Message: My wife's birthday falls on a day when we are in Nice next month. I am seeking a really special restaurant for dinner. The guide books recommend the restaurant at the Negresco hotel (Chantecler). Is is really special? Do you know if a jacket or tie are required? Any other suggestions for a special restaurant in Nice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks

A jacket and tie are required there, as they would be at the Louis XV in Monte Carlo. Dining at L'Univers in Nice is slightly more casual, and you may be able to get away with a sport coat.<BR><BR>Bon Appetit,<BR>BC

We stayed at the Best Western right on the promenade in Nice.Best Westerns are actually extremely good in Europe.<BR>The hotel has a lovely restaurant right on the promenade and is quite romantic. You can sit either outdoors or indoors. The food and service were also very good. I would highly reccomend this as a less stuffy alternative to the Negresco.

Although not as fancy as you might want, we had an excellent seafood platter with langustino, shrimp, lobsters and crab at a restaurant on Le Marche de Fleur. You might want to go here another night. It is called LE GRAND BLEU on 24, cours Saleya (tel: 04 93 62 29 51). We also had mussels and a pretty good bottle of wine all for around $100 - pretty cheap compared to something similar in the states.

Topping this one for Fred.