Marseille
Scarcely shut, this al fresco bar with buzzing pavement terrace just a couple of blocks from the Vieux Port markets itself as ‘Massilia vodkabar’. From…
Must-see nightlife in Provence & the Côte d'Azur
Cannes
Perched atop the Palais des Festivals, this trendy bar and club with drop-dead Mediterranean views is one of Cannes' choicest and chicest nightspots…
Nice
Organic and artisanal vintages rule the roost at this welcoming wine bar on lively rue Lascaris. Sip a glass or order a bottle from the well-stocked…
Côte d'Azur
This wine bar on the main square is a favourite local hangout for glasses of wine, charcuterie and cheese boards and occasional live music. For a fabulous…
Antibes
On a lively street lined with pubs, just inside the old ramparts, this grungy boozer is the place for a late-night pint. It's a favourite for expat crews…
Nice
Libération's go-to bar-cafe for morning coffee and afternoon aperitifs is always buzzing, especially in warm weather, when tables are spread out on the…
Côte d'Azur
In business for nearly 100 years, this cafe boasts a spacious terrace fronting St-Jean's central square. It's popular for morning coffee and afternoon…
Nice
This Irish pub is big, loud and the pub of reference for all foreigners in town (there's another branch down by the port). With live music, pub grub and…
Parc National du Mercantour
Tapas plates and a super selection of wines by the glass are on offer at this backstreet bar. You can buy olive oils, wines, pickled peppers and other…
Côte d'Azur
Favoured by dance-on-the-bar celebs, and those who just want to be seen, Nikki can become a beachside bacchanal to match most fantasies. The debauchery…
Marseille
Southwest of the cours Julien nightlife area, Le Trash bills itself as Marseille’s cruising bar, for good reason. There's a cover charge on special nights…
Antibes
The in-crowd flops off the beach (or yacht they're crewing on) and onto the pavement terrace of this buzzing lounge bar for early-evening cocktails, wine…
Nice
Decadent all-day desserts, ice-cream sundaes and cocktails (from €5) are the reason to hit the sea-facing terrace of this vibrant mojito bar.
St-Tropez
The terrace is the place to sport your new strappy sandals at afternoon aperitifs. Service is the friendliest along the port.
Côte d'Azur
A fantastic spot for oenophiles, stocking hundreds of local vintages with cheese and pâté platters to match.
Aix-en-Provence
A diet of house, techno and electro is varied by theme nights (Halloween) and DJs playing more exotic styles.
Marseille
Though it is often erroneously thought that Marcel Pagnol set the card-party scenes in Marius at this Marseille institution, it did actually figure in the…
Vaucluse
This pleasant, central wine bar makes a good spot for an evening tipple, with a good selection of vins au verre (wines by the glass). The pavement tables…
Aix-en-Provence
This smart cafe, with steel-grey parasols and box-hedged terrace on a busy square, is unbeatable for coffee and fashionable-people watching. Its European…
Marseille
Caffè Noir, with its severe charcoal façade and black pavement terrace staggering down the street in three steps, more than lives up to its name. Inside…
Marseille
Popular with Corsican locals, this small club next to the opera was once a favourite of Spanish refugees in Franco's era. It has limited dancing, lots of …
Antibes
This legendary establishment is famous up and down the coast for its summer beachside nightclub and late-night dancing under the stars. There are DJs…
St-Tropez
Blindingly white and appropriately expensive, White 1921 is owned by Louis Vuitton. It’s a chic alfresco champagne lounge in a renovated townhouse on…
Marseille
Shake it to techno, funk and indie in between games of pétanque at this mythical Marseillais club with four salles (rooms) beneath 17th-century stone…
St-Tropez
Young, happening harbour-side bar for beautiful people, with chichi decor in shades of white and silver. It's been run by the same family for 50 years,…
Avignon
Avignon’s inner-city gay bar rocks well into the wee hours, pulling a clientele that is not always that quiet, based on dozens of neighbour-considerate …
Nice
Primped and pretty A-gays crowd shoulder to shoulder at Nice’s compact, perennially popular gay bar. Le 6 keeps a busy event and party schedule: guest DJs…
St-Tropez
Escape the crowds at the laid-back Ermitage, kitted out in distressed ’50s-modern furniture, with enchanting views of the rooftops of old St-Tropez and…
Nice
Cours Saleya’s cheesy pub-club won’t win any prizes for sophistication, but that doesn’t seem to deter the crowds. Events range from karaoke to weekend…
Menton
The stone-vaulted back room at this Italo-Albanian-run wine bar makes a cosy spot for an evening tipple, accompanied by boards of cheese and charcuterie.
Marseille
This popular pub has loads of beers on tap and a pleasant courtyard to chill in (note that this is not the hotel/restaurant of the same name).
Côte d'Azur
This lovely vine-covered cafe terrace in the very heart of Ramatuelle is great for coffee or light meals (mains €15 to €18).
St-Tropez
Where the party winds up when you want to dance until dawn. The Tropéziens’ top choice, it's also distinctly gay-friendly.
St-Tropez
New York loft–style club at the Nouveau Port; around for aeons and still lures in the occasional VIP.
Marseille
Dive through the tiny door to discover the Vieux Port’s only gay bar. Theme nights include karaoke.
