44 Best Restaurants in The French Riviera, France

Just 10 km (6 miles) west of St-Tropez and 4 km (2½ miles) south of Grimaud and the village of La Mole, this bucolic old farmhouse restaurant sits on a hillside over forests dense with cork oak and chestnuts. Whether you eat on the terrace with its views of the Massif des Maures and Gulf of St-Tropez or in the rustic dining room, the food tastes and smells of the surrounding countryside. Think crispy baked St-Marcelin cheese with honey and nuts or grilled beef tenderloin, fried potatoes, and béarnaise sauce, nicely topped off with chocolate and mango sorbet. Add the warm and friendly service, and this is your dream French restaurant experience. Choose from a three-course set menu (€45–€55), or order à la carte. 

Catering to the yachting crowd, this established portside restaurant has outdoor tables surrounding a tiny "garden" of potted palms. The focus is on fish, of course—soupe de poisson (fish soup), St-Pierre (John Dory) steamed with asparagus, and roasted whole sea bass.

In an intimate space on a tiny street, just behind Cours Saleya, this restaurant has a chalkboard menu of dishes that showcase the natural skill of chef Aurélien Martin. The choice of market-fresh seasonal cuisine is easy, as there's one four-course menu for lunch and either a four- or a five-course menu for dinner.

When Hell’s Kitchen presenter and chef Arnaud Tabarec left to open Beam! in Toulon, Lori Moreau stepped in at this trendy restaurant occupying the fifth floor of a former post office with fabulous views over Le Suquet. She shortened the menu, but there is still a good selection of fish and vegetarian dishes, as well as beef and chicken options. There’s also a stellar brunch menu if a lazy Sunday appeals.

The Cours Saleya's desirable terrace tables provide an excuse for many of the restaurants along this strip to get away with culinary murder, but that's not the case at Le Safari, which pays more attention than most to ingredients and presentation. Choose from traditional Niçois dishes—the fish soup served with croutons, spicy mayonnaise, and cheese is particularly good—and Italian-inspired fare such as creamy risotto. Inside the colorful dining room is where the locals eat, and some even claim the food is a notch better there. Wherever you'd like to sit, it's a good idea to make a reservation.

You'll find your bonheur (happiness) in this popular and centrally located gem of Dutch owner-chef Lodewijk Schröder. From a hearty black Angus steak to a mouthwatering chicken vol-au-vent, the selection is classic French gastronomy (so definitely not vegan or vegetarian-friendly). There are a few chic surprises for the middle of a tourist town, like the Indonesian Nasi Rames spicy rice dish. Too bad about the trucks and motorcycles roaring past.

Before you plunge into the dense tangle of streets in old St-Paul-de-Vence, stop on the ramparts under the century-old lime tree for a meal or snack at this atmospheric café, where the breezy terrace looks onto the valley and the Alps. The kitchen makes more of an effort than you might expect, turning out colorful salads (crispy goat cheese salad with figs) and pastas at lunch and more serious fare in the evening. Pop by for the Salon de Thé (daily 3–6 pm), which offers much more than Mariage Frères tea: red berry tiramisu, crepes, and coffee on a separate menu. Across the street, Le Tilleul sells freshly made, sorbet and ice cream for takeout in flavors like wild peach and almond milk with sour cherry.

From just outside the walled village, you can see this restaurant that was once a 17th-century oil mill. Owner Frédéric Rossi hired the young chef Olivier Depardieu, who did his apprenticeship at the Colombe d'Or and worked at Château Saint Martin, to create regional dishes like risotto with artichokes and langoustines or sea bass with pole-fried vegetables. This place is best for a hearty dinner rather than a light lunch, especially since the terrace doesn't get much shade.

All that perfume sniffing can build an appetite and this is just the place to refuel on cheeses, olives, charcuteries, tapenades, and chuntneys. It's open daily, and you could spend hours lingering over a half bottle of wine and sampling the delicious regional selections that are part of a shared platter (three to four people) for only €30.

Popular with both locals and expats, the three restaurants at the Paul Augier Hospitality and Tourism School, attended by 1,200 pupils and apprentices, serve lunch weekdays and dinner some evenings—and everything is prepared by aspiring young chefs. The fifth-floor La Rotonde is the most sophisticated and expensive of the three restaurants, but, still, the set lunch menu is just €28 without drinks, and set dinner menus start at €35. Note, though, that reservations are by email only.

When you've had enough of the “catch of the day" and need a good old dose of red meat—in various cuts, from rump steak to rib to sirloin XXL—this Italian restaurant in old Antibes is the place to go. The selection includes black Angus American, Australian, or Irish beef as well as veal, chicken, and foie gras, and it's all overseen by Nicolas Rondell, head chef at the Michelin-starred Pecheurs in the Cap. You can even read about where your meat was raised, as well as its breed, age, and feeding methods. If all of this is too much, you can order pasta—you know where that comes from.

At the far southeast tip of Théoule's miniature bay, this unpretentious pizzeria serves simple Italian specialties—but, oh, what a setting. A few tables line a wooden "boathouse" porch directly over the lapping water, and at night the whole glittering necklace of Cannes reflects its luxurious glow over the bay. Good wood-oven pizzas and pastas add superfluous pleasure.

It's hard to believe that this tranquil island is only 20 minutes from Cannes by boat, and that it's the location of a scenic, 19th-century restaurant run by monks from the Île St-Honorat monastery alongside chef Mathias Metge. You're here for the views; although the menu focuses on very fresh grilled fish, prices seem aimed at the stars (literally), and service reflects a "we're the only restaurant on the island" attitude. There is a vegan option, and cheeseburgers also on the menu.  Take the opportunity to sample the wines, liqueurs, and eaux-de-vie that are produced by the island's busy monks.

In a city where style often wins out over substance, food lovers treasure this Suquet eatery, run by Noël Mantel, who, among other top-notch jobs, worked with Ducasse at Louis XV in Monaco. The contemporary setting harmonizes with the exquisitely detailed Mediterranean cuisine on the seasonal prix-fixe menus (€39, €49, or €60).