Eating in Nice
My recommended restaurants are concentrated in the same neighborhoods as my favorite hotels. The promenade des Anglais is ideal for picnic dinners on warm, languid evenings. Gelato-lovers should save room for Fenocchio (on place Rossetti and rue de la Poissonerie in Old Nice, 86 flavors from tomato to lavender, daily until 23:30). Ice cream cone in hand, you can join the evening parade along the Mediterranean (best view at night is from east end of quai des Etats-Unis, on tip below Castle Hill). For a more peaceful meal, consider dining in nearby Villefranche-sur-Mer.
In Old Nice and near the Promenade des Anglais
Nice's dinner scene converges on cours Saleya (koor sah-lay-yuh) — entertaining enough in itself to make the generally mediocre food of its restaurants a good value. It's a fun, festive place to compare tans and mussels. Even if you're eating elsewhere, wander through here in the evening.
La Cambuse is a small island of refinement, with cuisine for those who want to eat on cours Saleya without sacrificing quality (allow €40 per person, open daily, at #5, tel. 04 93 80 82 40).
Le Safari has just average food but the best "eating energy" on the cours Saleya and serves all afternoon (open daily, at Castle Hill end at #1, tel. 04 93 80 18 44).
Nissa Socca offers good, cheap Italian cuisine and a lively atmosphere a few blocks from cours Saleya (Mon–Sat from 19:00, closed Sun, arrive early, a block off place Rossetti on rue Ste. Réparate, tel. 04 93 80 18 35).
L'Acchiardo, deeper in the old city, is a budget traveler's friend, with simple, hearty, traditional cuisine at bargain prices in a homey setting (€13 dinner plats, closed Sat–Sun, 38 rue Droite, tel. 04 93 85 51 16).
Lou Pilha Leva offers a fun, très cheap dinner option with niçoise specialties and outdoor-only benches. Order your food from one side and drinks from the other (open daily, located where rue de la Loge and Centrale meet in Old Nice).
L'Univers, a block off place Masséna, earned a Michelin star while maintaining a warm ambience. This elegant place is as relaxed as a "top" restaurant can be, from its casual decor to the tasteful dinnerware. When the artfully presented food arrives, you know this is high cuisine (menus from €42, closed Sun, 53 boulevard Jean Jaurès, tel. 04 93 62 32 22, plumailunivers@aol.com).
Restaurant Castel is your best eat on the beach option. Eating here, you almost expect Don Ho to grab a mic. You're right on the beach below Castle Hill, perfectly positioned to watch evening swimmers get in their last laps as the sky turns pink and city lights flicker on. Lunch views are unforgettable, you can even have lunch at your beach chair if you've rented one. Dinner here is best, so arrive before sunset and linger long enough to merit the few extra euros the place charges (open daily, €13–15 salads and pastas, €20-24 main courses, 8 quai des Etats-Unis, tel. 04 93 85 22 66).
Il Vino Ino, near several recommended hotels between the station and promenade des Anglais, is lively and reasonable, serving only Italian food amid cheery decor (closed Sun, 33 rue de la Buffa, tel. 04 93 87 94 25).
Chantecler has Nice's most prestigious address — inside the Hôtel Negresco. This is everything a luxury restaurant should be: elegant, soft, and top-quality. If your trip is ending in Nice, you've earned this splurge (menus from €90, open daily, 37 promenade des Anglais, tel. 04 93 16 64 00, negresco@nicematin.fr).
Closer to Recommended Hotels near the Station
These restaurants lie near many of the recommended hotels, within a few blocks of avenue Jean Médecin near the Nice Etoile shopping center.
Reserve ahead at enchanting little Bistrot Les Viviers for the most authentic niçoise cuisine in this book. Fish is their forte (allow €35 per person for dinner, lunch menus from €17, closed Sun, 22 rue Alphonse Karr, 5-min walk west of avenue Jean Médecin, tel. 04 93 16 00 48). Make sure to reserve for the bistrot, not their stuffier restaurant next door (prices are same, ambience is different).
L'Ovale is a relaxed café popular with locals and jam-packed with tables. The ambience is lively inside and out and the chalkboard prices are a bargain (€10 plats, closed Sun, 29 rue Pastorelli, tel. 04 93 80 31 65).
La Maison de Marie is a surprisingly high-quality refuge off touristy rue Masséna, where most other places serve lousy food to tourists. Enter through a deep-red arch to a delightful garden courtyard, and enjoy the fair prices and fine food that draw locals and travelers alike (menus from €20, open daily, look for the square red flag at 5 rue Masséna, tel. 04 93 82 15 93).
Restaurant d'Angleterre is ideal for hungry travelers on a tight budget. For €13 you get a filling three-course dinner with tasty choices and great service (indoor and outdoor tables, closed Sun-Mon, 25 rue d'Angleterre, tel. 04 03 88 64 48).
Charming La Cantine de Lulu is a fine value, wonderfully small, and Czech-owned, with homemade recipes from Nice to Prague (closed Sat–Mon, 26 rue Alberti, tel. 04 93 62 15 33).
La Part des Anges, an atmospheric wine shop with a few tables in the rear, serves a limited, mouthwatering menu with a large selection of wines (open daily for lunch, Fri–Sat only for dinner, reserve ahead, 17 rue Gubernatis, tel. 04 93 62 69 80).
Laid-back cafés line up along the broad sidewalk on rue Biscarra (just east of avenue Jean Médecin behind Nice Etoile, all closed Sun). L'Authentic, Le Vin sur Vin, Marre'n, and Le Cenac are all reasonable enough. L'Authentic is best, with owners (burly Philippe and sleek Laurent) who use fresh products and offer tasty plats. I'd go with their suggestions (closed Sun, 18 bis rue Biscarra, tel. 04 93 62 48 88).
Le Côte Grill, a block from Nice Etoile, is bright, cool, and easy, with a decent salad bar, air-conditioned rooms, and a large selection at reasonable prices (open daily, 1 avenue Georges Clémenceau, tel. 04 93 82 45 53).