| Restaurants in Nice range from cheap and cheerful to Michelin-starred. If your hotel or apartment is in the centre of Nice or Old Town, you will have a wide choice of where to eat in Nice all within walking distance, not including the hundreds of fast-food cafes and bars and numerous boulangeries. Most of the restaurants listed have been reviewed in detail on my Virtualtourist.com pages. For individual reviews, please click on the photos or 'more info' or use the dropdown menu on the left. For restaurant locations, use www.mappy.com - enter the road name, 'Nice' and 'France' for a good, printable map. A road number will pinpoint the restaurant precisely. The restaurants we return to every time are (in no order) La Tapenade, Chez Palmyre, Bar de la Bourse, Chez Juliette, La Grange, Rene Socca, La Barque Bleue and La Colombe D'Or (St Paul de Vence). If we could brook the expense, I should like to return to La Petite Maison, Le Comptoir, Le Tire Bouchon and my new favourite, Jouni de la Reserve. I have so many places I haven't written about yet with an equal number on my to-do list. I have been writing up my restaurant tips in www.virtualtourist.com since September 2003 so expect some changes like increased prices; I have made a few amendments, not all. Most of my tips are based on restaurants as opposed to fast-food kiosks and boulangeries. I will be recommending these places in due course - they often provide the freshest food and the best price - superb for picnics. There is a free guide to the restaurants in Nice from the Tourist Office They can send it to your home address before your trip to Nice. Not every restaurant is listed, but it gives you a good start with addresses and telephone numbers; ask for the free map too. I am always on the look-out for great places to eat in Nice, especially if they are close to my studio ie within walking distance of the Port area. Please email me your recommendations - I'm after good quality AND value. Better still, join the VT.com website - it's free and add your tips for everyone to share. Tips for eating in restaurants Good idea to book in advance, the day before or even the same morning will probably do, either pop in or telephone. It's an early start for lunch - get seated at 12 noon, 12:30pm at the latest to get the restaurant of your choice but don't expect to eat before 7.30 - 8 pm in the evenings. Address the waiter/waitress as 'Monsieur' or 'Madame', never 'Garcon' - this is now out of date and considered very impolite. Start off with 'Excusez-moi' or 's'il vous plait' to attract attention. Ordering a carafe d'eau gets you free tap water - they prefer (obviously) to sell you a bottle of water- usually the sparkling Badoit - we've paid up to 3,50 euros for half a bottle. If you want the free water, ask very clearly for the carafe, if you just ask for water, you'll be given a choice of fizzy 'gaz' or still 'sans gaz' and then you will feel too intimidated to then ask for the free carafe, so get the words out first! Some restaurants will offer an aperitif first, so unless you want pre-meal drinks, often a 'kir' (white wine and cassis) be ready to say no, just the menu please. Alternatively, order your wine to come straight away, but if the service is slow, you may end up ordering a second bottle. A cheap way to order glugging wine is to order a pitchet - this is a jug with the local house wine, can often be good.A pichet is a litre, half a pitchet is half a litre, etc. We have found beer to be extremely expensive in Nice, up to 8 euros a glass. I would stick to the house wine and a carafe of water to get the best value from restaurants. Buy beer from the local supermarket and enjoy it at your hotel or apartment before you head off to a restaurant. When you buy beer in a restaurant, there are different ways to order it, often you ask for a 'pression' which is draught beer, either a 'demi-pression'- half a litre or a 'formidable' - a litre, the name says it all. Or, order bottled beer by brand. What you might consider to be the menu ie the list of food is called 'La Carte' and not Le Menu. Le Menu refers to a set-price meal of two or three, sometimes 4 courses. This is also known as the 'formule'. A daily special, the 'plat du jour' or dish of the day may be chalked up somewhere. The 'formule' or 'menu' with or without the 'plat du jour' will be displayed with the ordinary Carte, often on a separate piece of paper or chalked up somewhere. Ask, if you don't see it as it often gives the best value, certainly much cheaper than ordering a la carte. The plat du jour will be freshly made and the best item to order; this is often as good a way as any when choosing a restaurant; when you're strolling past a group of restaurants, just go for whatever plat du jour takes your fancy. Usually the formule or menu will give a choice of 2 or 3 items for each course so you can usually put together something you'll like. Sometimes a coffee or a glass of wine or a drink ('boisson') will be part of the formule or set-price menu sometimes as an alternative to a pudding. For example, a typical 3-course menu may offer a Salade Nicoise or Beignet Sardines (battered sardines) as a first course or entree, then a choice of gnocchi and daube (Italian dumplings and stew), or Spagetti Bolognaise or moules frite (chips and mussels) as a second or main course - plat principal and then ice-cream, creme caramel or the patisserie maison (cake or pastry of the day) as the third course or pudding - dessert. This will cost on average between 12 and 20 euros per head for the 3 courses at most of the touristy restaurants in and around the Old Town. It's worth having a good look around at the various set courses on offer, not only is it the best value, you can aften find a combination that suits, for example, a 3-course menu for 12 euros could be a starter (entree), then a main course (plat principal), then a pudding (dessert). It could also be a starter and a main OR a main and a pudding plus a glass of wine. There are a few 2-course menus on offer too, usually starter plus main OR main plus pudding, I've seen some offering a quarter pichet of wine instead of a pudding. there's so many combinations, it pays to have a good look around and often by ordering two different sets of combinations from the same restaurant you can feed 2 adults and a child for the price of just 2 set menu. We have done this quite successfully, the daughter has had my starter and pudding, I've just had a main course and the husband has had a starter and main and the wine option instead of pudding, so for the cost of two set menus plus the carafe d'eau we've all been fed and watered. The french verb for sharing is partager. Sometimes with a child, you can ask for a plate, une assiete, and say 'ont partage' - 'we are sharing' If you do want the set 2 or 3 course 'menu' or 'formule', make sure the waiter knows this and order all the courses at the beginning, including the pudding if you can cope with this, as we have been charged invididually for items as though they were 'a la carte' and have paid a lot more, especially as we tend to share out two formules between the three of us. The words 'a volonte' on the menu mean 'eat as much as you want' ie you can keep re-ordering the same dish at no extra cost. One of the restaurants on the far side of Nice Port offers mussels a volonte. Also, on the Cours Saleya, the restaurant Bistro Romain offers carpaccio of beef or salmon a volonte. Carpaccio is thin-sliced raw meat or fish, usually served drizzed with plenty of olive oil and sometimes parmesan shavings too. By the way, something else I've noticed. I love the Nicoise Salads but they often appear on the menus as an 'entree' or starter. I've been worried about choosing it for my main course as I used to think it may be rather small. This has never been a problem, I have ordered these entree salads at many different restaurants now and, so far, they have all easily been main-course sized. So if you see something on the entree list that you would like by itself for your main course, just order it, I'm sure it will be enough. It also explained to me why some of the entrees seemed so high in price; they really are main-course sized portions. If one person orders an entree or starter as their main course and another person orders a main course, make sure your waiter knows to serve both at the same time or you will take turns to watch each other eat. We have been caught out this way a couple of times. The French for 'together' is 'ensemble'. If you see a pudding you fancy, it is ok to reserve it at the start of the meal - the popular puddings disappear rapidly so have a look in the display counter if you get the chance. Don't expect a children's menu, although I have noticed an increase in restaurants offering them and many restaurants won't serve half-portions for children, although they are usually happy enough to give a empty plate so that a child can share bits from the adult. Don't forget you nearly always get a basket of French bread with every meal so this, plus perhaps an extra plate of chips is enough for two adults sharing their food with a child. In Nice there will be something a child will like - pasta and pizza is always a good bet. Be careful ordering a burger though as you will need to specify how you like it cooked or it will arrive quite pink in the middle. My daughter will eat pink beef but other children may be put off. Don't be fooled by the word 'pate' on the menus, it means pasta and not what I think of as pate - thick fatty meat paste. I think there may be a crucial accent or two missing, but you get the idea. The french for medium is 'a point' , 'bien-cuit' is well done or 'pas bien cuit' - NOT well done should sort out a steak. 'Bleu' or 'saignant' means still mooing (or neighing) 'service compris' sometimes written at the bottton of the bill as 'sc' - now on all menus (I think it is compulsory now) means service, at 17.5%, is included. We usually still leave a tip, but not as much as we used to and certainly not the usual 10-15% you might add to a UK restaurant bill. Really, an acceptable tip is the change in your pocket up to about 1 or 2 euros. For exceptionally poor service, leaving just 1 cent as a tip is more effective than no tip! If you have exceptional service, then leave whatever you want. Put any extra tip on the tray with the bill and not directly to the waiter which would be considered a bit vulgar. A coffee after a meal will always be an espresso unless you specify otherwise. I've recently started asking for a cafe 'americain' which is an espresso topped up with hot water, the same price (USUALLY, but I have been caught out a couple of times) but lasts a bit longer. Also called a 'cafe allonge'. Espressos seem to cost between 1,50 - 2,30 euros, once you start on Cappucinos, the prices start to creep up, expect to pay around 4- 5 euros. Non-smokers (like us). All I can say is, try and sit outside. You will be in the minority and deeply unpopular if you make a fuss or expect a non-smoking section. I know this is the cowardly way out but who wants to antagonise the staff before a meal? We have noticed an increase in the number of wandering musicians, particularly near the touristy restaurants in the Old Town. They start playing near you, and believe me after a couple of nights, you know the repertoire and order of play. You are then asked for money. It's up to you, give if you want, I do sometimes. I never buy from the hawkers who plant cigarette lighters and other items on your table then come back to close the sale. There are also tumblers and beggers, if you want to avoid all this then eat inside the restaurant or go to the local off the tourist track restaurants instead. |
| All about Nice - Restaurants in Nice |
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| Shops and shopping in Nice home getting to Nice read up on Nice Contact links My vt.com restaurant reviews All vt.com restaurant reviews |
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| Bar de la Bourse, Old Nice, December 2003 (reviewed above) |
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| Au Vieux Four rue Emmanuel Philibert cheap and cheerful - great pizzas, cheapest wine, no terrace. more info |
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| Bar de la Bourse rue Pairoliere, Old Nice best value 3 courses + drink for 10 euros, no terrace, lunch only, casual. more info |
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| La Barque Bleue Nice Port mid-priced, great pasta and moules, great terrace and view, smart-casual. more info |
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| La Claire Fontaine Place Rossetti, Old Nice good value, 12 euros for 3 courses, open non-stop, nice square, bit touristy, casual. more info |
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| Restaurant du Gesu Place du Jesu, Old Nice good value, nice square, very popular, closed Sundays, cash only more info |
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| La Meranda rue de la Terrasse superb food, expensive wine, no terrace, telephone or credit cards, stylish. more info |
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| L'Ambiance rue Cassini cheap and cheerful, great pizzas and pasta. more info |
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| Le Safari Cours Saleya bit over-priced but due to great location, good for Nicois specialities, great terrace. more info |
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| La Zucca Magica Nice Port Vegetarian, 5 courses, set price, no choice, terrace, cash only. more info |
| The Sunday Times Style Magazine, FOODIE section, 14th March 2004: Anya Hindmarch (hand-bag designer) describes her best-ever meal as the scrambled eggs and truffles from La Petite Maison, Nice (rue St Francois de Paul, opposite the Opera House) tel 04 93 92 59 59 |
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| Le Tire Bouchon rue de la Prefecture, Old Nice top quality french cooking, and good value for the 3-course 29 euro menu. more info |
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| General Information |
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| 'Rene Socca' is famous in Old Nice for Nicoise specialities and good value. It's a marvellous place once you get the hang of it. The three of us had Sunday lunch here for less than 9 euros, ok, under 11 euros if you count the large glass of rose wine too. August 2004 more info |
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| Cafe Borghese rue Fodere, Nice Port trendy and stylish, good food, lovely interior more info |
| Castel Plage Restaurant beach restaurant, quai d'Etats Unis, trendy, good food by the sea, quite pricy. more info |
| Chez Pistol Place Garibaldi wonderful fish restaurant, full of character. more info |
| Le Romarin off Place Rossetti, Old Town average tourist restaurant, nice location. more info |
| Blue Beach Restaurant Promenade des Anglais Beach restaurant in front of the Negresco, very good food, good value for location. more info |
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| Lou Pilha Leva Place Centrale, Old Nice self-service, excellent value, very popular. more info |
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| Sur le Pouse rue St Francois, Old Nice Nicoise specialities, good value, bit shabby more info |
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| Rene Socca rue Pairoliere and rue Miralheti, Old Nice Nicoise specialities, great value- see the following three menus: Nicoise specialities drinks pizza/socca more info |
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| Eating out en Francais SMH Collin (Editor) January 2004 £5.59 Handy, pocket-sized paperback guide to food and wine terms and phrases in English and French. Useful and interesting with an additional section on French cheese and wine. |
| Nice - pop-out map July 2002 £3.99 Find your restaurant! |
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| Nice 2006/7 guide de Routard (NB in French) 9,50 euros See where the French eat, recommends restaurants not often mentioned in the English guidebooks. Good map at the back pinpointing the locations of its recommended restaurants. Many places offer free drink on production of the guide. |
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| Chez Palmyre rue Droite, Old Nice authentic French meal, set menu, choice of 4 courses for about 13 euros. Cheap and simple. more info |
| Old Nice market tour& cookery class This new one-day market tour and cooking class in Nice for food lovers, gourmands and general bon viveurs looks wonderful. www.petitsfarcis.com |
| February 2005 - Lou Pilha Leva, Old Nice The daughter and husband stuff their faces in the Old Town at Lou Pilha Leva, a great value Nicoise-style fast-food restaurant, Always busy, large portions and very cheap. Just about warm enough to eat outside with coats definitely ON. |
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| August 2006 - L'Ecurie Restaurant, 4 rue du Marche, Old Nice This restaurant is recommended regularly in the Tripadvisor.com Nice forum. Shown here, a daily special Salade Neptune - raw fish 'cooked' in lime juice, 14,00 euros. Daughter had spaghetti bolognese, not great value for 10,50 euros, unless it's to pay for that perky bayleaf. It was a good meal but we decided we prefer La Tapenade on rue de la Prefecture for value, choice and service. |
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| The cheapest lunch in Nice? Ham baguette, chocolate doughnut and a 0.5L bottle of water was just 2 euros (July 05) from Monoprix bakery, Place Garibaldi. The baguettes are freshly prepared on the premises for 10:30 am and sell out quickly. Review |
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| walk & eat NICE (Sunflower books) £5.59 for more details or to buy, please click on the book. Detailed walks and excursions using public transport plus recipes and recommended restaurants and cafes. Handy pocket size too. To see my recommended books on Nice and the Cote d'Azur, please click here. |
| Easyjet's Inflight magazine lists about 100 recommended restaurants in and around Nice by price range: up to 15 euros up to 30 euros up to 50 euros exclusive |
| June 2005 - Chez Juliette, Old Nice Chocolate-coated pears for pudding at Chez Juliette, on the corner of rue Rossetti and rue Benoit Bunico in Old Nice. One of my favourite restaurants in Nice. Recommend the duck and courgettes from the a la carte. 17,50 euros for the 3-course set menu. Review |
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| The owner of this gorgeous apartment (with pool) sent me her list of favourite restaurants, all close to the Port area. |
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| Theresa prepares Socca every day (except Monday) in the Cours Saleya, the main market in Old Nice. Socca is a chickpea flour pancake, a Nicoise fast food speciality. Portions are about 2-3 euros, sprinkle with salt and pepper and eat with your fingers. Fresh supplies to Chez Theresa are scootered in from their shop in rue Droite. |
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| La Tapenade rue de la Prefecture consistently good food, very large portions, good value set menu. more info |
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| Mark Bittman's article in the New York Times: Nice: Going Straight to the Source for Provençal Cuisine |
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| Les Choix d'Anna take-out pizzas near the Port from 5 euros more info |
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| Chez Memere Great food but restaurant let itself down a bit. more info |
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| La Petite Maison rue St Francois de Paule, Old Nice upmarket and popular, great atmosphere, ideal for a special meal out with friends more info |
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| Two restaurants - new reviews: Jouni de la Reserve de Nice, Nice Port Chez Christiane, Old Nice |
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| Chez Juliette rue Rosetti, Old Nice Consistent good quality, cut above most of the Old Town restaurants. more info |
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| Jouni de la Reserve bd Franck Pilatte, Nice Port The best restaurant in Nice, view over the Bay of Angels and the Cap de Nice more info |
| Chez Christiane rue Pairoliere, Old Nice Very cheap quick pasta place, 3 courses + wine for about 9 euros more info |
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| La Grange rue Bonaparte, Place Garibaldi. Small neat restaurant, great value, good food and services more info |
| Chez Pipo rue Bavastro, Nice Port communal tables, nicoises snacks, famous for its socca, simple and fun, great tourte blettes more info |
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| The Guide Gantie reviews about seventy restaurants in Nice, written in English, consise and insightful. Recommendations for restaurants in surrounding areas eg Cannes, too. |