I will be near Nice for a week this September staying in Villefranche sur mer. I am seeking advice on where to eat in Nice. I would like to visit more local markets; I have been to the Cours Saleya market but am seeking more non-touristy places. I will be using public transport only.
I do have Rick's France 2016 book but would like to hear about your favourite places to eat. I will likely lunch in Nice more often than dinner.
Thanks in advance.
What sort of market are you looking for--food, antiques, bric-a-brac, or "Provencal" (typically including fabric, clothes, and other new goods)? The Monday antique market on Cours Saleya in Nice was by far the best such market I encountered in southern France in terms of the quality of goods. (I can't comment on the prices.) There was a somewhat smaller, not quite so high-end market in Antibes, I think on Saturday. I encountered it unexpectedly on my way from the train station to the Picasso Museum. I suppose it might have been just a once-a-month deal.
I never got there, but a local resident told me that there is a food (possibly including fish) market up the street running beside (or very near) the Nice Ville train station on the east side. I'd check with the local tourist office (there's a branch on the plaza in front of the RR station) if you can't confirm the existence of that market by Googling. Even locals sometimes have outdated information. I got the impression this was a daily market (perhaps excluding Sunday and/or Monday) but am not sure.
My guess is that if it's a food market you are looking for, your best chance of a non-touristy place is in a working class neighborhood of a large city like Nice or in of the obscure towns not mentioned in the guidebooks.
Thanks acraven. I apologize for not being more specific; I am seeking local food markets.
Any lunch location recommendations?
Thanks in advance.
We had a nice lunch in Ville Franche at Ricks recommended la trinquette.
We weren't crazy for our Nice dinners. Hind sight, I should have cross referenced on yelp.
I stayed up near the train station--not necessarily the most attractive neighborhood--and ate around there. Two Provencal places I liked on rue Alsace Lorraine were Saetone (closed Tuesday and Wednesday nights; don't remember about lunchtime) and Le Voyageur Nissart. They both get a lot of local business as well as some tourists from the many hotels in the area. Multi-course deals in the 20-30€ range. I had no problem snagging a table by showing up around the time they opened, but I make no guarantees if you are a later diner. Both are rather small and reservations might be necessary. Also, I was in Nice the first half of May, which is not its peak period.
Le Socrate is a Lebanese (?) place just a few blocks away on rue de Suisse, just off Jean Medecin. Has a large but pretty standard menu. Servings tend to be large. Not exceptional, but definitely to be preferred over most other Middle Eastern options, which tend to be fast food.
Rick mentions rue Biscarra, which cuts off Jean Medecin a few blocks closer to the port, just along the northern edge of the NicEtoile shopping complex. It seemed to be a tourist-free zone. I chose the Indian place, Le Shalimar, which was perfectly fine but not exceptional by US/British standards. There were several other options, I think including a wine bar.
Thanks for the recommendations.
We had a great meal at Lou Pantail. It is a family run restaurant near the Chagall museum and the Joan of Arc Cathedral. This is one of those places that Rick talks about serving what is fresh in the market on any given day. They have a Facebook page so you can see photos of the family preparing some meals. Great food even better people that run the restaurant.
I had a wonderful lunch at Le Milo's on Rue Massena (main pedestrian only street). It's a French restaurant but I had their pizza and it was one of the best pizzas I ever had, better than many I had in Italy. Their other food looked, and smelled, wonderful too. Reasonably priced for lunch.
Thanks for the recommendations. So many restaurants, so little time!
Just returned from Nice last weekend. Had a great meal at Le Luna Rossa. Just a couple blocks from the tram stop near Place Massena . It is just north of the parkway (Promenade du Paillon)
Thanks Ron
Our last meal in France last summer was at Geppetto in Nice. It is more Italian than French (as was most of what we had in Nice), but it was fabulous. It's a bit off the beaten path but we walked there from our hotel near the old town in less than 15 minutes. Tiny place, and the owner was walking around checking in with diners, most of who appeared to be locals.
Our friends ate at La Table Alziari on Rue Francois Zanin and have raved about it for the past year. I made a picture of their business card for next time.
Thanks Celeste for the recommendations.
We were in Nice in May and had a lovely meal at Bar Des Oiseaux, a cute little restaurant in the vielle vieux. Absolutely delicious French food! In fact, it was voted as the best meal we had during our 7 week trip to Europe.
In addition to Bar des Oiseux, look for Bistrot d'Antoine or Comptoir du Marche. Reservations are a must. These are in the touristy old town but are popular with the locals.
Just around the bend, in the Port area, try Jan for high end or Les Pecheurs or L'Ane Rouge for mid range. Les Amoureux for Pizza. For a good view of the water, La Reserve is a classic but pricey. For an acceptable meal at a much lower price with a great open water view, Le Plongeur.
Of the beach restaurants (on platforms on the beach), the Beau Rivage is among the better ones although I heard the new Le Galion is pretty strong. In the Carre d'Or, Cafe Sejour is highly recommended. Coco et Rico is good, and many people do like Le Franchin.
The local food market referenced above is Liberation, and is readily reached by the Tram. The antique market is only on Mondays, when the regular food market takes the day off. On wednesdays there is the equivalent of a flea market in Place Garibaldi.
