Bistros, trattorias and the everyday rooms where Nice actually eats.
Bistros, trattorias, taverns and neighbourhood rooms: the mid-tier places where Nice actually eats.
La Merenda in Vieux Nice is Dominique Le Stanc's bench seat Nissard kitchen on Rue Raoul Bosio, the chef who walked away from Le Negresco for grandmother recipes.
Signature: Stockfish, Petits farcis, Beef daube
Order: The stockfish stew (estocaficada) and the petits farcis at lunch.
Tip: No telephone, cash only, two sittings per service. Book at the door earlier the same day.
Acchiardo on Rue Droite in Vieux Nice has cooked the family Nicoise canon since the close of the First World War, four generations and a single lunch sitting under the family name.
Signature: Petits farcis, Beef daube, Tarte de blettes
Order: The petits farcis and the beef daube; the lunch service is the canonical one.
Tip: Closed Saturday and Sunday; book by phone several days ahead for lunch.
Olive et Artichaut in Vieux Nice holds the Michelin Bib Gourmand for a farm to table Nicoise kitchen, the chef from Nice working market vegetables and Riviera fish on a short menu.
Signature: Petits farcis, Local fish of the day
Order: The fish of the day from the morning catch; the menu changes weekly.
Tip: Closed Sunday and Monday; book a week ahead in summer.
Bistrot d'Antoine in Vieux Nice is Armand Crespo's two storey neo bistrot from 2006 in the shell of a 1904 cafe, a Michelin Bib Gourmand for honest French cooking by Cours Saleya.
Signature: Bistro classics, Daily blackboard
Order: The blackboard plat du jour; Crespo writes a new menu every day from the morning market.
Tip: Closed Sunday and Monday; book at least three days ahead even at lunch.
Lou Balico on Avenue Saint Jean Baptiste has cooked the Nicois family canon since 1979, the Cuisine Nissarde label across stockfish, homemade ravioli and the sweet chard tart.
Signature: Stockfish, Homemade ravioli, Tarte de blettes
Order: The homemade ravioli with daube sauce and the tarte de blettes for dessert.
Tip: Closed Sunday and Monday evenings. Generous portions; doggie bags accepted.
Le Safari on Cours Saleya in Vieux Nice has cooked the canonical Nicois lunch since 1972, the Cuisine Nissarde label and terrace tables across from the flower market.
Signature: Pissaladiere, Stockfish, Daube
Order: The pissaladiere and the stockfish; the daube is the dinner anchor.
Tip: Open 12:00 to 23:00 daily; book the terrace at lunch during morning market hours.
Le Bistrot du Port on Quai Lunel runs Jose Orsini's Mediterranean seafood room on Port Lympia, large terrace tables and a kitchen built around the daily catch off the docks.
Signature: Daily catch, Whole sea bream
Order: The whole sea bream from the morning catch; the wine list leans Bellet.
Tip: Book a quayside table for sunset. Closed Mondays; busy at lunch with port traffic.
Cafe de Turin on Place Garibaldi has poured oysters on the Nice arcaded square since 1908, the Roumegous oyster the house pearl in an eighty tonne annual shuck.
Signature: Roumegous oysters, Shellfish platter
Order: A dozen Roumegous oysters and a glass of Bellet white at the sidewalk counter.
Tip: Open 10:00 to 22:00 daily. No reservations; arrive early or at 16:00 between services.
Le Boccaccio on Rue Massena in Nice's pedestrian Carre d'Or runs a 17th century sailing ship interior across two floors, seafood and paella from a big terrace in the shopping streets.
Signature: Bouillabaisse, Paella, Whole grilled fish
Order: The bouillabaisse for two and the paella for three; the family tables run them in tandem.
Tip: Open 12:00 to 22:30 daily; the terrace is the dining room. Family sized portions for sharing.
Peixes in Nice's Carre d'Or near the Opera is Armand Crespo's Mediterranean seafood counter of ceviche, tartare and tataki on the daily catch from the Cours Saleya fish market.
Signature: Fish ceviche, Local fish tataki
Order: The ceviche of the day; the morning Saleya catch is in the menu by noon.
Tip: No reservations; arrive by 12:30 or 19:30 to land a stool. Tapas from EUR 7, mains around EUR 25.
Cafe Marche on Rue Barillerie just off Cours Saleya is Emilie Bargin's morning room in Vieux Nice, the Sunday 09:00 to 17:00 brunch the city's most reliable weekend booking.
Signature: Sunday brunch, Eggs and toast plate
Order: The Sunday brunch of scrambled eggs, jams and honey toast, club sandwich and salads.
Tip: Open Sunday when much of the city is closed; arrive by 11:00 for a terrace table.
Felix on Avenue Felix Faure faces the Coulee Verte in Nice's Carre d'Or, the historic city brasserie reopened under a new name with French Mediterranean across five rooms and a terrace.
Signature: Brasserie classics, Niçoise salad
Order: The classic salade nicoise at lunch; pizza, pasta and wine by the glass anchor the menu.
Tip: Open 7 days a week, 11:45 to 01:30; continuous service through the afternoon, rare in Nice.
Little Boho on Place Garibaldi is the boho chic daytime room Melissa and Jean opened in the Petit Marais of Nice, terrace tables on the yellow arcaded square with a short Mediterranean menu.
Signature: Daily lunch plate, Apero board
Order: The daily lunch plate at the terrace, then an apero board on the square at sunset.
Tip: Continuous service through the afternoon; closed Monday. Good fallback when Cafe de Turin is full.
Cave de la Tour on Rue de la Tour has poured local wines in Vieux Nice since 1947, four generations of the Gazan family and the home of the world petits farcis championship since 2012.
Signature: Petits farcis, Stockfish, Bellet glass pours
Order: A plate of petits farcis and a glass of Bellet white at the granite counter.
Tip: The petits farcis championship runs every autumn at the bar; book a stool the same morning.
Chez Pipo on Rue Bavastro has fired socca in wood burning ovens since 1923, the canonical Nicois address for the chickpea flour pancake the city invented between Place Garibaldi and Port Lympia.
Signature: Socca, Pissaladiere, Tourte de blettes
Order: Two slices of socca and a glass of Bellet rose at the bench seat.
Tip: Open Wednesday to Sunday 11:30 to 14:30 and 17:30 to 22:00; no reservations, cash and card both accepted.
Lou Pilha Leva on Rue du Collet runs the Vieux Nice street food counter for socca, pan bagnat and pissaladiere, the tiled cafeteria with shared tables in the heart of the old town.
Signature: Socca, Pan bagnat, Pissaladiere
Order: A socca, a pan bagnat tuna sandwich, and a slice of pissaladiere on shared paper trays.
Tip: Open daily 09:00 to midnight; cash and card. Order at the counter, sit at the tiled shared tables.