Nice · 30 min by train
Chez Pipo
Socca, Niçoise · Port de Nice · Tue–Sun
A socca institution near the port since the 1920s, chickpea pancake from a wood fired oven alongside pissaladière and pan bagnat. Simple, crisp and exactly right.
45 minutes by train · A full city day
Nice
The one destination that fills a whole day on its own. Cours Saleya first, then the museums on the hill, then the Promenade at the hour when the light goes gold.
Where we go
Showing
78 places in 7 sections
Where to eat 31
From counters you eat standing up to the tables worth booking a week out.
Nice · 30 min by train
Le Bistrot d’Antoine
Niçoise Bistro · Vieux Nice · Tue–Sat
A Niçoise bistro classic in the old town, a short chalkboard of Southern dishes done with real care. Reliably one of the best tables in Nice, so book.
Nice · 30 min by train
Peixes
Seafood Bistro · Vieux Nice · Daily, noon–late
A casual seafood bistro steps from Place Masséna, small plates of fish with a twist at honest prices. Open right through the afternoon, unusually for Nice.
Nice · Near the opera
Bubu Burger
Smash Burgers · Rue Raoul Bosio · Closed Sunday and Monday · queues at noon
A narrow room behind the opera house turning out what a good many people on this coast will tell you is the best burger in the region. Nadir Benbernou grinds Parthenaise beef daily, sourced from a butcher who took the Meilleur Ouvrier de France in 2016, and bakes the potato buns himself each morning. Order the classic, with caramelised onions and melted cheddar, or the one with avocado. There is a breaded cauliflower version if you are not eating meat. Seating is limited and it sells out, so go early or take it down to the water.
Nice · 45 min by train
Lavomatique
Small Plates · Natural Wine
A former laundromat in Vieux Nice with counter seating, an open kitchen and about twelve small plates a night, plus a tight natural wine list at sensible prices. The reason a lot of people book a table in Nice weeks ahead. Same owners as Cave Tambour.
Nice · 45 min by train
La Cave du Fromager
Cheese · Cellar
Down in a five-hundred-year-old cellar in the old town. Fondue, charcuterie and no phone signal. Cash only, so bring some.
Nice · 45 min by train
La Petite Maison
Niçois · Institution
The original, on Rue Saint-François de Paule, and the one the others are named after. Expensive and divisive. Go for the room and the courgette flowers.
Nice port · 45 min by train
Le Bistrot du Port
Chef-Owned · Closed Tue-Wed
On Quai Lunel, run by the Orsini family, the chef trained with Ducasse and it shows. The plat du jour is the value play. Closed Tuesday and Wednesday.
Nice port · 45 min by train
Restaurant Le Lunel
Escargots · All Day
Facing the boats on Quai Lunel, open from half seven in the morning. Snails in pesto garlic butter and a proper salade niçoise. Easy, reliable, well priced for the position.
Nice port · 45 min by train
Ô Cap
Cape Verdean · Closed Wed
Cape Verdean cooking on the Quai des Docks, cachupa and stews, cooked in front of you by people who could not be kinder. Nothing else on this port is remotely like it.
Nice port · 45 min by train
Maison F
Waterfront · Live Music
A terrace on the Quai des Docks with the harbour in front and live music some evenings. Fish is fresh, portions are large, and it stays open until eleven.
Nice port · 45 min by train
La Vigna
Italian · Closed Wed
On the corner of Quai des Deux Emmanuels overlooking Port Lympia. Fills with locals by half seven, so go early or book. Closed Wednesdays.
Nice · 45 min by train
l’Antidote
Small Plates · Evenings
On Rue Dalpozzo, evenings only from five. Sandos, cocktails and a kitchen that plays. Expensive for the portions, and worth it.
Nice · 45 min by train
L’Alchimie
Bib Gourmand · Lunch
Tucked on Rue Maccarani, Michelin Bib Gourmand, and the set lunch is the best value fine cooking in Nice. Closed Sunday and Monday, and walk-ins are not taken.
Nice · 45 min by train
Les Bains du Castel
Seafood · Sea View
Under the castle rock on the Quai des États-Unis, with the sea through the window. Oysters, lobster roll, black cod. Expensive, and the setting carries it.
Nice · 45 min by train
Bocca Nissa
Rooftop · Tapas
On Rue Saint-François de Paule with a rooftop terrace and a DJ. Book specifically for the roof, because downstairs is a different evening entirely.
Nice · 45 min by train
La Route du Miam
Duck · Three Nights Only
Marie and Jean-Michel, Thursday to Saturday evenings only, and essentially one dish: half a duck with foie gras, stuffing and potatoes. Eight tables. Book well ahead.
Vieux Nice · 45 min by train
Chez Thérésa
Socca · Closed Mon
The socca counter on Rue Droite, about three euros fifty a portion and a queue of thirty minutes at lunch that is worth joining. Also does pissaladière, tourte aux blettes and pan bagnat. Mornings until three, closed Mondays. Buy a drink if you want to sit inside.
Le Port, Nice · 45 min by train
La Socca d’Or
Socca · Closed Wed and Sun
On Rue Bonaparte behind the port, and the socca most Niçois will point you to: crisp outside, almost custardy within. Also daube with ravioli and stuffed vegetables. Split between takeaway and dining room. Closed Wednesday and Sunday.
Vieux Nice · 45 min by train
Chez René Socca
Socca · Cash Culture · Closed Mon
Self-service for the food with a long queue, drinks brought to the table. Loud, cheap, full of locals, and open on Sundays when much of the old town is not. Order one socca each and a glass of red.
Vieux Nice · 45 min by train
Le Panier
Tasting Menu · Closed Tue-Wed
On Rue Barillerie, five or seven courses with a strong Japanese hand through the Niçois cooking. The most interesting kitchen in the old town. Closed Tuesday and Wednesday. Book well ahead.
Vieux Nice · 45 min by train
Bouillon Saleya
French Classics · New
A bouillon on Rue Sainte-Réparate: traditional French cooking at bouillon prices, which is rare this close to Cours Saleya. Newly opened and finding its feet. Closed Wednesdays.
Cours Saleya · 45 min by train
La Nonna
Italian · Small
A small Italian room on Cours Saleya, warm service and a short menu. Closed Wednesdays. The calmer alternative to the big terraces either side of it.
Cours Saleya · 45 min by train
Casa Leya
Italian · Very Busy
Enormous, always full, and better than its size suggests. Generous pasta, good pizza, fair prices for the position. Expect to queue in the evening; lunch is easier.
Cours Saleya · 45 min by train
La Favola
Italian · Terrace
On Cours Saleya with a long queue most evenings that moves quickly. Focaccia and burrata, seafood pasta, and a room that is smarter inside than the terrace suggests. Wet wipes are charged for, which catches people out.
Vieux Nice · 45 min by train
La Voglia
Italian · All Day
On Rue Saint-François de Paule, huge portions of seafood spaghetti and pizza, open through the afternoon. Not subtle, reliably good, and it opens at nine on Sundays.
Le Port, Nice · 45 min by train
Les Pêcheurs
Seafood · Cash Only
On the Quai des Docks, bouillabaisse and fritto misto with the harbour in front. Evenings during the week, lunch from Friday. They do not take cards, so bring cash.
Libération · 45 min by train
BRAISE
Charcoal Grill · Closed Mon
On the Place de la Gare du Sud beside the fish market, everything over charcoal. Ribeye, good chips and a spice powder worth asking about. Sunday evenings only from four.
Libération · 45 min by train
Le Bistrot des Docks
Seasonal · Book
Off Avenue Malaussena, a small room with a menu that changes constantly, so there is little point checking it online. Duck, octopus with chickpeas, morel risotto. Closed Sunday and Monday.
Libération · 45 min by train
Restaurant La Gauloise
Seafood · Closed Sun-Mon
A proper seafood brasserie on Avenue Malaussena, generous plateaux and a local crowd rather than a visiting one. Closed Sunday and Monday. Book at weekends.
Libération · 45 min by train
La Gare du Sud
Food Hall · Live Music
The old railway station turned food hall on Avenue Malaussena, with a dozen kitchens, a bar and live music some evenings. Uneven, and not every counter is open, but useful with a group who cannot agree.
Drinks 24
Wine rooms, hotel bars and the terraces worth timing for the light.
Nice · 30 min by train
Povera, Nice
Cocktail Bar · 🚆 35min
Cocktails built around seasonal, zero-waste ingredients. Formerly of the Experimental Cocktail Club. Featured by Food & Wine and Le Fooding. Open Tue–Sat from 7pm.
Nice · 45 min by train
Rooftop Monsigny
Rooftop · Jacuzzi
An eighth-floor terrace above the Avenue Malaussena with, improbably, a jacuzzi on it. Cheerful rather than grand, reasonably priced for a rooftop, and closed Wednesdays.
Nice · 45 min by train
Le Negresco, the bars
Hotel Bar · Belle Époque
The 1913 palace on the Promenade, and the only reason most people ever get inside it. The lobby and the Salon Royal are worth the price of a drink on their own. Service can be very slow and a coffee costs what a cocktail costs elsewhere. Go for the room, and dress for it.
Nice · 45 min by train
Zitto
Speakeasy · Hidden Door
Behind a camouflaged door at the back of a restaurant on the Quai des Deux Emmanuels, under an old vaulted ceiling. You walk through the dining room to find it. Cocktails made to order and a bartender who will build you something. Wednesday to Sunday, evenings.
Nice · 45 min by train
La Cave du Cours
Wine Bar · Free Tapas
On the edge of the old town on Rue Barillerie. Every round arrives with something to eat, unasked, which is not how anywhere else on this coast works. Closed Tuesdays.
Nice · 45 min by train
La Cave Wilson
Neighbourhood Bar · Cash Only
A small bar on Rue Gubernatis hung with old film posters, no card machine, and regulars who will end up singing at you. Cash only, evenings, closed Tuesday and Wednesday. Bring some French if you have it.
Vieux Nice · 45 min by train
Le Bar du Couvent
Hotel Bar · Cloister Garden
A seventeenth-century convent on Rue Honoré Ugo, reopened as a hotel, and now the most beautiful room in Nice to have a drink in. Heavy stone tables, a vine-covered cloister courtyard, and a bar open to anyone from eleven until midnight. Order the Alfonso. Service can be very slow, so go when you have nowhere to be.
Nice · 45 min by train
Boscolo BClub Rooftop
Rooftop · Hotel
On top of the Boscolo on Boulevard Victor Hugo, and the sunset view over the rooftops is the reason to come. Open from noon. Portions are small for the price and the live singer works the tables, which some people love and others do not.
Nice · 45 min by train
Anantara Plaza rooftop
Hotel Rooftop · Residents and Guests
The only bar in the hotel, up on the roof above the Jardin Albert 1er. Lovely staff, good drinks, and worth knowing there is no lobby bar, so it is the roof or nothing. Reserve in the evening.
Le Port, Nice · 45 min by train
FOAM, Port Lympia
Craft Beer · Self Pour
On the Quai des Deux Emmanuels facing the boats. You load a card and pour your own from the wall of taps, which is either the appeal or the annoyance. Sensible prices for the position, open ten until midnight. The tables need clearing more often than they get it.
Le Port, Nice · 45 min by train
BDA Bar
Brewery Taproom · Closed Sun
A proper beer bar on Rue Cassini behind the port, a dozen taps including their own, plus a four-glass tasting board. Dark, friendly, with sport on and a quiz night. Evenings from five, closed Sundays. The best beer in Nice.
Le Port, Nice · 45 min by train
Ma Nolan’s, Port
Irish Pub · Sport
The port’s sports pub, on the Quai des Deux Emmanuels, screens for everything and a terrace that catches the evening sun. Open until two. Not why you came to Nice, and exactly right when there is a match on.
Le Port, Nice · 45 min by train
Pompette
Wine Bar · Cave à Manger
On Rue Bonaparte at the top of the port quarter, natural wine by the glass with small plates and real vegetarian choice. Tight inside with people passing close. Evenings from five. Warm and unpretentious.
Le Port, Nice · 45 min by train
Magnolia
Tapas · All Day
On Rue Bonaparte, tapas and cocktails from half eleven to half twelve, with the specials chalked on the wall rather than printed, which catches people out. Tables close together, good value for the quarter.
Le Port, Nice · 45 min by train
Rainbow Bar
Small Bar · Friendly
A small, welcoming bar on Rue Bonaparte with an inventive cocktail list and staff who make everyone feel at home. Spirits are dear, cocktails are the thing to order. Evenings from five.
Vieux Nice · 45 min by train
Cave Tambour
Natural Wine · Vinyl · Closed Weekends
On Rue du Pont Vieux, run by the people behind Lavomatique. Natural wine, cheese, and records playing. Opens at four, food from six, closed Saturday and Sunday, which catches visitors out. Small and very good.
Vieux Nice · 45 min by train
Barrique
Natural Wine · No Menu
Down an alley off Rue Barillerie. There is no wine list: they ask what you like and bring it. Orange and low-intervention bottles, cured meat, and an owner worth talking to. Note the five euro corkage if you take a bottle. From four in the afternoon.
Nice · 45 min by train
La Part des Anges
Natural Wine · Shop and Bar · Closed Sun
On Rue Gubernatis, a cave that pours as well as sells. Pâté, sardines, good bread, and a sommelier who will match a bottle to what you are eating later. Open from ten, late on Friday and Saturday.
Vieux Nice · 45 min by train
La Treille
Wine Bar · Small Menu
A tiny square off Rue Saint-Augustin at the edge of the old town, two starters, two mains, two desserts, changed constantly. They will pour you three samples before you choose. Evenings from half five.
Nice · 45 min by train
Au Cœur des Terroirs
Tastings · Closed Sun
A wine shop on Rue Dr Rosanoff that runs proper guided tastings, Provence and beyond, with cheese alongside. Book the tasting rather than dropping in. Hours vary by day, so check.
Nice · 45 min by train
Delano
Cocktails · Grown Up
On Rue du Maréchal Joffre, and the bar to go to if you want a properly made old fashioned rather than a pornstar martini. Small, polished, evenings only, later on Thursday to Saturday.
Vieux Nice · 45 min by train
Les Folies d’Edmonde
Cocktails · Cabaret
On Rue Benoît Bunico, signature cocktails with real invention and a different event most nights, from cabaret to karaoke. Run by two people who remember you. Evenings from six.
Vieux Nice · 45 min by train
Les Distilleries Idéales
Old Town Institution · All Day
On Rue de la Préfecture, open from nine in the morning to half past midnight, and the old town’s living room. Coffee early, beer and charcuterie later, misting fans in August. Always full, always fine.
Vieux Nice · 45 min by train
FAVELA
Brazilian · Live Music · Wed-Sun
On Rue Saint-Vincent, caipirinhas, Brazilian cooking and a live band on Saturdays. More a community than a bar. Wednesday to Sunday evenings only.
Coffee 4
Where to start the morning, and the bakeries worth a detour.
Nice · 30 min by train
Café du Cycliste
Café · Port de Nice · Daily
A bright café near the port from the cycling brand, good coffee and fresh seasonal plates. A fine stop before or after a ride along the coast.
Nice port · 45 min by train
Le Lunel, morning service
Morning · Quayside
The same quayside room opens at half seven for coffee and pastries before the port wakes up. The quietest half hour on the water in Nice.
Libération · 45 min by train
MR Pissaladière, Marché Saint-Roch
Socca and Pissaladière · Mornings
A market stall doing socca and pissaladière with a proper crust, run by one family. Mornings only, closed Mondays. Away from the old town, which is exactly why it is good.
Libération · 45 min by train
Socca’Tram
Socca · Mornings · Closed Mon
On Avenue Alfred Borriglione by the tram, half nine to two, weekdays and Saturdays. Socca, tourte de blea both savoury and sweet, and petits farcis. English spoken, which in this quarter is not a given.
Markets and shopping 3
Market mornings, and the shops worth carrying something home from.
Nice · 30 min by train
Cours Saleya
Market · Vieux Nice · Tue–Sun, antiques Mon
The great market of the old town, flowers and produce Tuesday to Sunday, antiques on Monday. Come early for socca from the stalls and the full colour of it.
Nice · 30 min by train
Marché aux Fleurs de Nice
Flower Market · 🚆 40min · Cours Saleya · flowers Tue–Sun, antiques Mon
The main flower and produce market in Nice’s old town. On Mondays the square turns over to a large antiques and brocante market, one of the finest on the coast for a proper hunt. Worth combining with a morning in Vieux Nice.
Libération · 45 min by train
Marché de la Libération
Market · Closed Mon
The market Niçois actually shop at, twenty minutes from the old town by tram. Produce, flowers, and a fish market where a seafood platter with two glasses of wine costs about what a starter does on Cours Saleya. Closes at one.
Getting there 1
How to arrive, and how long to allow.
Nice · 30 min by train
Nice
By train, 35 min · TER coastal line, ~€7 each way
The big city of the Riviera. Vieux Nice for socca, the flower market at Cours Saleya, and the Promenade des Anglais for a long pleasant walk. Matisse and Chagall museums for art. Easy as a half day, or stay for dinner and the late train back.
Beaches and walks 12
The free public swims first, then the coast paths, then the clubs if you want a lounger.
Cap de Nice · 45 min by train
Coco Beach
Rocky Swim · Free · Locals
Not a beach in the sunbed sense: a rocky point below the Cap de Nice where flat stones stand in for sand and the water is the clearest anywhere near the city. Steps down from the Avenue Jean Lorrain, an outdoor shower at the bottom, and fish under you the moment you put your face in. Bring something on your feet and a mask. This is where people who live in Nice actually swim.
Vieux Nice · 45 min by train
Colline du Château
Viewpoint · Free · Lift
The hill between the old town and the port, with the best view in Nice from either side: the Baie des Anges west, Port Lympia east. Free lift from the Quai des États-Unis if you do not want the two hundred steps. Open until eight.
Le Port, Nice · 45 min by train
Plage de la Réserve
Free · Sandy Underfoot · Shower
A small pebbled cove on the Boulevard Carnot past the port, with a shower and no sunbeds to rent. Gentler underfoot than most of the coast and the local choice for a morning swim before work. Busy after one. No lifeguard, and the water moves when there is any swell.
Le Port, Nice · 45 min by train
Plage des Bains Militaires
Free · Under Le Plongeoir
A narrow cove beneath the old diving platform, ten minutes on foot from the port and almost entirely local. Good for open-water swimming and snorkelling, with rocks to mind on the way in.
Vieux Nice · 45 min by train
Plage des Ponchettes
Free · Old Town · Showers
The public stretch directly below the old town, free showers along it and a ramp with assistance for wheelchair users at the middle. Pebbles, so bring something for your feet. The easiest swim in Nice if you are on foot and not paying for a lounger.
Nice west · 45 min by train
Plage de Carras
Free · Quiet · Lifeguarded
Out towards the airport end, wide, calm and rarely crowded, with public toilets, benches in the shade and a handi-plage for disabled bathers. Families come here rather than the centre.
Mont Boron, Nice · 45 min by train
Panorama of Mont Boron
Viewpoint · Walk
Higher and further east than the castle hill, about thirty minutes up on foot from the port. Worth the climb rather than the drive, and quiet in the evening. Parking is limited and some litter around.
Nice · 45 min by train
Negresco Beach Club
Beach Club · Hotel
The Negresco’s stretch of the Promenade. Lovely beach, excellent service, and a lounger costs seventy-five euros a head on top of lunch. Worth knowing before you sit down.
Nice · 45 min by train
Bocca Mar
Beach Club · All Day
On the Promenade with loungers, showers and changing rooms, open from nine to midnight. Bring water shoes, because the beach is pebbles and they get hot.
Nice · 45 min by train
Plage Beau Rivage
Beach Club · Old Town End
The big club at the old town end of the Quai des États-Unis, ten in the morning until half eleven at night. Handy for changing before dinner. Service is stretched when it fills, so flag someone down early.
Nice · 45 min by train
Le Galet
Beach Club · All Day
On the Promenade from half nine, and the easiest of the clubs to walk into. Breakfast with fruit and pastries, pizza and pasta later, and a profiterole meant for sharing. Step-free from the promenade.
Nice · 45 min by train
Blue Beach
Beach Club · Reasonable
Loungers, showers and a bar on the Promenade near the old town, priced below the hotel clubs. Fine for a day on the pebbles. Reports of brusque service at the entrance, so do not expect a welcome.
Art and culture 3
Museums, galleries and the buildings worth going inside.
Cimiez, Nice · 45 min by train
Matisse Museum
Museum · Closed Tue
In a red villa in the olive groves at Cimiez, above the town. The collection is smaller than people expect, so go for the building, the park and the temporary shows rather than volume. Bus 5 from the centre. Closed Tuesdays.
Cimiez, Nice · 45 min by train
Marc Chagall National Museum
Museum · Closed Tue
Built around the Biblical Message cycle, with rooms on the Paris Opera ceiling and the Firebird sets. About an hour and a half. Large bags are not allowed and there are no big lockers, so travel light. Queues even off season.
Nice · 45 min by train
Musée des Beaux-Arts
Museum · Closed Mon
A Belle Époque villa on Avenue des Baumettes with a Rodin cast and a good permanent collection. Small, quiet and rarely busy. The fifteen euro museum pass covers ten Nice museums and pays for itself in two.
Nice · 30 min by train
Chez Pipo
Socca, Niçoise · Port de Nice · Tue–Sun
A socca institution near the port since the 1920s, chickpea pancake from a wood fired oven alongside pissaladière and pan bagnat. Simple, crisp and exactly right.
Nice · 30 min by train
Le Bistrot d’Antoine
Niçoise Bistro · Vieux Nice · Tue–Sat
A Niçoise bistro classic in the old town, a short chalkboard of Southern dishes done with real care. Reliably one of the best tables in Nice, so book.
Nice · 30 min by train
Peixes
Seafood Bistro · Vieux Nice · Daily, noon–late
A casual seafood bistro steps from Place Masséna, small plates of fish with a twist at honest prices. Open right through the afternoon, unusually for Nice.
Nice · Near the opera
Bubu Burger
Smash Burgers · Rue Raoul Bosio · Closed Sunday and Monday · queues at noon
A narrow room behind the opera house turning out what a good many people on this coast will tell you is the best burger in the region. Nadir Benbernou grinds Parthenaise beef daily, sourced from a butcher who took the Meilleur Ouvrier de France in 2016, and bakes the potato buns himself each morning. Order the classic, with caramelised onions and melted cheddar, or the one with avocado. There is a breaded cauliflower version if you are not eating meat. Seating is limited and it sells out, so go early or take it down to the water.
Nice · 45 min by train
Lavomatique
Small Plates · Natural Wine
A former laundromat in Vieux Nice with counter seating, an open kitchen and about twelve small plates a night, plus a tight natural wine list at sensible prices. The reason a lot of people book a table in Nice weeks ahead. Same owners as Cave Tambour.
Nice · 45 min by train
La Cave du Fromager
Cheese · Cellar
Down in a five-hundred-year-old cellar in the old town. Fondue, charcuterie and no phone signal. Cash only, so bring some.
Nice · 45 min by train
La Petite Maison
Niçois · Institution
The original, on Rue Saint-François de Paule, and the one the others are named after. Expensive and divisive. Go for the room and the courgette flowers.
Nice port · 45 min by train
Le Bistrot du Port
Chef-Owned · Closed Tue-Wed
On Quai Lunel, run by the Orsini family, the chef trained with Ducasse and it shows. The plat du jour is the value play. Closed Tuesday and Wednesday.
Nice port · 45 min by train
Restaurant Le Lunel
Escargots · All Day
Facing the boats on Quai Lunel, open from half seven in the morning. Snails in pesto garlic butter and a proper salade niçoise. Easy, reliable, well priced for the position.
Nice port · 45 min by train
Ô Cap
Cape Verdean · Closed Wed
Cape Verdean cooking on the Quai des Docks, cachupa and stews, cooked in front of you by people who could not be kinder. Nothing else on this port is remotely like it.
Nice port · 45 min by train
Maison F
Waterfront · Live Music
A terrace on the Quai des Docks with the harbour in front and live music some evenings. Fish is fresh, portions are large, and it stays open until eleven.
Nice port · 45 min by train
La Vigna
Italian · Closed Wed
On the corner of Quai des Deux Emmanuels overlooking Port Lympia. Fills with locals by half seven, so go early or book. Closed Wednesdays.
Nice · 45 min by train
l’Antidote
Small Plates · Evenings
On Rue Dalpozzo, evenings only from five. Sandos, cocktails and a kitchen that plays. Expensive for the portions, and worth it.
Nice · 45 min by train
L’Alchimie
Bib Gourmand · Lunch
Tucked on Rue Maccarani, Michelin Bib Gourmand, and the set lunch is the best value fine cooking in Nice. Closed Sunday and Monday, and walk-ins are not taken.
Nice · 45 min by train
Les Bains du Castel
Seafood · Sea View
Under the castle rock on the Quai des États-Unis, with the sea through the window. Oysters, lobster roll, black cod. Expensive, and the setting carries it.
Nice · 45 min by train
Bocca Nissa
Rooftop · Tapas
On Rue Saint-François de Paule with a rooftop terrace and a DJ. Book specifically for the roof, because downstairs is a different evening entirely.
Nice · 45 min by train
La Route du Miam
Duck · Three Nights Only
Marie and Jean-Michel, Thursday to Saturday evenings only, and essentially one dish: half a duck with foie gras, stuffing and potatoes. Eight tables. Book well ahead.
Vieux Nice · 45 min by train
Chez Thérésa
Socca · Closed Mon
The socca counter on Rue Droite, about three euros fifty a portion and a queue of thirty minutes at lunch that is worth joining. Also does pissaladière, tourte aux blettes and pan bagnat. Mornings until three, closed Mondays. Buy a drink if you want to sit inside.
Le Port, Nice · 45 min by train
La Socca d’Or
Socca · Closed Wed and Sun
On Rue Bonaparte behind the port, and the socca most Niçois will point you to: crisp outside, almost custardy within. Also daube with ravioli and stuffed vegetables. Split between takeaway and dining room. Closed Wednesday and Sunday.
Vieux Nice · 45 min by train
Chez René Socca
Socca · Cash Culture · Closed Mon
Self-service for the food with a long queue, drinks brought to the table. Loud, cheap, full of locals, and open on Sundays when much of the old town is not. Order one socca each and a glass of red.
Vieux Nice · 45 min by train
Le Panier
Tasting Menu · Closed Tue-Wed
On Rue Barillerie, five or seven courses with a strong Japanese hand through the Niçois cooking. The most interesting kitchen in the old town. Closed Tuesday and Wednesday. Book well ahead.
Vieux Nice · 45 min by train
Bouillon Saleya
French Classics · New
A bouillon on Rue Sainte-Réparate: traditional French cooking at bouillon prices, which is rare this close to Cours Saleya. Newly opened and finding its feet. Closed Wednesdays.
Cours Saleya · 45 min by train
La Nonna
Italian · Small
A small Italian room on Cours Saleya, warm service and a short menu. Closed Wednesdays. The calmer alternative to the big terraces either side of it.
Cours Saleya · 45 min by train
Casa Leya
Italian · Very Busy
Enormous, always full, and better than its size suggests. Generous pasta, good pizza, fair prices for the position. Expect to queue in the evening; lunch is easier.
Cours Saleya · 45 min by train
La Favola
Italian · Terrace
On Cours Saleya with a long queue most evenings that moves quickly. Focaccia and burrata, seafood pasta, and a room that is smarter inside than the terrace suggests. Wet wipes are charged for, which catches people out.
Vieux Nice · 45 min by train
La Voglia
Italian · All Day
On Rue Saint-François de Paule, huge portions of seafood spaghetti and pizza, open through the afternoon. Not subtle, reliably good, and it opens at nine on Sundays.
Le Port, Nice · 45 min by train
Les Pêcheurs
Seafood · Cash Only
On the Quai des Docks, bouillabaisse and fritto misto with the harbour in front. Evenings during the week, lunch from Friday. They do not take cards, so bring cash.
Libération · 45 min by train
BRAISE
Charcoal Grill · Closed Mon
On the Place de la Gare du Sud beside the fish market, everything over charcoal. Ribeye, good chips and a spice powder worth asking about. Sunday evenings only from four.
Libération · 45 min by train
Le Bistrot des Docks
Seasonal · Book
Off Avenue Malaussena, a small room with a menu that changes constantly, so there is little point checking it online. Duck, octopus with chickpeas, morel risotto. Closed Sunday and Monday.
Libération · 45 min by train
Restaurant La Gauloise
Seafood · Closed Sun-Mon
A proper seafood brasserie on Avenue Malaussena, generous plateaux and a local crowd rather than a visiting one. Closed Sunday and Monday. Book at weekends.
Libération · 45 min by train
La Gare du Sud
Food Hall · Live Music
The old railway station turned food hall on Avenue Malaussena, with a dozen kitchens, a bar and live music some evenings. Uneven, and not every counter is open, but useful with a group who cannot agree.
Nice · 30 min by train
Povera, Nice
Cocktail Bar · 🚆 35min
Cocktails built around seasonal, zero-waste ingredients. Formerly of the Experimental Cocktail Club. Featured by Food & Wine and Le Fooding. Open Tue–Sat from 7pm.
Nice · 45 min by train
Rooftop Monsigny
Rooftop · Jacuzzi
An eighth-floor terrace above the Avenue Malaussena with, improbably, a jacuzzi on it. Cheerful rather than grand, reasonably priced for a rooftop, and closed Wednesdays.
Nice · 45 min by train
Le Negresco, the bars
Hotel Bar · Belle Époque
The 1913 palace on the Promenade, and the only reason most people ever get inside it. The lobby and the Salon Royal are worth the price of a drink on their own. Service can be very slow and a coffee costs what a cocktail costs elsewhere. Go for the room, and dress for it.
Nice · 45 min by train
Zitto
Speakeasy · Hidden Door
Behind a camouflaged door at the back of a restaurant on the Quai des Deux Emmanuels, under an old vaulted ceiling. You walk through the dining room to find it. Cocktails made to order and a bartender who will build you something. Wednesday to Sunday, evenings.
Nice · 45 min by train
La Cave du Cours
Wine Bar · Free Tapas
On the edge of the old town on Rue Barillerie. Every round arrives with something to eat, unasked, which is not how anywhere else on this coast works. Closed Tuesdays.
Nice · 45 min by train
La Cave Wilson
Neighbourhood Bar · Cash Only
A small bar on Rue Gubernatis hung with old film posters, no card machine, and regulars who will end up singing at you. Cash only, evenings, closed Tuesday and Wednesday. Bring some French if you have it.
Vieux Nice · 45 min by train
Le Bar du Couvent
Hotel Bar · Cloister Garden
A seventeenth-century convent on Rue Honoré Ugo, reopened as a hotel, and now the most beautiful room in Nice to have a drink in. Heavy stone tables, a vine-covered cloister courtyard, and a bar open to anyone from eleven until midnight. Order the Alfonso. Service can be very slow, so go when you have nowhere to be.
Nice · 45 min by train
Boscolo BClub Rooftop
Rooftop · Hotel
On top of the Boscolo on Boulevard Victor Hugo, and the sunset view over the rooftops is the reason to come. Open from noon. Portions are small for the price and the live singer works the tables, which some people love and others do not.
Nice · 45 min by train
Anantara Plaza rooftop
Hotel Rooftop · Residents and Guests
The only bar in the hotel, up on the roof above the Jardin Albert 1er. Lovely staff, good drinks, and worth knowing there is no lobby bar, so it is the roof or nothing. Reserve in the evening.
Le Port, Nice · 45 min by train
FOAM, Port Lympia
Craft Beer · Self Pour
On the Quai des Deux Emmanuels facing the boats. You load a card and pour your own from the wall of taps, which is either the appeal or the annoyance. Sensible prices for the position, open ten until midnight. The tables need clearing more often than they get it.
Le Port, Nice · 45 min by train
BDA Bar
Brewery Taproom · Closed Sun
A proper beer bar on Rue Cassini behind the port, a dozen taps including their own, plus a four-glass tasting board. Dark, friendly, with sport on and a quiz night. Evenings from five, closed Sundays. The best beer in Nice.
Le Port, Nice · 45 min by train
Ma Nolan’s, Port
Irish Pub · Sport
The port’s sports pub, on the Quai des Deux Emmanuels, screens for everything and a terrace that catches the evening sun. Open until two. Not why you came to Nice, and exactly right when there is a match on.
Le Port, Nice · 45 min by train
Pompette
Wine Bar · Cave à Manger
On Rue Bonaparte at the top of the port quarter, natural wine by the glass with small plates and real vegetarian choice. Tight inside with people passing close. Evenings from five. Warm and unpretentious.
Le Port, Nice · 45 min by train
Magnolia
Tapas · All Day
On Rue Bonaparte, tapas and cocktails from half eleven to half twelve, with the specials chalked on the wall rather than printed, which catches people out. Tables close together, good value for the quarter.
Le Port, Nice · 45 min by train
Rainbow Bar
Small Bar · Friendly
A small, welcoming bar on Rue Bonaparte with an inventive cocktail list and staff who make everyone feel at home. Spirits are dear, cocktails are the thing to order. Evenings from five.
Vieux Nice · 45 min by train
Cave Tambour
Natural Wine · Vinyl · Closed Weekends
On Rue du Pont Vieux, run by the people behind Lavomatique. Natural wine, cheese, and records playing. Opens at four, food from six, closed Saturday and Sunday, which catches visitors out. Small and very good.
Vieux Nice · 45 min by train
Barrique
Natural Wine · No Menu
Down an alley off Rue Barillerie. There is no wine list: they ask what you like and bring it. Orange and low-intervention bottles, cured meat, and an owner worth talking to. Note the five euro corkage if you take a bottle. From four in the afternoon.
Nice · 45 min by train
La Part des Anges
Natural Wine · Shop and Bar · Closed Sun
On Rue Gubernatis, a cave that pours as well as sells. Pâté, sardines, good bread, and a sommelier who will match a bottle to what you are eating later. Open from ten, late on Friday and Saturday.
Vieux Nice · 45 min by train
La Treille
Wine Bar · Small Menu
A tiny square off Rue Saint-Augustin at the edge of the old town, two starters, two mains, two desserts, changed constantly. They will pour you three samples before you choose. Evenings from half five.
Nice · 45 min by train
Au Cœur des Terroirs
Tastings · Closed Sun
A wine shop on Rue Dr Rosanoff that runs proper guided tastings, Provence and beyond, with cheese alongside. Book the tasting rather than dropping in. Hours vary by day, so check.
Nice · 45 min by train
Delano
Cocktails · Grown Up
On Rue du Maréchal Joffre, and the bar to go to if you want a properly made old fashioned rather than a pornstar martini. Small, polished, evenings only, later on Thursday to Saturday.
Vieux Nice · 45 min by train
Les Folies d’Edmonde
Cocktails · Cabaret
On Rue Benoît Bunico, signature cocktails with real invention and a different event most nights, from cabaret to karaoke. Run by two people who remember you. Evenings from six.
Vieux Nice · 45 min by train
Les Distilleries Idéales
Old Town Institution · All Day
On Rue de la Préfecture, open from nine in the morning to half past midnight, and the old town’s living room. Coffee early, beer and charcuterie later, misting fans in August. Always full, always fine.
Vieux Nice · 45 min by train
FAVELA
Brazilian · Live Music · Wed-Sun
On Rue Saint-Vincent, caipirinhas, Brazilian cooking and a live band on Saturdays. More a community than a bar. Wednesday to Sunday evenings only.
Nice · 30 min by train
Café du Cycliste
Café · Port de Nice · Daily
A bright café near the port from the cycling brand, good coffee and fresh seasonal plates. A fine stop before or after a ride along the coast.
Nice port · 45 min by train
Le Lunel, morning service
Morning · Quayside
The same quayside room opens at half seven for coffee and pastries before the port wakes up. The quietest half hour on the water in Nice.
Libération · 45 min by train
MR Pissaladière, Marché Saint-Roch
Socca and Pissaladière · Mornings
A market stall doing socca and pissaladière with a proper crust, run by one family. Mornings only, closed Mondays. Away from the old town, which is exactly why it is good.
Libération · 45 min by train
Socca’Tram
Socca · Mornings · Closed Mon
On Avenue Alfred Borriglione by the tram, half nine to two, weekdays and Saturdays. Socca, tourte de blea both savoury and sweet, and petits farcis. English spoken, which in this quarter is not a given.
Nice · 30 min by train
Cours Saleya
Market · Vieux Nice · Tue–Sun, antiques Mon
The great market of the old town, flowers and produce Tuesday to Sunday, antiques on Monday. Come early for socca from the stalls and the full colour of it.
Nice · 30 min by train
Marché aux Fleurs de Nice
Flower Market · 🚆 40min · Cours Saleya · flowers Tue–Sun, antiques Mon
The main flower and produce market in Nice’s old town. On Mondays the square turns over to a large antiques and brocante market, one of the finest on the coast for a proper hunt. Worth combining with a morning in Vieux Nice.
Libération · 45 min by train
Marché de la Libération
Market · Closed Mon
The market Niçois actually shop at, twenty minutes from the old town by tram. Produce, flowers, and a fish market where a seafood platter with two glasses of wine costs about what a starter does on Cours Saleya. Closes at one.
Nice · 30 min by train
Nice
By train, 35 min · TER coastal line, ~€7 each way
The big city of the Riviera. Vieux Nice for socca, the flower market at Cours Saleya, and the Promenade des Anglais for a long pleasant walk. Matisse and Chagall museums for art. Easy as a half day, or stay for dinner and the late train back.
Cap de Nice · 45 min by train
Coco Beach
Rocky Swim · Free · Locals
Not a beach in the sunbed sense: a rocky point below the Cap de Nice where flat stones stand in for sand and the water is the clearest anywhere near the city. Steps down from the Avenue Jean Lorrain, an outdoor shower at the bottom, and fish under you the moment you put your face in. Bring something on your feet and a mask. This is where people who live in Nice actually swim.
Vieux Nice · 45 min by train
Colline du Château
Viewpoint · Free · Lift
The hill between the old town and the port, with the best view in Nice from either side: the Baie des Anges west, Port Lympia east. Free lift from the Quai des États-Unis if you do not want the two hundred steps. Open until eight.
Le Port, Nice · 45 min by train
Plage de la Réserve
Free · Sandy Underfoot · Shower
A small pebbled cove on the Boulevard Carnot past the port, with a shower and no sunbeds to rent. Gentler underfoot than most of the coast and the local choice for a morning swim before work. Busy after one. No lifeguard, and the water moves when there is any swell.
Le Port, Nice · 45 min by train
Plage des Bains Militaires
Free · Under Le Plongeoir
A narrow cove beneath the old diving platform, ten minutes on foot from the port and almost entirely local. Good for open-water swimming and snorkelling, with rocks to mind on the way in.
Vieux Nice · 45 min by train
Plage des Ponchettes
Free · Old Town · Showers
The public stretch directly below the old town, free showers along it and a ramp with assistance for wheelchair users at the middle. Pebbles, so bring something for your feet. The easiest swim in Nice if you are on foot and not paying for a lounger.
Nice west · 45 min by train
Plage de Carras
Free · Quiet · Lifeguarded
Out towards the airport end, wide, calm and rarely crowded, with public toilets, benches in the shade and a handi-plage for disabled bathers. Families come here rather than the centre.
Mont Boron, Nice · 45 min by train
Panorama of Mont Boron
Viewpoint · Walk
Higher and further east than the castle hill, about thirty minutes up on foot from the port. Worth the climb rather than the drive, and quiet in the evening. Parking is limited and some litter around.
Nice · 45 min by train
Negresco Beach Club
Beach Club · Hotel
The Negresco’s stretch of the Promenade. Lovely beach, excellent service, and a lounger costs seventy-five euros a head on top of lunch. Worth knowing before you sit down.
Nice · 45 min by train
Bocca Mar
Beach Club · All Day
On the Promenade with loungers, showers and changing rooms, open from nine to midnight. Bring water shoes, because the beach is pebbles and they get hot.
Nice · 45 min by train
Plage Beau Rivage
Beach Club · Old Town End
The big club at the old town end of the Quai des États-Unis, ten in the morning until half eleven at night. Handy for changing before dinner. Service is stretched when it fills, so flag someone down early.
Nice · 45 min by train
Le Galet
Beach Club · All Day
On the Promenade from half nine, and the easiest of the clubs to walk into. Breakfast with fruit and pastries, pizza and pasta later, and a profiterole meant for sharing. Step-free from the promenade.
Nice · 45 min by train
Blue Beach
Beach Club · Reasonable
Loungers, showers and a bar on the Promenade near the old town, priced below the hotel clubs. Fine for a day on the pebbles. Reports of brusque service at the entrance, so do not expect a welcome.
Cimiez, Nice · 45 min by train
Matisse Museum
Museum · Closed Tue
In a red villa in the olive groves at Cimiez, above the town. The collection is smaller than people expect, so go for the building, the park and the temporary shows rather than volume. Bus 5 from the centre. Closed Tuesdays.
Cimiez, Nice · 45 min by train
Marc Chagall National Museum
Museum · Closed Tue
Built around the Biblical Message cycle, with rooms on the Paris Opera ceiling and the Firebird sets. About an hour and a half. Large bags are not allowed and there are no big lockers, so travel light. Queues even off season.
Nice · 45 min by train
Musée des Beaux-Arts
Museum · Closed Mon
A Belle Époque villa on Avenue des Baumettes with a Rodin cast and a good permanent collection. Small, quiet and rarely busy. The fifteen euro museum pass covers ten Nice museums and pays for itself in two.
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