I just returned from a week in Nice. It was our 4th time there. My partner (D) and I are in our early 50's and we were joining our friends (T and J) who were there for 3 weeks. J is in her late 60's and T is 80. Last year we rented a house in the village of St. Jeanett for a week and spent 4 days in Nice but this year we stayed in Nice except for a couple of day trips. As in all our prior visits to Nice we stayed at the Hotel Le Grimaldi. It is a very nice hotel in a good location. The staff is extremely friendly and helpful. We had room 47 which is one of the large superior category rooms. It has a large bed and a sofa plus a huge bathroom with separate tub and shower. We opted to have breakfast in the hotel for an additional 10euros per day although T and J did not.
We flew on Delta from California to JFK to Nice. JFK is my least favorite airport in the world but at least this trip we were able to make our connections both ways in spite of the delays there.
We are considering buying a small apartment in Nice and one purpose of this trip was to meet with some real estate agents and look at some possibilities.
On our first day (Friday) in Nice we had lunch at one of our favorites: Acchiardo. This is a family-run place in Old Town. It's small and is usually filled with locals. The food is traditional fare. I had the day's special which was octopus prepared "Nicois style." At the restaurant the mother is usually behind the bar, the 2 sons wait on tables and the father comes in and out and he makes the desserts. We enjoyed some of the father's tiramisu. They are only open Monday-Friday.
After lunch we met with a real estate agent who had been referred to us by a local resident we know. She specializes in Old Town and we discussed what we might be interested in and we set up an appointment to go look at some things on Monday.
D and I took naps in the afternoon but limited them since we wanted to sleep during the night. That evening we went for drinks at the Hotel Palais de Mediteranee. The bar there has a very "clubby" feel and has comfortable seating, a piano player, a good drink selection and nice munchies to go with the drinks. We didn't want a big dinner but felt we needed to eat something. We just went to Barracuda on rue Meyerbeer. I had a salad and D had soup and we shared a pizza. The place was mostly filled with other tourists but the service was pleasant and our food fit our needs perfectly.
D decided to rent a bike so instead of us taking our usual morning walk, I'd walk and he'd ride his bike. We would take the same route and he would circle around occasionally.
Saturday started out as a fine day but then had some very scary moments. We had lunch at La Table Alziari. It's owned by someone from the same family as the well-known Alziari Olive Oil which is my favorite olive oil ever. T and J had been to the restaurant before but D and I had never gone there. The setting is pleasant (it is also in Old Town) and the friendly owner took our order. While the food wasn't bad, none of us were particularly thrilled with our lunches. After lunch we went to the Opera House to see a ballet. This particular matinee was geared toward children. The seating was general admission and we found a box empty so we sat there. About halfway through the performance I heard J ask T if he was okay. I looked over and he appeared to have passed out. D went to get an usher to call for help. A policeman and several pompiers (firemen) appeared almost instantly. They lifted him (in his seat) out of the box and as soon as he was in the hall he became alert again. It appeared that he had gotten too hot in the box. But since he is 80 years old (although you'd never think so if you saw him) they (and us also) thought he should go to the hospital to see a doctor. The pompiers took him --chair and all--down the stairs and an ambulance appeared in moments. They put him on a stretcher and told J she could ride with him in the ambulance. The policeman told us it was only about a 10 minute walk to the hosptital and went outside with us to show us the way. We got there shortly after they arrived and J came out and said he was being examined.
We always say we love to see local color and we certainly got our fill spending several hours in an emergency room!!
They ran lots of tests including blood work and an ekg. T was there for about 4 hours. Finally the doctors concluded that he had indeed just gotten overheated and his blood pressure did something weird (I lost something in the translation) which caused him to pass out but that he appeared fine. We asked the emergency room clerk to call a cab for us but they said we'd never get one on a Saturday night. I think T just wanted to get out of there and said he'd be fine walking. We decided to walk partway and then stop and get some dinner and then walk the rest of the way or call a cab from the restaurant if needed. We found a place to eat along the way and had a decent dinner of steak frites and some red wine. T drank some wine saying it would be good for him. After dinner we walked back to the hotel and T was fine the rest of the trip.

Continued:
The hosptital told J to come back the next day to pay the bill so Sunday morning we walked back to the hospital so they could pay the bill. The total hospital bill was only 43 euros!! I won't get into a political discussion here but we were thrilled not to have to pay a fortune for his care.
The rest of Sunday we just wandered around the city. We had ice cream at the wonderful Fenocchio in Old Town. It was a pretty day so we bought a newspaper and sat on benches overlooking the beach on Promenade des Anglais. I walked to the Musee des Beaux-Arts because I'd never been there and spent awhile looking at the works there.
Sunday evening we had a very nice dinner at La Tire Bouchon. It is located in Old Town and has 2 separate back to back buildings. The one in from is evidently for smokers and the one in back is no-smoking. We were in the back building but sat outside. They have a very nice fixed price menu at 30 euro with good choices. The quality of food and the presentation were both very good. This is an excellent choice for a Sunday dinner when so many other restaurants are closed.
I need to go to a meeting now but will continue later...

I love the olive oil too. Sorry the resto doesn't live up to it. It's been on my list but never got to it. I love Nice but many don't seem to enjoy it as much.

And more...
Monday morning we explored the antique market in the Cours Saleya. Every other day there is a food and flower market there but on Monday there is an antique market which is fun to see but we were not tempted to buy anything. After wandering around the market we went our separate ways to do some shopping (we all had different shopping agendas).
Lunch was at one of our favorites, La Merenda. This is a tiny place (I believe it seats 20) with seating on stools and the smallest bathroom on land. The food is very traditional food cooked to perfection. The chef/owner was formerly the chef at the Michelin-starred Chantecleer in the Negressco Hotel. The staff consists of him cooking with his wife assisting, one waiter and one dishwasher. They have no phone and don't take credit cards and they are not open on weekends. To make a reservation just stop by the day before you want to go there.
That afternoon the real estate agent showed us 3 apartments in Old Town. There was one we really liked, another that was pretty nice but a bit out of our price range and another we didn't like at all.
Later in the day we met with another agent who showed us 2 places near the pedestrian zone. Neither of them really appealed to us but the agent said she'd be able to show us some other things the next day.
That evening we wanted just a casual dinner and the hotel desk clerk (the desk clerks at the Grimaldi also act as concierges and are very good) suggested we walk over to rue Biscarra where several bistros are located. We went to one called Vin sur Vin where we sat outside and had an enjoyable meal. As indicated by its name it is a wine bar and bistro.
T and J had told us about a place that makes custom leather goods located near the Cours Saleya. We went there and I ordered a watch band and D ordered a belt which he said he would have ready on Thursday. While D did some clothes shopping I went to Alziari to buy some olive oil to bring home for myself and a friend. We then went back to the hotel to meet T and J. We got a cab to go take us to lunch. Our lunch was at Jouni. Last year we had dinner in their prior location and it was wonderful. Shortly after we were there they moved to a larger location by the port with beautiful views. The restaurant received a Michelin star and with the move the chef/owner (whose name is Jouni) is hoping to get a second. The new place has 2 levels. On the lower level is a more casual bistro and upstairs is the more formal restaurant. We ate downstairs on the deck overlooking the water. Our lunch was very good. For my first course I had fois gras with figs and for my main course I had a scallop of veal served with a rice and courgette (squash) "cake". My dessert was a chocolate fondant tart which had the most wonderful, intense chocolate flavor. After such a big lunch we decided to walk back especially since it was a very beautiful day.
That afternoon one of the real estated agents showed us several more apartments near the pedestrian zone and just off Avenue Victor Hugo. There were 2 that we liked very much.
That evening since we'd had a large, rich lunch we just had cheese and champagne in T and J's room.

Continued:
Wednesday was our excursion day. We rented a car and drove to St. Tropez. None of us had been there before and thought it was time for us to see it. The day was a little overcast but not too bad. The drive over was pretty and traffic wasn't too bad until we got just outside of St Tropez. We were able to get a parking place in one of the main lots. We just wandered around a bit and had lunch at a place along the port called Le Quai Joseph. The regatta was going on that day and it was quite wonderful to see all the sailboats. We wandered around the port area quite a bit until it started raining--it was just a drizzle but we decided to head to the car. We stopped in a few shops on our way back the parking lot. The drive back seemed to take forever because there was construction on the road and they were only letting one lane of traffic go at a time. St Tropez is quite pretty but it's not the ideal day trip from Nice due to the traffic situation. There is a boat that goes between the 2 places but it stops running in September. That might be an idea to try next time.
That evening we had dinner at Chez Palmyre in Old Town which I'd read about in the NY Times. The article said it truly captured the authentic old Nice flavor and they were right. It is tiny and very non-descript. The place has been there for 81 years and the current owner has probably been there for many of them. She's a heavy set woman with a deep laugh. She takes your order, gets your drinks and does some work in the kitchen. There is one other woman(a younger one) who seems to do most of the cooking and she also serves. The changing menu offers several choices. For 13 euros you choose a starter, main course with side dish and a dessert. Everything is simple. I had a charcuterie plate as my starter followed by veal in a white sauce (the veal was in chunks like in a stew) this came with rice and my side was spaghetti (I know I went heavy on the starches). It was all flavorful and very comforting. The dessert choices were a creme caramel or a fruit tart. The creme caramel was pretty good, the fruit tart was not. Overall I loved the place but it is not someplace everyone would care for.
Thursday morning we revisited the Old Town apartment we had liked best. We found out someone had made an offer on it but it wasn't a done deal yet.
We went to the leather place and picked up our watchband and belt both of which we like.
Our lunch was at a new place called Bistro d'Antoine. It is in the location where there was a place called Bar Antione for many years. We really enjoyed this place. It is very attractive, the servers were friendly and helpful and the food was excellent. D and I split a fois gras starter and T, J and I all had a rissoto with truffle butter as our main course which was wonderful. D had fish (I can't remember the name but the waiter said it was related to a tuna) which was really good. For dessert we had a very light, fluffy chocolate mousse.
Later that afternoon we revisited the 2 apartments we liked in the Victor Hugo area.
That evening we walked to the Hotel Negresco to have drinks in their lounge. We were there too early to hear the piano player but we had a nice time sitting in the comfortable lounge drinking our martinis. Then we walked over to rue Meyerbeer for dinner at Pot d'Etan. This place was another winner. It is another small place but more upscale than some of the others. It is run by a husband and wife who are very attractive and pleasant. They offer a 29 euro fixed price dinner with some excellent choices. Some items on the menu are not traditional Provencal dishes but ones the owners like to prepare. For instance T and J both had cassoulet which they most enjoyed. I had perfectly cooked duck breast. D had quail. This place is quite the little gem.

Continued:
Friday was our last day in Nice and we decided to make it another excursion day. We took the bus to St Paul de Vence. We all love the Fondation Maeght which is one of the world's great small museums. The exhibits change fairly often.
The bus ride was fine and we were able to get on at Place Grimaldi which is just a couple of blocks from our hotel.
We spent the morning at the museum. The current exhibit features artists who worked in Barcelona and is a very good exhibit.
We then wandered to the main part of the village and did a little browsing before lunch.
Our lunch was at Le St Paul which is a very charming Relais and Chateau inn. They have a nice terrace and the day was a good one for us to sit outside. Our table was at the end of the terrace and it was like we had our own private place for lunch. Le St Paul is rather formal in its menu and service but not so much that we felt uncomfortable. This was our 3rd time eating there and every time we have had a good experience.
After lunch we did a little more browsing and bought some soaps and olive oil in a store we like and then took the bus back to Nice.
That evening we just had a pizza and salad dinner at Safari on the Cours Saleya. We finished our evening with some ice cream at Finocchio.
We did make a verbal offer on the apartment in Old Town but the other offer was higher and we didn't want to get into a bidding war and pay too much. But maybe something else will come along...
Saturday morning we headed to the airport and back to the U.S. The travel gods were looking after us and we were upgraded to Business Elite for the trip from Nice to JFK. This made the return much more pleasant! Going through customs and rechecking bags and going back through security at JFK is a pain and make sure you give yourself enough connecting time if you're traveling on further.
This trip just solidified how much we like Nice and the area around it. Much of the construction for the tram has now been completed and the city is really looking good. Place Massena looks gorgeous now.
That's all folks...

What a charming and interesting trip report sequess!! Although I have never been in any part of France I so enjoyed reading about your time in Nice and the surrounding areas.

And thank goodness your friend T was all right. How frightening that must have been. And the hospital bill..unbelievable, yes?

Best wishes in finding and buying the perfect apartment in Nice. Just a thought..as I understand it French inheritance laws are quite different then they are here in the US..so if you are not aware do check on that if it is important to you.

Again, thank you for a lovely thread and for sharing your delightful trip including getting upgraded when flying to JFK.

Thanks for your comments. We have done some research on the inheritance laws but thanks for pointing it out.

Thank you sequess,for all your useful information. I am sure we will try many of the restaurants you enjoyed. We will be in Nice Wednesday - Friday ,andplan to spend a day in St.Paul,with the morning at the Maeght, and would appreciate knowing if the bus is more convenient than the train.Our hotel is on rue Gioffredo,which seems to be an extension of rue Massena,so I guess we gould hop on a bus?Any thoughts?Any special markets we should search out ?? I so enjoyed reading your report and hope the perfect Nice apartment comes your way very soon.

sequess, thanks for the trip report. We stayed in Villefranche-sur-mer in March and had lunch at Jouni la Reserve. It was a fabulous lunch in a wonderful location. Lucky for us the weather was nice and almost mild enough to sit outside. I am glad that your friend wasn't seriously ill though going through that experience is very frightening.

Sequess...

What a delightful report. I am just starting to plan a trip to Nice for October 2008 and loved the details you gave about the restaurants. And I am leaning towards booking Hotel Le Grimaldi...it looks like a great place.

Thanks for sharing your experience!

4Carolina--the bus is very easy to take--I've never taken the train so I can't say what that would be like. From your hotel it might be easier to get the bus from the main station but I'm sure someone at the hotel could advise you.
Have a great time in Nice!

Carolina, you mean going to St.Paul (de Vence) from Nice? No train go there. No choice but taking a bus. From the address of your hotel Nice Bus Terminal (Gare Routière) should be close by and convenient. The bus number is 400 and it's stop is located just outside the door to the information office (it was, at least last year).

http://www.cote.azur.fr/sorties/educ...94_lang_en.htm

sequess, I think I heard on the radio that they would be celebrating the opening of the tram lines this weekend. I will see the new Place Massena in January.