Restaurants in Nice
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A
Delhi Belhi
An excellent Indian restaurant, ideal if you’ve overdosed on Mediterranean flavours.
reviewed
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Nissa Socca
This inexpensive joint in Nice's ambient old town is a good bet for authentic niçoise cuisine, from the eponymous socca to a slice of pissaladière (a thick crust covered with puréed onions and garlic, topped with anchovies and olives) or its Italian ancestor, the pizza.
reviewed
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C
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
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D
La Petite Maison
Nice’s hottest table draws celebs and politicians for its happening scene and elegantly executed Niçois specialities. We love the drama of the noisy, high-ceilinged room, aglow with flickering candlelight, and the contemporary spins of local classics, but waiters putter (unless you’re famous), portions run small and tables are packed together. Still, it’s tops for a splashy night out. Reservations essential.
reviewed
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E
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
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Kei's Passion
He might only be 26 years old but Japanese hot shot Keisuke Matsushima, alias Kei, makes heads turn at Kei's Passion, a minimalist space dedicated to gastronomy and crowned with a shiny Michelin star within a year of its opening. Cuisine is overwhelmingly Mediterranean (lots of Italian influence in there) with a subtle dash of the Orient, while the wine cellar, notably, is predominantly organic.
reviewed
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G
Luc Salsedo
The cuisine of Salsedo, a young chef who’s built a fine reputation, is local and seasonal. His menu (which, unusually, caters well for vegetarians) changes every 10 days to reflect the mood of the market stalls. The food is delightful and served without pomp on plates, rustic boards or authentic cast-iron pots. The wine list is another hit, with an all-French cast from white to red and rosé.
reviewed
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H
Luna Rossa
Luna Rossa is like your dream Mediterranean dinner come true: fresh pasta, exquisitely cooked seafood, sun-kissed vegetables and divine meats. Try the Poêlée Luna Rossa, a seafood stir-fry with garlic, basil and fresh linguine, served in a cast-iron pan; simply divine. Wash it down with one of the excellent bottles of red or rosé from the cellar.
reviewed
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I
La Merenda
Simple, solid Niçois cuisine by former Michelin-starred chef Dominique Le Stanc draws the crowds to this pocket-sized bistro (you’ll be rubbing back and shoulders with fellow customers). The tiny open kitchen stands proud at the back of the room, and the equally small menu is chalked on the board. No credit cards.
reviewed
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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
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K
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
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Le Chantecler
In a sumptuous pink Regency dining room, the Negresco's two-Michelin-starred restaurant, run by locally trained chef Jean-Denis Rieubland, is no ordinary place. Ensure you're in a grand mood if you're going to splash out: every dish is an exquisite creation, both in cuisine and presentation, and there is a seemingly endless succession of appetisers, palate cleansers and petits fours.
All of this comes complete with the expertise of an exceptional sommelier, who will happily match every course with a wine or recommend a bottle for your meal. Service is truly stellar and you'll finish your evening feeling like royalty.
reviewed
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M
La Table Alziari
Run by the grandson of the famous Alziari olive oil family, this citrus-coloured restaurant off the busy rue Pairolière is not here to brag about anything. The day’s menu is chalked on a blackboard, with local specialities such as morue à la niçoise (cod served with potatoes, olives and a tomato sauce) or grilled goat’s cheese washed down with regional wines.
reviewed
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N
Thérèsa
Essential tasting for every visiting palate is socca, a savoury, griddle-fried pancake made from chickpea flour and olive oil. The socca cooked up by the flamboyant Thérèsa (; Cours Saleya market ;08:00-13:00 Tue-Sun) at her cours Saleya market stall with plastic tables beneath the awning is legendary. Order a glass of rosé with it.
reviewed
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O
Texas City
You'll find excellent enchiladas and gourmet guacamole at this adobe-walled place adorned with authentic Americana including quirky curios like an 1844 framed certificate for the Ladies Fort Hill Total Abstinence Society (from alcohol that is; but don't let it put you off your margarita). It mainly caters to a local clientele, hence portions aren't Texan-sized.
reviewed
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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
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Q
Aphrodite
The uninspired interior might be nothing to write home about (although the tomato plants growing in pots around the glassed-in terrace are a nice touch) but David Faure's food is. Dish names take up at least three lines on the menu, sauces are delicate, there's shoals of fish and hats off to the chef for his wholly vegetarian menu
reviewed
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R
Blue Beach
Much of the seashore is backed by beach restaurants offering predictable Mediterranean cuisine and the chance to dip between courses. Food at Blue Beach is a cut above the rest, plus it hosts free jamming sessions with musicians performing at the Nice Jazz Festival and interesting dinner conferences on Niçois history and culture in July.
reviewed
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Le Safari
The only restaurant on touristy Cours Saleya that merits your attention, Le Safari serves Niçois specialities – daube de boeuf (beef stew), petite friture (fried small fish) and petits farcis – on a bustling heated terrace and a more romantic (smoke-free) wood-beamed dining room lined with jars of olives.
reviewed
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T
L’Escalinada
This enchanting old-town auberge has been one of the best places in town for Mediterranean favourites for the last half-century: melt-in-your-mouth homemade gnocchi with tasty daube (Provençal beef stew), grilled prawns with garlic and herbs, Marsala veal stew. The staff are delightful and the welcome kir is on the house. No credit cards.
reviewed
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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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Fenocchio
Dither too long over the 70-plus flavours of ice cream and sorbet at this unforgettable glacier (ice-cream shop) and you’ll never make it to the front of the queue. Eschew predictable favourites and indulge in a new taste sensation: black olive, tomato-basil, avocado, rosemary or lavender.
reviewed
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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
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Chez René Socca
Forget about presentation and manners; here, it’s all about taste. Grab a portion of socca (chickpea-flour pancake) or a plate of petits farcis (stuffed vegetables) and head across the street to the bar for a grand pointu (glass) of red, white or rosé.
reviewed
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Y
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