L'Aromate in Nice's Carre d'Or near Place Massena holds one Michelin star under Mickael Gracieux and Elise Morselli Lourtet, the husband and wife room they opened in 2018 on Rue Gustave Deloye.
Signature dishes: Seasonal tasting menu, Local fish course
Must order: The seasonal tasting menu; the Riviera produce on the plate is what Gracieux organises the kitchen around.
Tip: Closed Sunday and Monday; book a window table for the Place Massena light at lunch.
Address: 2 Rue Gustave Deloye, 06000 Nice
Keisuke Matsushima on Nice's Rue de France runs Kei Matsushima's modern French Japanese kitchen, the room awarded a Michelin star in 2006 and known for minimalist plating across two decades.
Signature: Tasting menu, Riviera fish with Japanese accents
Order: The chef's tasting menu; Matsushima leans French technique against the umami of dashi.
Tip: The room is small; the weekday lunch tasting at the counter is the value play.
La Petite Maison in Nice's Carre d'Or has cooked Nicole Rubi's Mediterranean room since 1999 on Rue Saint Francois de Paule, the home of the Nice school of cooking now exported to London and Dubai.
Signature: Tomato tart with truffle oil, Whole sea bass
Order: The tomato tart with truffle oil, Rubi's signature plate the international branches copy.
Tip: Book at least a week ahead for dinner; lunch tables are easier to land.
Keisuke Matsushima on Nice's Rue de France runs Kei Matsushima's modern French Japanese kitchen, the room awarded a Michelin star in 2006 and known for minimalist plating across two decades.
Signature: Tasting menu, Riviera fish with Japanese accents
Order: The chef's tasting menu; Matsushima leans French technique against the umami of dashi.
Tip: The room is small; the weekday lunch tasting at the counter is the value play.
La Petite Maison in Nice's Carre d'Or has cooked Nicole Rubi's Mediterranean room since 1999 on Rue Saint Francois de Paule, the home of the Nice school of cooking now exported to London and Dubai.
Signature: Tomato tart with truffle oil, Whole sea bass
Order: The tomato tart with truffle oil, Rubi's signature plate the international branches copy.
Tip: Book at least a week ahead for dinner; lunch tables are easier to land.
Le Plongeoir in Nice's Mont Boron sits on the helical diving board at Cap de Nice, the most photographed dining room in the city and a Mediterranean menu that changes with the morning market.
Signature: Loup de mer, Riviera seafood platter
Order: The whole loup de mer for two with Bellet white; the cove and the bay are the dining room's other half.
Tip: Book the sunset service for the bay light. The lounge bar below the restaurant is the cheaper way to sit on the rock.
La Merenda in Vieux Nice runs Dominique Le Stanc's bench seat Nissard kitchen on Rue Raoul Bosio, the chef who walked away from a Michelin star at the Negresco to cook the city's grandmother dishes.
Signature: Stockfish stew, Petits farcis, Beef daube
Order: The stockfish stew (estocaficada) and the petits farcis; Le Stanc holds the canonical versions.
Tip: No telephone, cash only, two services. Book in person 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 under the Acchiardo name and a single sitting at lunch.
Signature: Petits farcis, Beef daube, Tarte de blettes
Order: The petits farcis and the beef daube; lunch is the canonical service.
Tip: Closed Saturday and Sunday; book by phone several days ahead for lunch.
Olive et Artichaut on Rue Sainte Reparate 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 across a short menu.
Signature: Modern petits farcis, Local fish of the day
Order: The fish of the day from the morning market; the menu changes weekly with the catch.
Tip: Closed Sunday and Monday; Tuesday to Saturday lunch and dinner. Book a week ahead in summer.
