19 Best Restaurants in The French Riviera, France

There are plenty of places where you can sample socca, but if you want to understand why so much fuss is made in Nice over the chickpea pancake, this out-of-the-way café behind the port is the place to go. As per usual, 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. On weekend nights, people are willing to wait an hour or more for the petite or grande plates. If you can't make it to this location, Chez Pipo is also 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.

Here, the gluten-free pancakes, brownies, and cheesecake are irresistible. Add in delicious brunches, lunches, and specialty coffees, and you’ve got the perfect place for the whole family to eat.

For fresh, homemade, gelato-style ice cream offered in a rainbow of flavors and colors, stop at Glacier Fenocchio any day of the week from 9 am to midnight, March to November. There's also a choice of sorbets made with locally grown citrus, including orange, mandarin, and lemon.

Although lunch and dinner are delicious, this the place to come for a breakfast of freshly sliced country breads, mouthwatering Ö Jardin Sucré jams (say, raspberry and violet or apple-pear with hazelnut), and organic yogurts—all made in France. Sure, you can still have your flaky croissant, but here the friendly owners deliver a toaster to your table to grill the bread exactly to your liking. Throw in Alain Milliet vineyard juices and creamy café au lait, and you’ll be planning to come back before you can wipe the jam off your chin.

It might look like just another pizzeria, but Le Serre is a family-run restaurant where more than just pizza 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.

For a taste of the Amalfi Coast on the Côte D'Azur, head to this chic yet welcoming spot with a prime quayside location. Dine on the terrace by the fountain and olive trees or amid the bougainvillea-draped interiors. There's an extensive pizza menu, the paëlla comes highly recommended, and the oven-baked rigatoni portion is enormous (thankfully, the restaurant provides a box for leftovers—not a given in France home—as it's too good to waste). 

Heavenly homemade macarons are the order of the day at this sweet little tea shop in the old town, just steps from Cours Saléya and its bustling market.

Clay is renowned for its Mediterranean-inspired brunch menu, its specialty coffee, and its buzzy atmosphere. Menu favorites like avocado toast, savory pancakes, French toast, and açaí bowls are all made with fresh, high-quality ingredients.

You may not be able to afford a squillionaires villa here, but you can buy an ice cream. Pull up a seat on the port-side terrace, and pick your favorite flavor. Need something stronger? Coffee and cocktails are also available. 

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.

A cozy, rustic-chic atmosphere makes this a popular spot for coffee, brunch, or lunch, and there's often a line out the door around midday. The delicious vegan carrot cake and cookies are must tries.

If all that paddleboarding has made you hungry, this snack bar with a seated terrace overlooking Plage des Marinières has just the thing. The bruschetta is a highlight, served on warm, soft, fresh bread and, if you are salty fish inclined, the anchovy option is delicious. Get here early for summer lunch as it will be packed. 

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.

Try this spot for delicious specialty coffees, as well as organic, homemade scones and cakes.

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.

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.

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.