86 Best Restaurants in The French Riviera, France

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.

Popular with both locals and expats, the four 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 €35 without drinks, and set dinner menus start at €40. Note, though, that reservations are by email only.

This organic craft bakery offers delicious sweet and savory creations that are great for a tasty takeaway.

With its red-and-white-check table cloths and its warm and friendly atmosphere, this cozy, unpretentious spot offers a slice of Italy in the heart of St-Raphaël. Authentic house specialties include spaghetti and fresh octopus in white wine with parsley and lemon. Reservations are advised in summer when the dolce vita spills out onto the terrace. 

No trip to St-Tropez is complete without indulging in a tropézienne, the famous local pastry that combines airy brioche with velvety cream and is topped with crunchy sugar granules. For an elevated take on this classic, head to this family-run patisserie, where Laurent Cavazza trained at Lenôtre and offers the iconic fleur d'oranger version alongside a red berry variation.

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 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.

The menu at this bistro overlooking the main square in the heart of Vence evolves every two weeks to the beat of the seasons and features modern takes on French and Mediterranean classics. Try the melt-in-your-mouth lamb shank confit with rosemary, mashed truffle potatoes, and candied carrots. The hand cut frites are freshly made that morning and totally moreish. The outdoor terrace buzzes in summer and the interior has contemporary styling.

This retro restaurant opened when luxe hotel Les Roches Rouges was transformed by French hotelier Valéry Grégo, and it has since picked up one Michelin star. The dinner-only menu is dedicated to inventive regional dishes, which head chef José Bailly bases on La Cuisine Provençale de la Tradition Populaire, a 1963 cookbook of traditional recipes by René Jouveau.

Chef Jan Hendrik van der Westhuizen is the first South African to be awarded a Michelin star, which he earned within two years of opening his namesake restaurant in the port. Because of this, it can be tough to get reservations to sample a menu that might feature such innovative dishes as veal cheeks, potatoes dauphinoise, potato puree, trumpet mushrooms, foie gras, and lavender mayonnaise. For the record, the bread, ice cream, and sorbet are all homemade; the eggs and milk are organic; and Jan Hendrik grows his own vegetables, fruits, and herbs.

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.

The culinary experience here is a fusion of Mediterranean and Asian flavors, with an emphasis on fresh, local ingredients. Sharing is caring, so kick things off with plats à partager, like the regional favorite socca (flatbread) or the Takoyaki-style croquettes with Japanese mushrooms, followed by an exquisite fish or seasonal beef dish and a dessert temptation such as the Menton lemon tiramisu. The interior, which is a cozy place for candlelit suppers in winter, seamlessly blends modern decor with artistic touches. The shaded cobbled terrace makes for delightful alfresco dining in summer. 

Enjoy selections from a Californian-inspired menu, featuring generous, shareable plates at reasonable prices, in a vibrant setting. If you need a sweet pick me up, opt for Les gourmands de Rosana, minidesserts, and an espresso. Vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free options, not always easy to find in France, are available here as well.

Since 1887, this café, bar, and restaurant has been a vibrant part of port life. Its famous red terrace offers a front-row seat to the glamorous comings and goings of St-Tropez, enabling you to people-watch while enjoying a coffee and a slice of the famed nougat. Peruse the dinner menu while sipping a St-Tropez spritz, with grapefruit liquor and pureed raspberries. It's open daily for breakfast, brunch, lunch, dinner, and big nights out.

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 menus.

For more than 50 years, celebs holidayed and dined at Cap Estel in Èze, a private 2-hectare peninsula with all-encompassing views of the Med. And now, with chef Patrick Raingeard, whose produce comes directly from the hotel’s garden, the dining here can’t get any better. Start with the asparagus salad with creamy cauliflower and wild truffles, followed by the Charolais beef fillet à la Parillada in a “Los Lobos” red-wine sauce served with a potato-and-truffle cake. Finish it off with a banana soufflé. Vegetarian options are also available. Lunch set menus are a good value.

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.