Modern South African French€€€€port-lympia
JAN in Nice's Port district holds one Michelin star under South African chef Jan Hendrik van der Westhuizen, the first South African chef to earn the award, in an intimate 20 seat room that opened in 2013 and took its star in 2016.
Signature: Single tasting menu, Cheese course at Maria
Order: The single tasting menu only; van der Westhuizen plays sweet, sour and the smoke of the Karoo across the courses.
Tip: MARIA, the cheese bar across the street, opened 2017 and serves 91 plates of cheese and homemade preserves.
Modern French Riviera€€€€musiciens
Pure et V par Maison Joia in Nice's Musiciens quarter holds one Michelin star under chef Julien Pilati and Laetitia Pilati, the farm to table Riviera kitchen on Rue du Lycee with three Gault Millau toques in 2026.
Signature: Seasonal tasting menu, Organic produce gastronomic plates
Order: The seasonal tasting at dinner; Pilati's organic produce and Reine Sammut pedigree are the draw.
Tip: Closed Mon and Tue; dinner only Wed to Sat, plus Sun lunch and dinner. Reserve a week ahead.
Modern French€€€€carre-d-or
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: Seasonal tasting menu, Local fish course
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.
Modern French Japanese€€€€carre-d-or
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.
Nicoise Mediterranean€€€€carre-d-or
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.
Mediterranean€€€€mont-boron
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.
