71 Best Restaurants in The French Riviera, France

The owners of this St-Paul-de-Vence institution have magically created a contemporary bistro, where a few seats on a second-story terrace (book in advance) overlook the street below. Choose the plat du jour, or order from an à la carte menu with everything from an organic egg to a chicken burger to a Jerusalem artichoke and shimeji-mushroom confit with smoked duck breast. Half bottles of wine are available, so sit on the terrace with une verre, and breathe in the views of the fountain square—an experience that more than compensates for occasions when service is slow or the kitchen runs out of certain dishes.

Cheerful blue-and-white-checked tablecloths, massive colorful throw cushions, and a polished wood facade give this unpretentious "blue house" on the main pedestrian street a welcoming air. You'll find straightforward fresh pasta like tagliatelle pistou and ravioli, as well as simple grilled meat and fish dishes, all accompanied by well-chosen local wines.

This is a place to linger over warm lobster salad or sole meunière in butter with almonds while watching the world go by. The food is tasty, but the fabulous setting of this veritable institution is reflected in the prices (and the occasional attitude from the servers). The seaside restaurant opened in 1938, and proprietor Germaine Halap soon became a second mother to American naval officers and sailors who came into port. A movie has been made about "Mère Germaine," and excerpts from the book Mother of the Sixth Fleet were published in Reader's Digest.

This wineshop with some 300 labels and a few tables and chairs at the back is really about vins naturels—unfiltered, unsulfured wines made by small producers from hand-harvested grapes—but the often-simple food served here also happens to be excellent. Whether you choose a charcuterie or cheese plate or one of the handful of hot dishes (like spaghetti with razor clams or octopus cooked in red wine), you can expect it to be generous and fresh. No corkage fee is charged for wines off the shelf, a rarity for a wine bar. Reservations are advised for Friday and Saturday night.

A beach setting with superb views of the Mediterranean and a menu with fairly reasonable prices are among the draws at this restaurant. It's the perfect place to enjoy a relaxed lunch or a sunset dinner, featuring charcuterie sharing boards, tapas, and fresh catches of the day.

This Michelin-starred hotel restaurant—a marvel of light and color—has been a crown jewel of the Mediterranean since it opened in 1880. Chef Julien Roucheteau uses fresh Mediterranean ingredients in original takes on classic dishes like langoustine tails roasted in hazelnut butter, and the four- (€195) and six-course (€255) set menus are a better value than ordering à la carte. The chandelier-bedecked salon is lined with bay windows that offer views of a watery nirvana. Reserve well in advance in summer, and, if you can swing it, spend a night at the hotel if only to use the seaside pool. 

Chef Jêrome Cotta knows what it takes to earn restaurant acclaim, and his originality and attention to detail are reflected in creations like mille-feuille of foie gras caramelized with maple syrup; fig marmalade flavored with port wine, cranberry, and red-currant jelly; and cod fillet cooked in frothy butter, shallots, and cocoa beans stewed with bacon in a fine truffle bouillon. It's easy to run up a bill of €200 per couple with drinks here, but the panoramic views, especially upstairs, from the Art Deco building jutting over the sea cannot be faulted. It's also the site of one of the city's most stylish bars.

For more than 50 years, celebs have vacationed at Hôtel Cap-Estel along Èze's seaside, enjoying its private 5-acre peninsula with all-encompassing views of the Mediterranean and its restaurant. The dishes are worthy of the location, made using local seafood and produce and featured on à la carte and four-, five-, or seven-course set menus, including a vegetarian option.

This restaurant, steps from the Hotel Beau Rivage and with an outdoor terrace, focuses on the preservation of French cuisine. The sommelier amazingly seems to know your order before you do; a decent bottle of red will set you back around €50. The service is friendly enough, and the food is elegantly presented. 

La Brouette de Grand'Mère built a following as a charming hole-in-the-wall with a true-blue bistro menu, and although the restaurant has changed its name and location, it has kept its €60 four-course dinner menu that includes a welcome apéritif and wine, as well as surprisingly tasty food. It feels especially right in winter.

This place checks all the French-bistro boxes—mouthwatering classic dishes, a chalkboard menu, and a setting on a cobblestone street—with the bonus of friendly service. The three-course €55 menu rounds off the experience, and there is a vegan option.

Years ago, former French pro soccer player Wilfrid Gohel teamed up with Eric Chaumier, president of the regional retailers union, and took over this waterfront favorite. They could have just banked on the wraparound views of the marina and château to bring in the dinner crowds, but instead they refined the menu to include such dishes as fillet of bass roasted with smoked salt petals or roast duck breast with honey and Morello cherries.

Under the shade of a plane tree, in the heart of the vieille ville, this cute bistro is known for it's three-course "menu of the week" featuring classic duck dishes and other traditional fare like veal pot-au-feu or chestnut crème brûlée. The menu changes according to the rhythm of the seasons and showcases local produce. 

The busy terrace here often doubles as a stadium for different factions cheering on local pétanque players in Place des Lices. Service can be slow, but the setting, the food (say, black truffle and foie gras macaroni with Parmesan or seven-hour lamb confit with spices), and the piano bar with throwbacks to Piaf and Aznavour make this place memorable. It's open daily 8 am–3 am (with a well-priced €21 lunch menu) and always seems packed, so reservations are a good idea.

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 omelets. It's a favorite of English-speaking expats, 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. Book online ahead to be sure of securing a coveted terrace table.

Sea bass, salmon, sole, sardines, monkfish, lobster, and crayfish all fill the boats that pull into the Old Port and find their way onto the menu here. Although grilled seafood (with a little thyme and perhaps a whisper of olive oil and garlic) is the order of the day, this is also a stronghold for bouillabaisse. The clientele is buffed and bronzed, but the servers tend to treat everyone like tourists. The lunch plat du jour (€21) is a bargain in this town. Otherwise, mind the check: you'll be surprised just how expensive fish per 100g can be.

Just 10 km (6 miles) west of St-Tropez and 4 km (2½ miles) south of Grimaud and the village of La Môle, 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 service, and this is your dream French restaurant experience. Choose from a three-course set menu (€45–€55), or order à la carte. 

If you're tired of choosing from complicated menus, visit this long-popular restaurant in Le Suquet, where you only have to decide what kind of meat you want. Every dinner starts with a gigantic basket of whole raw vegetables—to be cut up and dipped in a selection of sauces—and grilled bread, and then come the generous servings of meats (there's also a vegan menu). Prices start at €109 for the traditional set three-course menu and go up to a sizzling €490 for the Japanese Wagyu Beef option. With a low, wood-beam ceiling and only a few tables (draped in pink), Le Maschou (meaning "small pretty house") is a favorite during the Cannes Film Festival, when the 60-day matured prime rib is as hot as the red carpet.

Perched on the cobbled steps that meander up through the vielle ville, this cozy, husband-and-wife-run restaurant serves some of the best Vietnamese cuisine on the Côte D'Azur. Kick things off with nems (spring rolls) and dumplings, followed, perhaps, by the duck with pineapple or a shrimp dish. Reservations aren't accepted so come early to get a seat. 

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.

This charming spot captures rustic Provençal style with its tavern-like interiors. The menu highlights French classics like frog legs in persillade and homemade foie gras with fig jam. Good food and warm hospitality make it a local favorite. 

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 (now the Five Seas Hotel) 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 turns 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, crêpes, 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.

As the experienced chef (ex-Ducasse) here specializes in meat-focused restaurants, the house special is le boeuf Paradis—finely sliced sirloin steak, seared to perfection, served with the signature Paradis sauce, and accompanied by unlimited homemade French fries.

All that perfume sniffing can build an appetite and this is just the place to refuel on cheeses, olives, charcuteries, tapenades, and chutneys. 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.

In 1954, French resistance hero Camille Rayon built a restaurant between two stone fishing huts from the early 20th century, and today it is a Michelin-starred institution and part of the Relais & Chateau Cap d'Antibes Beach Hotel. Although beef is available, chef Nicolas Rondelli's menu emphasizes fish, and all dishes are complemented by produce from the nearby hills and wines from a formidable list that includes a 2018 Pierre-Yves Colin-Morey Meursault at €2,400 a bottle. Stunning, albeit pricey, desserts, give you an excuse to linger as the sun sets over the Îles de Lérins and the Estérel. The more affordable beach restaurant is open for lunch, and from June through September, dinner.

For nonstop dining from dawn till dusk, head to this quayside spot. Start the day basking in that fabled, glorious sunshine with the continental breakfast (€12)—you can even feed the fish by the dock with leftover baguette—or kick back with an Aperol spritz and one of seven variations on moules-frites (mussels and French fries) at lunch or dinner. There's a good kids menu (€10), too.