Le Plongeoir Lounge on Boulevard Franck Pilatte runs the cocktail bar below the helical diving board restaurant at Cap de Nice, sunset DJ sets above the rocks of the Baie des Anges.
Tip: Sunset is the canonical service; the lounge bar is the cheaper alternative to a restaurant table upstairs.
Address: 60 Boulevard Franck Pilatte, 06300 Nice
La Rotonde at Le Negresco on the Promenade des Anglais runs the Belle Epoque carousel bar of the historic palace hotel, the hand painted wooden horses overhead and a hotel pianist in the evenings.
Tip: The hotel pianist runs through the apero service; book a table for dinner to extend the evening.
Le Lavomatique on Rue du Pont Vieux in Vieux Nice is the Loubert brothers' late natural wine bar, a quiet speakeasy-style alternative to the loud Cours Saleya rooms with growers' Champagne and snacks.
Tip: The natural list rotates every week; the speakeasy mood holds quietly until last orders.
Cave de la Tour on Rue de la Tour runs the Gazan family wine bar in Vieux Nice since 1947, a quieter speakeasy-style late afternoon and evening room with the granite counter and Bellet pours.
Tip: The granite counter is the bar; the back room is quieter still for a Bellet white as the city closes.
Smarties on Rue Defly is the canonical Nice gay bar and dance club in the Carre d'Or, the late opening room on the city's small but established LGBTQ nightlife circuit with pop and dance DJ sets.
Tip: Open Wednesday to Sunday from 22:00 to 04:00; the dance floor peaks after 01:00 on weekends.
Le Glam on Rue Eugene Emmanuel is the Nice late night gay club in the Carre d'Or, the room with the city's most consistent drag programming and house DJ sets through to 05:00 on weekends.
Tip: Open only Friday and Saturday from 23:30 to 05:00; the drag programming runs special nights advertised on Instagram.
Le Trap on Rue Chauvain is the daily Nice LGBTQ neighbourhood bar in the Carre d'Or, the early-opening room with karaoke programming and pop DJ sets across a long evening to 02:30.
Tip: Open daily from 18:00; karaoke night runs Tuesday and the cabaret evenings rotate Wednesday and Thursday.
