we could see many available). He put us at a table right next to a large group of Americans, which they were leaning on the table when we approached. Even after we were seated the group continued to lean on our table, touch our chairs, blow smoke at us, and be obnoxiously loud. After about 30 minutes from the time we got there, we still hadn’t received a menu or a greeting. So we got up and left. Can’t review the food or drinks, but the service was a big zero. The view is nice though so points for that. Overall disappointed with this place and wish...