5 Best Restaurants in The French Riviera, France

A Roman family runs this restaurant, so expect delicious and hearty Italian food, including what might just be the best pasta of your life. Try the amatriciana with tomato sauce, guanciale, pecorino, and pepper to see if that's true.

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). 

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.

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. 

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.