The French Riviera Restaurants
We’ve compiled the best of the best in The French Riviera - browse our top choices for Restaurants during your stay.
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We’ve compiled the best of the best in The French Riviera - browse our top choices for Restaurants during your stay.
There are plenty of places where you can sample socca in the Old Town, but if you want to understand why so much fuss is...
There are plenty of places where you can sample socca in the Old Town, but if you want to understand why so much fuss is made in Nice over this chickpea pancake, this out-of-the-way café behind the port is the place to go. As is normal for making this recipe, a batter of chickpea flour, water, olive oil, and salt is baked in giant copper tins in a wood-fired oven, but here, the cook expertly scrapes the surface of the nearly-cooked dough with a metal spatula so that it comes out extra-crispy. It's hard to explain why, but this is socca you can eat in large quantities even if you're not hungry: proof is the line on weekend nights, when people are willing to wait an hour or more for their petite (€2.90) or grande plates (€5.90). For a shorter (or zero) wait, show up around 5:30, when Pipo first opens for dinner. If you can't make it, Chez Pipo is also now at Terminal 1 at the Nice Airport. For the lowdown on everything socca, watch the short We Eat Socca Here by American filmmaker Scott Petersen.
Judging by the crowd of regulars flocking to his restaurant, Daniel Desavie has built quite a reputation for his classic Provençal flavors (that's hardly surprising...
Judging by the crowd of regulars flocking to his restaurant, Daniel Desavie has built quite a reputation for his classic Provençal flavors (that's hardly surprising given that he was trained for 23 years by the late Roger Vergé at the famous Moulins de Mougins). When you're ready to order from the very refined menu, try the lobster with tabbouleh and orange-mango vinaigrette before digging into the braised lamb shoulder fricassee. If you want to add wine, there's a sommelier on hand to help you turn your classic meal into a masterful one. There are fixe-prix menus at lunch and dinner.
For fresh, homemade gelato-style ice cream offered in a rainbow of 94 flavors and colors, stop at Glacier Fenocchio any day of the week 9...
For fresh, homemade gelato-style ice cream offered in a rainbow of 94 flavors and colors, stop at Glacier Fenocchio any day of the week 9 am–midnight, March–November. There's even a choice of locally grown citrus flavors, including orange, mandarin, and lemon—even beer!
It might be a bit overpriced for such simple fare, but where else in the world could you dine under a Picasso, on a terrace...
It might be a bit overpriced for such simple fare, but where else in the world could you dine under a Picasso, on a terrace beside a ceramic Léger mural, or next to a pool where an idyllic garden comes complete with a Calder sculpture? The quirky but unpretentious Provençal menu has hardly changed over 50 years—its famous hors d’oeuvres de la Colombe (basket of crudité and hunks of charcuterie), the salmon quenelles, the Sisteron lamb, and the Grand Marnier soufflé flambé are still as acclaimed as ever. If you can't afford a room at the world-famous hotel, a meal here certainly does wonders for your Instagram.
Ewan and Caroline Scutcher haven’t left Port Grimaud since they married here nearly 32 years ago and set up this waterside gem, now reputed as...
Ewan and Caroline Scutcher haven’t left Port Grimaud since they married here nearly 32 years ago and set up this waterside gem, now reputed as one of the Riviera's finest. In a fun and relaxed atmosphere, they offer the freshest fish and seafood on the coast; certainly the politicians, royalty, and film stars (think Leonardo DiCaprio) who dine portside here among the locals don't complain. Selection is simple, uncomplicated, and the lunch menu, served on market days, Thursday and Sunday, mid-June–mid-September, wine and coffee included, is a deal (€26). Avoid traffic and ask Le Table to arrange for a water taxi upon reservation.
You wouldn't expect to find a restaurant with two Michelin stars set in such a residential background, 10 minutes by car from La Croisette, but...
You wouldn't expect to find a restaurant with two Michelin stars set in such a residential background, 10 minutes by car from La Croisette, but Bruno Oger promises you an unforgettable evening in this très cozy spot surrounded by centennial trees and gardens. Yes, it's pricey, but concentrate on the selection, which features dishes such as No. 2 oysters with mint cucumber and Petrossian caviar or sea bass with lemongrass. If this is beyond your means, opt for the three-course menu (€34) at Le Bistrot des Anges (Michelin Bib Gourmand), under the same management. While waiting, sink into an armchair and watch the fashion parade at L'Ange Bar.
You won't find any "concept" cooking here, just pure French bistro fare at its finest—beef salad with anchovy dressing, butter risotto with truffles, sliced leg...
You won't find any "concept" cooking here, just pure French bistro fare at its finest—beef salad with anchovy dressing, butter risotto with truffles, sliced leg of lamb, and traditional pork casserole. Leave room for the day's dessert, such as the wonderfully warm peach-and-frangipane tart. The prices here are as appealing as the menu. If you can't score a reservation, try Peixes 3, chef Antoine Crespo's delightful restaurant at 4 rue de l'Opéra that serves seafood tapas.
Walking into this small bistrot, you can tell that this is the French dining experience people travel to Provence for, thanks to a handwritten menu...
Walking into this small bistrot, you can tell that this is the French dining experience people travel to Provence for, thanks to a handwritten menu on a board, wine bottles as far as the eye can see, and a low-key assemblage of chairs and tables that look like they came out of a 1970s-era attic. Owner Sébastien Perinetti and chef Elmahdi Mobarik source the freshest hyperlocal produce to bring you a parade of taste sensations, all seductively priced. Each selection is described by Sébastien in its entirety: a Sardinian “fregola” pasta with cuttlefish and peas from the fields of St-Isidore, with a peach soup made with white peaches from St-Martin-du-Var.
Christian Morisset’s Michelin-starred restaurant is named after the 40-year-old fig tree that, along with a canopy of vines, gorgeously shades the private courtyard. One of...
Christian Morisset’s Michelin-starred restaurant is named after the 40-year-old fig tree that, along with a canopy of vines, gorgeously shades the private courtyard. One of the best restaurants in the region, the haute cuisine chef is dedicated to his daily market, where he bases his wonderfully scrumptious set menus. Yes, it's a tad pricey—à la carte is around €90 for a main—and don't choke when you see a €3,900 bottle of 1990 Château Lafite Rothschild on the wine list; like everything else on the menu, it's there for a reason.
Located just beind Cours Saleya, this is everything you tend to expect from a French restaurant: an intimate setting on a tiny street, a chalkboard...
Located just beind Cours Saleya, this is everything you tend to expect from a French restaurant: an intimate setting on a tiny street, a chalkboard menu, and the natural skill of Nice-born chef Gaël Passigli. There's always a choice of five starters, five main courses, and five desserts (plus a few suggestions), showing a deep commitment to market-fresh seasonal cuisine.
It might look like just another pizzeria, but Le Serre is a family-run restaurant where everything from the pizzas to the local specialties is prepared...
It might look like just another pizzeria, but Le Serre is a family-run restaurant where everything from the pizzas to the local specialties is prepared with care. The warm welcome ensures that the restaurant attracts plenty of locals who have learned to tread carefully around tourist traps. Daube, the Provençal beef-and-wine stew with herbs, often tops the set menu; the chef starts its preparation at midnight for the next day.
Argentine chef Mauro Colagreco learned his craft in Latin America before acquiring a solid French base with the likes of Bernard Loiseau in Burgundy and...
Argentine chef Mauro Colagreco learned his craft in Latin America before acquiring a solid French base with the likes of Bernard Loiseau in Burgundy and both Alain Passard and Alain Ducasse in Paris, and now is at the helm at Mirazur, an innovative restaurant on the border of France and Italy that's earned three Michelin stars and is frequently cited as the world's best restaurant. He is a perfect example of the wave of young chefs whose style has been dubbed la jeune cuisine; for Colagreco, the plate is a palette, and each ingredient (many gathered from the massive on-site vegetable garden) has its precise place and significance. Overlooking a cascading tropical garden and the sea, his airy dining room on Menton's outer edge makes the ideal setting for this expressive (and expensive!) cooking.
Young Nicolas Decherchi earned his first Michelin star only one year after opening Paloma, set in the serenity of a Provençal farmhouse and complete with...
Young Nicolas Decherchi earned his first Michelin star only one year after opening Paloma, set in the serenity of a Provençal farmhouse and complete with distant views (in this case, of the sea and the Îles de Lérins off Cannes). The service is flawless, from the valet to the sommelier, and the food combines time-honored southern cooking techniques with a hefty dollop of imagination. Set menus are available at both lunch (from €59) and dinner (from €89) and the average price of à la carte is €80.
Part of a tiny Old Town enclave determined to resist the press of tourism, this casual tavern is headquarters for the tables scattered across the...
Part of a tiny Old Town enclave determined to resist the press of tourism, this casual tavern is headquarters for the tables scattered across the sunny terrace on Place Safranier. Chef Gaïatto Olivier is in charge of the refined menu that reflects his five years in the kitchen at the celebrated Eden Roc—think roasted catch of the day with chickpea stew, chorizo, mussels fennel, and coriander—but at a fraction of the price.
A beacon to all fish lovers since 1953, Astoux et Cie Brun deserves its reputation for impeccably fresh fruits de mer. Well-trained staff negotiate cramped...
A beacon to all fish lovers since 1953, Astoux et Cie Brun deserves its reputation for impeccably fresh fruits de mer. Well-trained staff negotiate cramped quarters to lay down heaping seafood platters, shrimp casseroles, and piles of oysters shucked to order. Open 365 days a year, it is noisy, cheerful, and always busy (so don't expect rapid service). Arrive early (noon for lunch, 6 pm for dinner) to get a table and avoid a line.
Specializing in salads, pizzas, and pastas—prepared on the spot from local produce—this place offers a refreshing, light alternative to all those heavy French dishes. But...
Specializing in salads, pizzas, and pastas—prepared on the spot from local produce—this place offers a refreshing, light alternative to all those heavy French dishes. But Attimi is as hot as the lasagna Bolognese it serves, so you'll need to reserve or eat early. A seat on the terrace next to the fountain at the end of Place Masséna lets you dine with a side order of people-watching.
For over 50 years celebs have holidayed and dined at Cap Estel along Èze's bord de mer, enjoying its private 5-acre peninsula with all-encompassing views...
For over 50 years celebs have holidayed and dined at Cap Estel along Èze's bord de mer, enjoying its private 5-acre peninsula with all-encompassing views of the Mediterranean. Chef Patrick Raingeard's Michelin-star cuisine is worthy of the setting. Start with six oysters "Pearls Monte-Carlo," followed by the Charolais beef fillet with chard cannelloni, and finish it all off with "the all-chocolate tube." Vegetarian options also available, and the produce used often comes directly from the hotel's garden.
Long a showplace for Riviera luxury, the Negresco is replete with Régence-fashion salons decked out with 18th-century wood boiserie and Aubusson carpets. Its main dining...
Long a showplace for Riviera luxury, the Negresco is replete with Régence-fashion salons decked out with 18th-century wood boiserie and Aubusson carpets. Its main dining room, the two-Michelin-star Chantecler, has been playing musical chefs for the past few years and currently features Virginie Basselot and her selections of impressive haute-cuisine. In the cave, there are 15,000 bottles (if you're counting).
Facing the Cocteau chapel with an enviable view of the sea from its terrace, this modern brasserie could easily get away with being merely mediocre....
Facing the Cocteau chapel with an enviable view of the sea from its terrace, this modern brasserie could easily get away with being merely mediocre. Instead, it serves fresh, colorful Mediterranean dishes ranging from an addictive anchoïade—crudités with anchovy dip—to omelettes. It's a favorite of English-speaking expats in Villefranche and it's easy to understand why, since it brings together all the ingredients that make for a casual yet memorable meal on the French Riviera. Call ahead to be sure of securing a coveted terrace table.
What could be more fashionable than tucking into exquisite cuisine by three–Michelin-star chef Arnaud Donckele in an enchanting sheltered garden designed by Peter Wirtz at...
What could be more fashionable than tucking into exquisite cuisine by three–Michelin-star chef Arnaud Donckele in an enchanting sheltered garden designed by Peter Wirtz at the House of Dior? Dior des Lices elegantly serves a full menu of breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks, with a range of reasonable prices compared to the Vague d'Or, chef Donckele's full-time gig across town. Terrifically, the dessert selection is as long as the rest of the menu; the D’Choux (delightful tiny round pastries), which come in salted caramel, pistachio, lemon zest, and other flavors, get rave reviews. By sunset this magical oasis is perfect for a glass of Champagne (expect to pay €60 for une verre of Dom Pérignon 2004).
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