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 dishes: Petits farcis, Stockfish, Bellet glass pours
Must 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.
Address: 3 Rue de la Tour, 06300 Nice
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.
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.
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.
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.
