Where to Eat in Nice

About this guide

Marlynn and I recently spent a month traveling — and eating — our way through southern France, starting in Bordeaux before making our way to Bergerac and Montpellier. We ended our visit with a week-long stop in Nice.

What did we do in Nice during that time, you ask? Well, this was the end of our trip, and we were *tired.* So we didn’t travel up and down the coast visiting every cute seaside village on the map. But we *did* do a lot of eating. A lot.

This guide features seven of our favorite places to eat in Nice, from restaurants and cafes overlooking the Mediterranean to Michelin-recommended spots that are a bit more off-the-beaten path.

💰 For a budgeting reference, I’ve included the total cost of each of our meals.

As a bonus, I’ve also added a couple of our favorite boulangeries in Nice, along with some insider tips on how to order like a local. Because there’s definitely some boulangerie etiquette!

🇫🇷👉🏼 Bonus: Get my Where to Eat in Bergerac and Where to Eat in Montpellier guides. They feature a range of restaurant recommendations from fine dining to casual, to help save you time planning your next trip.

Restaurant Nice Sunset

Vibe: The aptly-named restaurant Nice Sunset is located just off the Old Town along the Quai des États-Unis, which extends off the Promenade des Anglais. That means it also overlooks the Mediterranean, which isn’t a bad view!

We arrived about an hour before sunset on our first night. After getting a pre-dinner drink, we enjoyed some relaxing people-watching from our outdoor table before ordering dinner.

The timing was perfect. Our food arrived just as the sun was going down over the sea, creating picture-perfect pink skies by the time we were ready for a post-meal coffee.

What to order: Nice Sunset offers a range of dishes, from salads and burgers to pastas and seafood. We ordered the seared scallops topped with caviar over a bed of leeks (meant to mimic pasta). The scallops were cooked perfectly and the leeks added a fresh, veggie aspect and aroma to the dish. A good vegetarian option is the mushroom risotto. Rich and creamy and topped with fresh Parmesan shavings, it was thoroughly satisfying.

Total bill: $130 – For two entrees, one bottle of wine, two aperos, two after-dinner coffees.

Address:
69 Quai des États-Unis
06300 Nice, France

Hours:
Daily: 8 am – 10 pm

Learn more at the Nice Sunset website.

Casa Leya

Vibe: Nice enjoys about 300 days of sunshine a year. So outdoor dining is the name of the game. Our next food stop was Casa Leya, also located in Old Town overlooking the Mediterranean. And it offers plenty of outdoor seating to soak up some rays.

👉🏼 Insider tip: Casa Leya has outdoor tables in the front and back of the restaurant. Ask to be seated outside in the back area that faces the Promenade des Anglais, in order to enjoy views of the Mediterranean.

A large outdoor market sets up nearly every day in old town Nice. It’s the perfect way to spend an hour or so while getting to know a bit of the local neighborhood. It also happens to be right next to a bunch of bars and restaurants, including Casa Leya.

We strolled in a little before noon, and before the crowds, so we could snag our choice of table in the back across from the sea. A few minutes later, we had a couple of spritzes in hand and our lunch was on the way.

What to order: It’s easy to eat a lot of rich meals in France, so for something a bit lighter, try the prosciutto and melon salad. Sure it comes with a huge serving of burrata right in the middle, but I did say a *bit* lighter. This proved to be a popular dish as nearly everyone around us ordered the same thing. Another popular ingredient in this area is prawns, and Marlynn couldn’t resist the prawns over linguine. They were super fresh and the portion was just right for lunch.

Total bill: $72 – For two entrees, two aperol spritzes.

Address:
36 Cr Saleya
06300 Nice, France

Hours:
Sun – Thu: 11:30 am – 10 pm
Fri – Sat: 11:30 am – 10:30 pm

Learn more at the Casa Leya website.

La Chapa

Vibe: This won’t come as a surprise, but there is no shortage of seaside restaurants in Nice. Another one of our favorites was La Chapa. The cuisine is here broadly eastern Mediterranean-inspired. But the style of dining reminded me more of a Spanish tapas bar, with several small plates to choose from.

The atmosphere however, was all French Riviera, with beautiful views of the sea, laid-back vibes, and lovely late summer sunshine.

👉🏼 Insider tip: Most places right along the Promenade des Anglais fill up at night. So it’s a good idea to make a reservation early in the day to snag a spot. Many restaurants in Nice accept online reservations, which makes it very easy. And you’ll receive a confirmation email shortly after.

What to order: We love being able to try a lot of small bites at restaurants. It provides a great feel for the menu and offers up some delicious variety. For starters, try the hummus with housemade crackers. It’s fresh, citrusy, and very tasty. The kebabs with a tangy yogurt sauce is another solid option. They come attached to cinnamon sticks, which is fun to look at, but, yeah, don’t eat those! And if you’d like a seafood option, the fried prawn ravioli are craveable, with a satisfyingly crunchy texture.

Total bill: $119 – For four plates, two aperos, bottle of wine.

Address:
73 Quai des États-Unis
06300 Nice, France

Hours:
Daily: 8:30 am – 2 am

Learn more at the La Chapa website.

L’Alchimie

Vibe: I don’t want to shock you here, but you can also find restaurants in Nice that aren’t right by the Mediterranean. And some excellent ones at that. L’Alchimie is one such place.

This Michelin-recommended spot is located about a 10-minute walk from the beach in Nice’s Jean-Medecin neighborhood. The dining room has an inviting, casual atmosphere and the service is friendly and excellent.

At L’Alchimie, the menu is fixed price, and it comes with an appetizer, entree, and dessert. You can choose from three options for each course.

What to order: For a light, fresh appetizer, start with the prawn ravioli. It comes in an aromatic Tom Kha Gai (Thai coconut chicken soup) foam broth and is perfect for sharing.

When we went, chanterelles mushrooms were in season, so we ordered the chanterelles mushroom risotto. Creamy and cheesy, it was made with saffron, which added some nice depth of flavor. And if you like fish, go for the seared sea bass with haricots verts in a creamy sauce. It was both tender and crispy — and tasty!

Total bill: $89 – For two appetizers, two entrees, two desserts, two glasses of wine.

Address:
14 Rue Maccarani
06000 Nice, France

Hours:
Tue – Wed: 11:30 am – 3 pm
Fri – Sat: 11:30 am – 3 pm; 7 pm – 10:30 pm (closed Sun, Mon)

Learn more at the L’Alchimie website.

Le Sejour

Vibe: About a block away from L’Alchimie, you’ll find another Michelin-recommended restaurant: Le Sejour Cafe. The vibe here is very similar. The space itself is small but warm and inviting. And the service is excellent.

The menu here isn’t prix fixe, but interestingly, many of the dishes were nearly identical to those at L’Alchimie. So we decided to do a little taste test to see if one was better than the other.

What to order: We started with the prawn ravioli. It’s served in nearly the same manner as the one at L’Alchimie, in a foam broth. But we found that the ravioli here were slightly better prepared and not as thick.

The mushroom risotti, also with chanterelles, was well-made and tasty. But the one at L’Alchimie was prepared with a bit of saffron, which added both color and flavor.

The dish that we got here that was different was the lobster linguine. The lobster was tender and juicy and the sauce for the dish was absolutely delicious.

Verdict: Both Le Sejour and L’Alchimie are fantastic and worth a visit. While we thought some of the dishes at Le Sejour were slightly better, L’Alchimie was an overall better value.

Total bill: $129 – For one appetizer, two entrees, two glasses of wine.

Address:
11 Rue Grimaldi
06000 Nice, France

Hours:
Tue – Sat: 12 pm – 1:30 pm; 7:30 pm to 9:30 pm
(closed Sun, Mon)

Learn more at the Le Sejour website.

Plage Beau Rivage

Vibe: In Nice, there are restaurants across the promenade from the sea. Then there are places right on the beach. Plage Beau Rivage is one of the latter. Meaning “beautiful shore,” Beau Rivage offers a seaside dining experience that is simply hard to beat.

All of the tables are outside and within just a few yards from the water. It’s the perfect place to watch the sun go down while enjoying dinner. And while this is one of the spendier places we ate at while in Nice, you’re paying in part for the view. And the view here was pretty dang good.

What to order: Nice is famous for the Nicoise salad, and the version here is very classic. It includes a variety of vegetables along with Nicoise olives and hard boiled eggs, topped with tuna. I

f you’re in the mood to splurge a bit, go for the tagliatelle with a half lobster. The lobster was cooked perfectly and the dish came in a delicious homemade bisque.

Complete the surf and turf with the steak frites. It’s made with tender Piedmont rib-eye.

👉🏼 Insider tip: You’ll want to make reservations for Plage Beau Rivage as spaces can fill up fast. We saw a lot of walk-ins get turned away at reception.

Total bill: $169 – For one salad, two entrees, bottle of wine.

Address:
107 Quai des États-Unis
06300 Nice, France

Hours:
Vary by season, so check on their website before making a reservation.

Learn more at the Plage Beau Rivage website.

Le Panier

Vibe: Some of the best places to eat no matter the city are often hidden gems, tucked away from busy thoroughfares. Enter Le Panier.

Located in a small alley in Nice’s Old Town, Le Panier appears unassuming. But the food here is anything but. Of all the spots we ate at during our trip, this was the most “fine dining,” but without any stuffy atmosphere.

👉🏼 Insider tip: Le Panier has both indoor and outdoor seating. When the weather is nice, ask for a table outside. That’s what we did, as the inside spaces felt a bit stuffier. While the little alley was a bit busy, it still felt good to enjoy the late summer air and do some leisurely people-watching.

Our meal was made up of several courses, each one meticulously plated. And the service felt effortless. If you’re looking for an exceptional dining experience away from the crowds in Nice, Le Panier should be on your list.

What to order: Le Panier offers several different tasting menus. The lunch menu includes 4 courses (about $60), while for dinner you can choose between a 5 or 7 course meal (about $80/$95).

It’s a blind tasting, so there’s no menu here, at least not one you can peruse. Instead, your server explains each course as it comes out. Essentially, you’re here to enjoy the ride and see where the meal takes you.

Each course is made with fresh, seasonal ingredients, made in sometimes surprising ways, such as a mozzarella-smoked olive scramble with a sort of avocado ice cream on top. Or pork belly and broccolini with Corsican Lonzo (a type of cured pork). Not every course was a home run, but some definitely were. And that’s part of the fun.

Total bill: $245 – For two 5 course meals, two aperos, a bottle of wine, and two coffees.

Address:
5 Rue Barillerie
06300 Nice, France

Hours:
Vary by season, so check on their website before making a reservation.

Learn more at the Le Panier website.

Brasserie Magenta

Vibe: If you like being in the center of the action, then you might consider a visit to Magenta. Located in a beautiful, bustling square off the Rue Massena in the heart of Nice, Magenta is the ideal spot for a midday drink and satisfying lunch.

And you don’t need a reservation. This part of Rue Massena is lined with restaurants, so come lunch or dinner time, you simply choose a spot and wait for a table to open up. We went here on our last day and there was no problem getting a table.

What to order: Brasserie Magenta is known for its seafood, particularly the oysters. But they have a selection of lobster, prawns, mussels, and crab to choose from as well. They also offer a range of salads, as well as traditional French dishes like roasted duck breast and steak frites.

We arrived during happy hour and decided to split a burger with bacon, cheddar, and an onion confit. We also added a couple Aperol Spritzes to take advantage of the happy hour pricing. While the drinks weren’t the best that we’d had in Nice, the simple burger was just what we were looking for after a week of rich, hearty dishes.

Total bill: $47 – For one burger, two cocktails.

Address:
1 Pl. Magenta
06000 Nice, France

Hours:
Daily: 8 am – 11 pm

Learn more at the Magenta website.

Maison Armand Patisserie

Vibe: You’ll find no shortage of boulangeries and patisseries in Nice. This is France after all! But one that we really liked was Maison Armand.

One reason this made our list was the wide range of tasty pastries they have, like chocolate and coffee eclairs, and several different kinds of baguettes.

But another reason was the outdoor seating option, which you won’t find at all patisseries. It’s a nice way to grab some pastries and coffee and enjoy them without having to walk and eat at the same time. Or worse, wait until you get to wherever you’re staying!

👉🏼 Insider tip: If you decide to eat in here, order at the front, then head on over to your table. No need to wait at the counter for your items to be ready. That can be seen as rude and can slow down the line behind you. Your food and coffee (if you ordered some) will be prepared, then brought to you.

Address:
90 Rue de France
06000 Nice, France

Boulangerie Jeannot

Vibe: Another boulangerie/patisserie that we visited frequently in Nice was Jeannot. Located a few minutes from Old Town and the Promenade des Anglais, this popular bakery always had a line outside when we went. Which we took as a good sign.

Not only do they offer a large selection of breads and pastries, you can also get full sandwiches for lunch, which they’ll warm up for you as you wait.

The overall vibe here is like organized chaos (and kinda like that famous Seinfeld episode about soup). When you get in line, you just gotta keep moving with the flow. Once you’re at the display case, flag down someone behind the counter (like at a bar) and order with confidence. Then keep shuffling to the checkout register, where your order will be waiting for you.

Address:
8 Rue Saint-François de Paule
06300 Nice, France