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Côte d’Azur

French restaurants in Côte D’azur

  1. A

    La Cantine de Lulu

    Lulu - Lucien Brych - is the name behind this illustrious bistro where local specialities and all the great French classics are eaten with vigour by an appreciative, regular crowd. Friday is aïoli, stockfish and bouillabaisse (order in advance)day. Lulu's Canteen is small; arrive on the dot.

    reviewed

  2. B

    La Taca d'Oli

    No wonder the bagna cauda (raw mixed veg dipped into a pot of warm tangy anchovy paste known as anchoïade)at this tiny old-town bistro dating to 1947 is so legendary: the same chef has been making it here for the past 17 years! A shared portion of bagna pan (raw red mullet and sea bream fillets dipped in hot fish soup) ordered alongside it makes a perfect supper for two.

    You might almost believe you're in Italy when you sit on the terrace of this restaurant in Vieux Nice, which is located in one of the quarter's tiny streets. Here, you can enjoy delicious Niçois specialties like raviolis or petits farcies (stuffed vegetables).

    reviewed

  3. C

    Acchiardo

    Going strong since 1927, locals flock to Acchiardo for the plat du jour (daily special), a glass of wine and a load of gossip served straight up on the counter.

    reviewed

  4. D

    La Tarterie

    Sweet/savoury tarts and clafoutis (a batter cake with fruit) ensure there's always a queue at this good-value tart house where you can lunch on delicious homemade fare inside or out.

    reviewed

  5. E

    11e Art

    A relative newbie on the contemporary dining scene, this hybrid lounge-bar-restaurant is a smart, chic affair with steely bar stools out front and sofa seating in an ultra-cool air-con interior.

    reviewed

  6. F

    Grand Joseph

    Black leather chairs, white tablecloths and steel touches create a cutting-edge feel to this drinking-dining space for St-Tropez beauties. Cuisine is French gastronomic, atmosphere is overwhelmingly lounge bar and 'two chefs, two menus' is the buzz.

    reviewed

  7. G

    Le 3e

    If the sheer length of dish names defeats you (or you simply want to lunch), opt for simpler Le 3e. Inside Palais de la Méditerranée, it's the lounge bar across from the terrace pool. Enjoy meats barbecued à la plancha (on the griddle).

    reviewed

  8. H

    La Réserve

    Jouni Tormanen breathed new life into Nice's legendary La Réserve a belle époque building (built in 1876 as a hotel) at the port. Interior décor is pure Art Deco and the contemporary space combines gourmet restaurant with ground-floor lounge and rooftop bar.

    reviewed

  9. I

    Voyageur Nissart

    No frills, just good solid portions of traditional Niçois fare, served speedily and with a smile ensure this small three generation-run family bistro near the train station makes it in practically every travel guide. Going strong since 1908, its clientele nonetheless remain fairly local.

    reviewed

  10. J

    Karr

    Hugely popular for lunch with working 30-somethings, this spacious contemporary eating space with crowded street terrace is just the ticket for dining with a difference: think mussel soup, warm oven-baked goat's cheese with honey and almonds, lobster risotto or veal escalope with a stuffed artichoke (in season).

    reviewed

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  12. K

    La Mandibule

    Tropical is the tone of this seafront restaurant which serves a mean cocktail alongside dozens of different rums and good old-fashioned cuisine from the French island of Reunion in the Indian Ocean. The cushioned wicker chairs beneath grass-shirted parasols on the prom have to be the comfiest prom chairs on the Riviera.

    reviewed

  13. L

    Terres de Truffes

    At this small, exquisite place, head chef Arnaud Leclercq uses Provençal truffles to create seasonal sensations ranging from pastry-wrapped pigeon stuffed with foie gras and truffles to brie layered with truffles, to caramel of truffles. Obviously not the place to go if you're not a fan of the Tuber melanosporum

    reviewed

  14. M

    Le Padouk

    A big address houses culinary giant, chef Bruno Sohn, who stuns palates with a cuisine oozing originality at Le Padouk, on the third floor of Palais de la Méditerranée. Be it octopus and red mullet prepared like stockfish or a sweet feast of almond jelly, roasted apricots, exotic sorbet and basil syrup, Sohn insists on throwing an imaginative twist into his cooking pot.

    reviewed

  15. N

    Atelier du Goût

    His full name is Jouni Tormanen but everyone knows this overtly modern, 30-something Finnish chef, under the wing of Ducasse until branching out on his own, as Jouni. In southern France since 1993, the gastronomic dynamo impresses at his 'taste workshop', Atelier du Goût, with a simple choice (but still dead tricky to choose) of three starters, three mains and three desserts.

    reviewed

  16. O

    Restaurant du Gésu

    Locals rave about this no-frills eating house, run with dynamism and a huge dose of wit by the most gravelly-voiced patron on the Riviera. The menu is simple - Niçois beignets (fritters) followed by pizza, escalope or homemade pasta with a choice of sauce, house speciality sauce daube (a meaty broth sauce) included. Find Gésu tucked on an old-town square in the shade of a church.

    reviewed

  17. P

    Les Épicureans

    If you don't have time to visit the glamorous, pint-sized principality of Monaco, 18km east of Nice, this wood-and-white-tableclothed place overlooking a pretty fountained square brings Monégasque cuisine to you. What's more, it's so expertly prepared that Monaco's monarch, Prince Albert, comes to dine here. House specialties include barbajuans (tiny fried ravioli with gaspacho sauce) and cocottes (cast-iron casserole dishes).

    reviewed

  18. Le Club 55

    What started out as a simple canteen for the crew of And God Created Woman in the 1950s is now the hippest joint on the beach. Dine at tightly packed tables beneath sails strung from trees, drink from plump white sofas on the sand, and pay to be a beach bum on a white cushioned mattress beneath umbrella or hip paillote (a smart straw shack) on the designer beach. Rumbling tummies with no reservation can opt for a salad or sandwich at the twig-topped beach bar nearer the water.

    reviewed