Where to eat in Nice and the French Riviera
With one of the best markets in the country, coupled with a gastronomy influenced by the incredible seafood on its shores, not to mention the myriad influences on its doorstep, notably Italian, Nice and the French Riviera – or Côte d’Azur – is spoilt for culinary choice. Daily Telegraph, Evening Standard and Food and Travel Magazine food writer Ben McCormack picks some of his favourites.
Think of eating in Nice and the first thing that springs to mind is probably a Niçoise salad but there’s far more to the cooking of the Côte d’Azur than olives and tuna. Fish and seafood plucked from the sparkling blue waters of the Mediterranean is the number-one draw, whether eaten in a traditional bistro in the Vielle Ville (Old Town) of Nice or by the sea in Antibes or Juan-les-Pins.
The Côte d’Azur’s perennial appeal for diners with money to burn means that this south-east corner of France is home to some of the fanciest and most famous restaurants in the country, though it’s not all so expensive – you’re just as likely to come across an affordable new-wave wine bar on a back street as a three-Michelin-starred gastro-temple with stunning views.
With four Rugby World Cup matches being held at the Stade de Nice including Wales v the final qualifier winner, England v Japan, Italy v Uruguay and Scotland v Tonga, here are the best places to eat in Nice and the Côte d’Azur next autumn.
Where to eat in Nice
Bistrot d’Antoine
Run by husband-and-wife Armand and Sophie Crespo, Bistrot d’Antoine serves hearty French bistro fare for low prices in a rowdy, rustic dining room. Dishes chalked up daily on the blackboard might include smoked tuna salad or rabbit pâté ahead of pork casserole, cabbage stuffed with confit duck and a dessert of the day such as a warm peach and frangipane tart. If this place is full, the Crespos also own the equally good-value Comptoir du Marché and the Bar des Oiseaux.
27 Rue de la Préfecture, 06300 Nice, +33 (0)4 93 85 29 57
Bistrot d’Antoine
Lu Fran Calin
In the heart of the hustle and bustle of the Old Town, if you need to sample the classic local cuisine – Cuisine Nissarde – this is one of the officially certified places to try it. Owner Daniel is a big rugby fan, so will share plenty of views on the World Cup, while dishing up the Nice favourites, such as 24-hour braised beef in a red wine sauce with ceps and gnocchi or courgette gratin with pesto and cheese. Start with a sharing plate of local small bits, including socca, a moreish chickpea pancake seasoned liberally with salt and pepper. 5 Rue Francis Gallo, 06300 Nice, +33 (4) 93 80 81 81, lu-francalin.fr
Lavomatique
This tapas bar in Nice’s Old Town near Place Rossetti still looks like the laundromat it once was from the outside, but two talented brothers, Grégoire and Hugo Loubert, have transformed it into a tiled open kitchen surrounded by an L-shaped counter and proper tables and chairs for anyone who doesn’t like sitting on a stool. Fifteen or so small but perfectly formed plates reflect whatever is best at the market that day – fried anchovies, mackerel fillets marinated in cider vinegar, roasted pumpkin with spaghetti and peppers – washed down with natural wines.
11 Rue du Pont Vieux, 06300 Nice, +33 (0)4 93 55 54 18, lavomatique-restaurant.business.site
La Merenda
Alain Ducasse might oversee the three-Michelin-starred Le Louis XV in Monte-Carlo but when the chef is in the Vielle Ville of Nice, La Merenda is where he comes for lunch. Finding the place among the alleys of the old town is the first challenge, along with having to pay in cash; the reward is traditional local cuisine consumed while sitting on rickety stools in a tiny, vintage-styled dining room. Pasta with pesto will never taste the same again after eating it here, as too anything à la Niçoise or Provençale, from veal tripe to daube of beef.
4 Rue Raoul Bosio, 06300 Nice, no telephone, lamerenda.net
La Merenda
La Part des Anges
One of the first caves à manger (a wine shop also serving snacks) in Nice when it opened over 20 years ago, today La Part des Anges is an institution. Choose from over 300 bottles of natural wine from independent French winemakers, with 10 usually available by the glass, plus 10 organic beers; lunchtimes see a starter and plat du jour served, while evenings (until 8pm) are more for cheese plates, charcuterie and Cantabrian anchovies washed down with a lot of wine (all sold with no restaurant mark-ups).
17 Rue Gubernatis, 06000 Nice, +33 (0)4 93 62 69 80, lapartdesanges-nice.com
La Part des Anges
Wayne’s Bar
Is there a name harder to pronounce in French than ‘Wayne’? No surprise that this sports bar in Nice Old Town is more Anglo-American than Nice Côte d’Azur but if all you want to do is watch the rugby on a big screen with a group of mates, Wayne’s is a name to know in Nice. Expect burgers and wings, salads and toasted sandwiches, washed down with Guinness and Hoegaarden on tap, shots and happy-hour cocktails. There’s often live music too and DJ sets.
15 Rue de la Préfecture, 06300 Nice, +33 (0)4 93 13 46 99, waynesbar-restaurant.com
Where to eat in the French Riviera beyond Nice
La Colombe d’Or
The pretty town of Saint-Paul de Vence, high in the hills to the west of Nice, would be worth a visit even if its medieval walls didn’t contain one of the most famous restaurants on the Côte d’Azur. The Provençal classics – crudités, poached sea bass and grilled bream – are done better here than anywhere, though it’s the setting that makes ‘the golden dove’ so special, from the terrace shaded by fig trees to the art indoors. Former regulars have included Matisse, Picasso, Yves Klein and Chagall, who all paid for their meals by donating a painting.
Place du Général de Gaulle, 06570 Saint-Paul de Vence, +33 (0)4 93 32 80 02, la-colombe-dor.com
La Colombe d’Or
La Passagère, Juan les Pins
Glamour rather than good value is what has been bringing the international A-list to Juan-les-Pins since Victorian times and the historic Hôtel Belles Rives, beloved of F Scott Fitzgerald, is the most storied name in town. Its art deco-style restaurant, La Passagère, features Carrera marble and sparkling chandeliers within, a dreamy waterfront terrace outside, and Michelin-starred seafood cooking from chef Aurélien Véquaud – think spider crab ravioli with caviar and verbena mousse – followed by fabulous desserts from pastry chef Steve Moracchini.
Hôtel Belles Rives, 33 Boulevard Edouard Baudoin, 06160 Juan-les-Pins, +33 (0)4 93 61 02 79, bellesrives.com
L’Arazur, Antibes
The alleyway location near Antibes’ port might lead visitors to expect that this tiny restaurant is as traditional as they come but young talent Lucas Marini is one of the most creative chefs in town. Expect colourful assemblies of brightly flavoured seasonal ingredients either from a seven-course tasting menu or the à la carte. A foie gras, white onion and nori pie is the signature dish, but fish is treated equally boldly. Marini’s partner (and restaurant manager) Jeanne Martin can recommend the perfect Provençal match from the wine list.
8 Rue des Palmiers, 06600 Antibes, +33 (0)4 93 34 75 60, larazur.fr
L’Arazur, Antibes
Maison de Bacon, Antibes
Named after a 16th-century consul of Antibes rather than cured pork products, the House of Bacon has specialised in the freshest fish since being founded by the Sordello family in 1948. New owners have refreshed the interiors, though the best place to sit is on the terrace, with its views of the ramparts of Antibes old town and the magnificent sweep of the Baie des Anges. Bouillabaisse, vanilla millefeuille and the catch of the day cooked over a wood fire with herbs are what the place is famous for, washed down with wines from Cassis and Bandol. Not cheap, however.
664 Boulevard de Bacon, 06160 Antibes, +33 (0)4 93 61 50 02, maisondebacon.fr
Mirazur, Menton
The millionaire’s playground of Monaco might be the local honeypot for chefs in search of deep-pocketed diners but the smart money heads instead further east to the picture-perfect town of Menton, its pastel-coloured seafront on full view from the huge picture windows of Mirazur, just before the Italian border. Chef Mauro Colagreco has won every award going, from three Michelin stars to being crowned the World’s Best Restaurant in 2019. Expect a visually ravishing tasting menu of arresting flavours: veal tartare under a layer of edible petals arranged like a flower, perhaps, with as much produce as possible grown over the road in a series of kitchen gardens.
30 Avenue Aristide Briand, 06500 Menton, +33 (0)4 92 41 86 86, mirazur.fr
Mirazur, Menton