(the 'official' Blue Beach website)
Restaurant Menu
Wine List
Nice Tourist Board guide to beaches
Nice&You guide to beaches
32 Promenade des Anglais
(almost opposite the Negresco Hotel)
Tel: 04 93 87 10 36
Tuesday 3rd August 2004
My daughter prefers The Blue Beach as it is more child-friendly than Castel Plage and I have to say that we did have a great day there at the beginning of June this year and several more in July and August 2004.
It is quite a walk, a good thirty to forty minutes from our studio, along the Promenade des Anglais from the Port but if we're feeling lazy the bus number 9 or 10 will get you very close behind the Negresco on rue de France. From there it is a two minute walk. The return trip to the Port via the 9 or 10 bus is even easier than the arrival as the route back to the Port has a bus stop right on the Promenade, just a couple of minutes from the Blue Beach exit.
The telephone number for the Blue Beach is:
04 93 87 10 36
from the UK:
00 33 (0) 4 93 87 10 36
Many of the private beaches have affiliations with local hotels and have reserved sun-beds for the Hotel guests - another reason to telephone and reserve a place.
You will need to ask for a parasol too; they are not automatically included.
You can sometimes just book for the afternooon only, it's cheaper and I think in some cases it can be free if you have had lunch at the beach Restaurant.
I am sure we paid about 10 euros for the sun-lounger for the day. For private beaches, the cost of a lounger for the day varies from about 9 to 18 euros, so shop around.
The French word for a sun lounger or sun-bed is 'matelas' meaning 'mattress'. 'Parasol' is the same word in English or French.
See my best beaches in Nice page for more hints and tips.
Trying to relax - just hurry up and take the photo; I can't hold the stomach or the smile for much longer.
At the top of the steps to the Blue Beach you will find this small news kiosk where you can buy a paper. The Times is three euros, otheres like theDaily Mail is 2,50 euros This appears to be an essential daily requirement for husbands.
Formula for beach happiness:-
(Husband + Paper) x (Daughter + Pool)
= Contented Wife
Please click on list to enlarge. (small file)
The Nicoise salad above was listed in the entrees (starters), but as you can see, it is main-course sized. By the way, can you spot the mistake - they forgot the olives!
My salad and the husband's tandoori chicken salad cost 11 euros each.
Although we both had salads, there are many more interesting, really nice things to choose from the menu, especially the fish dishes and one of the nicest things about the Blue Beach is that they have daily specials, so you know the ingredients are fresh and that the chef is motivated.
There is also a tank full of mournful-looking lobsters (Homard) - can't get much fresher than picking your own lunch.
The daughter had the children's menu or 'menu enfant' for 10 euros which is very basic ham and chips (or burger or nuggets) with a bit of salad plus an icecream or fruit.
If you are still hungry, there is a basket of bread or you can always order an extra portion of chips for 4 euros.
Incidentally if you don't want to be bothered with a restaurant meal, or want a cheaper option, then you can order food to your sun-lounger, there is a range of lighter bites, like pasta and omelettes, also a snack bar for filled bagettes. This makes a nice change from the formal sitting down especially if accompanied by a bottle of rose in an ice bucket.
Be careful what you order though; it's hard to eat messy food reclining and half -sitting on a sunbed and still carry of an air of elegant insouciance AND keep your tummy sucked in.
I managed to photograph the menu so if you want a closer look, click on the thumbnail menu above on the right. It may take a minute or two to load as it has to be big enough to read.
Wine prices start at 9 euros a bottle.
I was VERY impressed with the coffee served at the Blue Beach. I am addicted to coffee and it can make or break whether or not we come back.
I love a hot espresso at the beach but find I glug them down too quickly. Happily, however, I have recently discovered a rather good compromise, I now ask for a 'cafe Americain', also called a 'cafe allonge' I think. This is an expesso but topped up with hot water, it makes it last a little longer and has saved me some money as I had been ordering 'double espressos' lately to stretch the drink out.
The Blue Beach 'cafe Americains' were wonderful, full to the top of the cup and so hot, they were still steaming.
2 euros a cup.
The swimming pool is probably aimed at under 8s but my 9 year-old daughter still likes bobbing about in here and making friends with the smaller children.
You can ask for a sunbed close to this pool so that you can relax in the sun AND keep an eye on your child.
Elasticated harnesses will bounce you really high on tramoplines and there is a variety of water activities, from paragliding for one or two at a time, canoe hire and inflatable rides behind a speed boat.
The daughter loves the trampolines and is gearing herself up to try out the paragliding in the next year or two. Only problem is, she wants me to go with her!
The price list for the activities is shown below. (2004 prices) A parachute ride behind a speedboat is 55 euros for two people or 40 euros for a single. The 'flyfish is 30 euros and the bouees (inflatable rides) are 20 euros each. You can hire a kayak for 5 euros for half an hour and 8 euros for an hour. Five minutes on the trampoline is 5 euros, although if there is no queue, you get about 10 minutes.
