In the welcoming brasserie overlooking the Monaco harbor, Mr. Letartre offers the warmest of receptions. He is what one might call a refined gentleman—always impeccably dressed, smiling, and adept at hosting. After many years leading the Anios laboratories, he stepped down in 2019 from the family business, which specialized in disinfectants for medical facilities. Despite briefly returning to this field in 2022 with the production of hand sanitizers, his career path took a decidedly different direction starting in the late 1990s. In 1998, he purchased the Domaine de la Rouillère vineyard in Gassin. As a seasoned entrepreneur, he quickly understood how to revive this fertile land, redesigning all its spaces. With the support of his wife, he rebuilt everything and created highly appreciated wines in white, red, and rosé varieties. A new passion for viticulture emerged, alongside his enduring love for conviviality. After all, in business, knowing how to eat and drink well is essential. Numerous events are organized there to welcome guests of all kinds.

This marked the beginning of a new adventure in the restaurant industry. Joining the Annie Famose hospitality and restaurant group, he took charge of renowned establishments in St. Tropez, Megève, Courchevel, St. Barth, Dubai, and Paris. This was a way to satisfy his passion for new challenges and exciting projects. The common thread: owning a restaurant near his place of residence. Having settled in Monaco since 2019, he decided to manage a local restaurant. The opportunity arose to take over one of the Principality’s most iconic venues: Quai des Artistes. Extensive renovations followed to revamp the dining room, kitchens, and outdoor bar. While bringing a fresh touch, the strengths of the original establishment were preserved. Both the decor and the menu remain faithful to the brasserie style—a place where locals, residents, and professionals can stop by spontaneously or otherwise to enjoy French regional specialties.

Together with the chef, he designed a generous menu at affordable prices for both lunch and dinner. The quality of the ingredients is uncompromising, as is the consistency of service throughout the year. In the kitchen, a full brigade operates: a chef and their sous-chef, two pastry chefs (who make everything in-house), and loyal staff in the dining area. Most of the “old-timers” from the team have been retained, as they know the venue, its clientele, and their preferences. The restaurant remains open every day of the year, except for Christmas Eve night. The staff is always ready, and Bertrand Letartre never misses an opportunity to greet guests. It’s not unusual to see him seated with customers, engaging in conversation or sharing a glass of one of the many fine beverages offered on the menu. At Quai des Artistes, not only is the food excellent, but the wines are also accessible and of exceptional quality.

Both in the dining experience and ambiance, the idea is to savor the moment. Much like the artists who once frequented the place, the vibe is relaxed, almost bohemian. While time may be precious, it isn’t rushed here. And for those who want to extend their day, they can move to the terrace and explore the Bar des Artistes. As a skilled manager of human connections, Bertrand Letartre knows there’s a time and place for everything. At the bar, the music is more vibrant, and the cocktail menu less conventional—though not necessarily exotic. Local products remain a priority: whiskey aged in Sauternes and St. Julien barrels, grape seed vodka crafted in Provence, and Provence gin.

Like directing an old theater cherished for its history, Bertrand Letartre oversees Quai des Artistes in a traditional manner while introducing ever-new performances and experiences. This artistic dimension, still relatively underdeveloped, is bound to become part of the new challenges for this enthusiast of innovation.

When taking over the establishment, the new owner of Quai des Artistes wanted above all to preserve its culinary uniqueness: the brasserie table. To achieve this, a chef capable of rising to the challenge was essential. Already working in other establishments within Bertrand Letartre’s group, it was Chef Etienne Barrier who was entrusted with this fortunate task. A chef whose vast experiences have shaped an exceptionally comprehensive vision of his craft. From Honfleur to Paris, he quickly climbed the ranks of his profession under the guidance of Michelin-starred chefs. After an initial stint in France, where he mastered the essentials of French cuisine, he spent three years in Japan, exchanging culinary traditions with a Japanese chef. Upon returning to Europe for family reasons, he took the position of sous-chef at Beau Rivage in Switzerland. Following a period at Ferme Saint-Amour in Megève, he contributed to the opening of establishments in St. Barth, Biarritz, Courchevel, and St. Tropez. Eventually, he docked in Monaco—at no ordinary quay, but at Quai des Artistes.

The challenge: to create a brasserie cuisine unlike any other in the Principality. First, the variety of dishes representing all regions of France. Specialties of meat and fish, distinguished not only by the quality of the ingredients but also by their preparation. Cooking techniques and, above all, sauces crafted in-house. The goal was to recreate flavors and aromas that evoke childhood memories, such as those carried throughout life from mom’s kitchen or grandma’s holiday table. Dishes, as well as desserts, that are no longer found on any menu: crêpes suzette or Norwegian omelette, flambéed in front of the guest.

Because everything must be a feast. Guests come to Quai des Artistes to dine with their eyes as much as their palate. They become part of a culinary spectacle where they are both actors and spectators. A love for tradition, but with a constant touch of modernity. Cooking techniques have been revisited using modern methods to optimize results while preserving flavors. Similarly, classic dishes are reinvented. It’s possible to enjoy a delightful Pavlova at the end of a meal, adorned with seasonal fruits: red berries, clementines, exotic fruits, or even chestnuts. The idea is to uphold the classics while continuing to surprise.

The chef thrives on sharing with his team and with guests. As a culinary artist, he ensures excellence—from product selection to the final tasting of the dish.

It was in 2003 that Ezio Lugano began his journey at Quai des Artistes. At the time, the quay was undergoing a transformation that had started in the late 1990s, a period during which the Principality decided to breathe new life into a space previously designated for industrial use. The establishment of artists’ workshops just a few steps away already hinted at this revival, to which the now-famous restaurant would contribute. From the outset, the goal was to create a restaurant reminiscent of the grand Parisian brasseries, with identical standards in cuisine, service, and ambiance. Apart from the major hotels, dining establishments did not offer this type of cuisine, and Ezio recalls this originality: the elegance of the decor, the brasserie-style dishes, and the renowned seafood counter.

This distinctiveness has endured over the years, explaining the loyal and regular presence of returning customers. As the client relations manager, Ezio has been welcoming families for over two decades, knowing entire generations. He fondly remembers certain blonde-haired children to whom he once handed blank sheets of paper and colored pencils, who now return as couples, sometimes with their own children, and often with their parents and grandparents. For Quai des Artistes is also a brasserie where people come for lunch between appointments or for Sunday family meals. On certain days, there isn’t a table where Ezio doesn’t recognize the guests. They come back again and again for the menu, often choosing the same dish for years. They also come because they feel known and recognized. Ezio knows each of their names, remembers the studies pursued by the older ones, and the favorite desserts of the younger ones.

Times have changed, as has the decor, but the soul has remained. Ezio likes to remind everyone that the uniqueness of Quai des Artistes since its inception lies in its distinctive identity. Traditional cuisine, the presentation of dishes, and the loyalty of the team maintain the heritage of the establishment. Time passes here, yet there is a certain timelessness—one that artists know how to imprint in their works, which never die. In this regard, Ezio recalls the time when painters would hang their canvases, sparking debates between the dining staff and customers. This lively atmosphere further anchored the uniqueness of the venue, where consistent service and dining blended with artistic originality and diversity. A collaboration with artists that he is already looking forward to reviving with the new artistic program scheduled for September 2025.

Quai des Artistes is thus a place of small and great stories. Anecdotes that can sometimes be obtained from Ezio, whose poise and elegance, discretion and confidentiality, are reminiscent of the golden keys of grand hotels—but in brasserie style.