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.
The Guide · 45 minutes by train
Where to Eat in Nice
Nice is forty-five minutes by train from Cannes and it is the one destination on this coast that fills a whole day on its own, which means you will eat at least once and probably twice. This list is built for that: somewhere for lunch near Cours Saleya after the market, and somewhere for dinner in the old town before the last train back. Niçois cooking is its own thing, closer to Liguria than to Provence, and the places here cook it rather than perform it.
31 places
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.
Common questions
What food is Nice known for?
Socca, pissaladière, petits farcis, salade niçoise made properly with no potato, and pan bagnat. The cooking leans Ligurian rather than Provençal.
Where should you eat in Nice old town?
The streets behind Cours Saleya rather than the square itself, where the terraces are aimed squarely at passing trade.
How do you get from Cannes to Nice?
The TER train, roughly forty-five minutes, running several times an hour from Cannes station. It is faster and far less painful than driving and parking.
