One night in Nice, France
 

Hello,
We are traveling to the South of France in June and will have one evening in Nice. Would love some restaurant recommendations for dinner. We are 2 adults and a well mannered teen, looking for wonderful food in a lively atmosphere. Nothing to stuffy or precious, but a delicious meal. Thank you!

Safari on the Cours Saleya!!!!!

https://www.restaurantsafari.fr/

I could name other restaurants that have Michelin Stars - but for only 1 night - this is where I would go.

Stu Dudley

Thank you Stu, That looks wonderful. Could you recommend another option maybe a little less casual. My husband might want something a little less casual. It will be our last night in France. It can be, but it need not be michelin if the food is too fussy.

This is from my 35 page Provence & Cote d'Azur itinerary (see attached).

Restaurants in Nice

We spend 2 months in France most years (that’s 40 or so restaurant dinners per year) and the worst restaurants we’ve dined at in France, are in Nice – stinky mussels, soggy fries, thin soupe de poisson, overcooked fish, etc. You can probably find a good meal if you want to pay top dollar, but when we visit Nice we want to dine outside in Old Nice and watch the “scene” on the Cours Saleya. One exception is Safari on the Cours. We’ve dined there 5 times and the food was better than the other places on the Cours, and the people-watching was superb. It’s quite popular, so reserve ahead – last time we were there they were turning away walk-ins at 9PM.

In '14 we decided to "upgrade" our dining a bit, so we reserved at 5 Michelin "starred" restaurants, plus 2 other "white tablecloth" restaurants. Of the 5 Michelin starred restaurants, we would return to 3 of them without hesitation. All three presented dishes that were unique, varied textures & flavors, and ingredients that we have never experienced before. This is compared to the standard Dourade, Soupe de Poisson, & accras de Morue that is frequently seen elsewhere (no criticism intended - we love these menu items). However, our average tab (2 people) for these three Michelin starred restaurants (with aperitif, bottle of nice wine, & 3-4 course dinners) was 227E. Our 2 dinners at Safari (pink wine, appetizer, fish/soupe de Poisson, no dessert) averaged 95E. The three restaurants we would return to are Flaveur, l'Aromate, and Keisuke Matsushima (French food - not Japanese). The latter restaurant is in a touristy area - so the dinner tab was higher than the other two).


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I don't think Keisuke Matsushime is around anymore. There really are no "fussy" restaurants in Nice that we have dined at - except for Le Chantecler at the Negresco hotel.

Stu Dudley

We enjoyed Flaveur.

Flaveur's prices have risen since they earned their second Michelin star. Keisuke Matsushima is still open, although they lost their star a while ago. They are two blocks form our apartment. Some of the Michelin starred places might be a bit on the quiet side (Les Agiteurs may be an exception) although they can be very good (like Jan).

Perhaps too casual, but you usually can't go wrong with any of the Armand Crespo restaurants/bistros but namely: Bistrot d;Antoine, Comptoir du Marche and Bar des Oiseaux Reservations are essential. An off-beat choice, but Le Galet is one of the better beach restaurants. With the days quite long in June, you can have a nice early meal as the sun sets. Reservations also needed (however, it is Italian mostly). Le Plongeoir at the port has OK food but a special location -- an ancient diving platform above the water.

""Keisuke Matsushima is still open, although they lost their star a while ago.""

It is not even listed in the 2022 Michelin Guide. Surprising - since it was one of our favorites. Have you dined there recently??

Stu Dudley

We loved Bistrot Chaud-Vin as well as Lou Pistou

No, but we pass by frequently. They were able to add a little terrasse during the pandemic, to the little square adjacent. They've been offering a tempting well-priced lunch formule as well.

In old Nice, we liked Restaurant la Tapenada, 6 rue St. Reparate.
Not especially a gourmet delight, but it was quite good, cute atmosphere, good service & prices. I've seen some reviews that service gets slow when it's crowded, though.

Thanks Stu and other Fodorites, we will be in Nice for 4 nights in September -- thinking restaurants of 30 yrs ago, no longer viable! Hmm, how tough is a resv at La Colombe at St. Paul de Vence?? Perhaps lunch......

""La Colombe at St. Paul de Vence??""

They seem to have a minimalist web site with no way to make a reservation online. I suggest you e-mail them to see what's available.

Stu Dudley

Thank you so much for this information and for the itinerary you attached. I will most definitely read it. This is wonderful!

Thank you everyone! wonderful information!

Bistro chaud vin seems to be permanently closed according to google.