We booked Europe pretty last minute and decided to head to nice first. We were actually thinking about re routing last minute to Malaga due to “forecasted” rain but so far we’ve been lucky.
We arrived late in the evening after a layover in CPH and everyone was quite tired so we opted for late night doner kebabs which are always a winner. Highly reminiscent of the tacos I get in the states. Open late, tasty, and affordable!
Found a local joint called bistrot mani. Run by what seemed to be a nice son/mother team. Not going to be on any travel guides but it was wolfed down with great enthusiasm at 930pm after 15 hrs of travel. Fries always go great stuffed in them and it reminds me of my first Greek gyro when I was a child.
Kid woke up jet lagged at 4 am so first things first went to the earliest opening cafe we could find at 6 am on the dot and got ourselves a and . I feel more French already.
Cafe vergnano 1882
Both were of good quality and just a total of 3 something euros
Bienvenue… a little espresso to start the day? Your best choice for bread nearby is around the corner at Chez Maitre Pierre. Note choose carefully with establishments on the main pedestrian street… finally some are starting to turn over but many have endured.
Thank you will check it out! Yup a little espresso never hurts. I also find that espresso generally in Europe seems to have lower caffeine than the USA third wave coffee shops which allows me to ingest more since the volume of liquid is so small. Jet lag is a huge b*tch in middle age it’s 5am and I’m wide awake
I try to always avoid main tourist drags for food but sometimes convenience/ambiance trumps my culinary values. This happened mid morning after we had toured the flea market off the main drag. Found a fun spot called hobo cafe, the walls and food were made to be very instagrammable and it was filled with my people (tourists lol).
A very mild flat white that was inoffensive but didn’t have any other noticeable qualities. The breakfast was very good with the selection of cheeses the bleu and another hard cheese being the best, the avo toast, and the yogurt being highlights. Wife wanted “high protein breakfast” so this more than sufficed.
Panivore- jambon buerre baguette. Found this via le fooding, they are lauded for their interesting sandwich preparations. I did not get the opportunity to try their more interesting sandwiches because it was so early in the morning but this sandwich was delightful. Unfortunately they did not have cornichons which would have brought the sandwich to another level by adding some texture and acidity. The woman working the counter was so nice, the bread delivery was late so she gave my kiddo a chocolate while we waited.
If I have time I will try to come back and try a more varied sandwich and the organic farm to table restauant/market next door called 21 paysans.
Rouge a Michelin listed and le fooding recommended wine bar. A good selection of natural wines, which I did not partake in unfortunately and affordable small plates that are created using fresh market produce.
I thought the food was ok, some dishes were quite good and some fell flat. Nothing i would consider revelatory. But if I were to polish off a bottle of wine that might change my tone and judgment haha.
Highlights were the mackerel smoked, white asparagus with mustard seeds, sweet and smoky pork belly with piquillo peppers and honey (both unpictured) , barbajuan (a monaco speciality of kale, spinach and ricotta), and the octopus
Ah, the monday brocante/antique market. Tomorrow the Cours Saleya will be back to flowers and produce, plus the tourist stuff (soaps, oils, etc). Get your Chez Theresa socca (or if in the Port again, Chez Pippo).
Hobo is very popular with the instagram crowd. So is Edmund and Marinette. Panivore and 21 Paysans are popular as well.
I went to Rouge a couple months back for an apero and didn’t find anything special, although certain things are good (and barbajuan are always good, as are a good panisse or fried zucchini flower, all local specialities). I think Rouge may have been surpassed by a few new wine bars and tapas/apero wine bars that have been opened.
A good choice not far from the others you mentioned is La Cantine de Meme. Very small menu that changes every 15 days. A couple of streets over L’Alchimie, which is a three course set menu but will multiple choices per course. In the Old Town, try Bistrot d’Antoine, Bar des OIseaux, Fine Guele and Lavomatique (small plates+good wine).
I should have noted note strictly wine bars – like les oeillets (some of the crowd from Rouge has shifted to the broad terrasse there). Pompette is not far away. La Part des Anges is known for their wine selections. Technically a bar, but Babel Babel as the best of the food choices along the front rank of bars amongst the former fisherman’s huts.
A good but not great chocolate croissant from chez matre Pierre.
They seem to be really known for their breads as I saw the bakery biker running in and out with huge deliveries of breads to restaurants. We had their bread at bar des oiseaux this evening.
Does anyone know where I could get bordier butter in nice? At like a gourmet supermarket or something?
Had my socca which is a type of chick pea flat bread in the old town. They have a huge line at the fruit market and the tour guides all stop and talk about this place. Not sure of the historical significance but I’m sure there’s something there. Was very basic but quite savory good inter play between the soggy, crispy and charred bits. Not sure how often I around re order it but it was a delightful snack before our hike up to the chateau. Long line so be prepared to wait 15 minutes even though every one basically orders socca lol
Saleyah fruit market haul of raspberries, strawberries and apricots. The best of the bunch were the raspberries but I would say all in all very good quality for a tourist market.
Post hiking the chateau we went to kalos a Greek place in the port area that was packed with people. I thought the food was pretty solid while my wife did not love it. Maybe I was famished from our chateau walk.
Highlights were the tatziki, eggplant caviar and the bifteki. The ambiance was quite relaxing as it’s located on a beautiful walk street that has been painted bright blue.
@gooster have you heard of mallard? Considering it for dinner tomorrow but it is a bit of trek out of the tourist zone. Wanted to know if it was worth it.
Also if you have suggestion for dinner at or around 50 euros pp range that would be appreciated. I really enjoyed bar de oiseaux even though I had only two dishes there.
I should have mentioned, le maitre pierre is the choice of many, many restaurants for their bread. I like the viennoiserie at Bio Brod (usually, there is one less talented baker on shifts) instead. Others have their neighborhood choice (e.g. Bordonnat in the Port). Tayac is also not far away, for patisserie (and Celine).
For Bordier, try SL Epicerie. They sometimes have it I think at La Ferme Fromagere.
You went to Kalos on Rue Bonaprte, near Place du Pin. It is popular, and the street scene is lively.
The locals market is at Liberation, off Tram line 1, just north of the station. But at Cours Saleya, along with slightly higher prices you will still find the locally grown strawberries
Mallard (and Marmar) are two new entrants that have been featured in some articles recently, part of the new wave. I’ve yet to try them.
L’Alchimie is a three course 39E formule menu, so add some wine to that. Cantine de Meme is a touch above that but fully a la carte (and a very small carte). They a few blocks north of Maitre Pierre in the Carre d’Or. Fine Guele and Olive et Artichaut in the old town have similar formule with less creativity and more limited choice on the formule (exclusions).
Awesome appreciate the recs will report back! Is there a bocherie/charcuterie place you recommend? Trying to buy supplies for a picnic, looks like sl epicerie has cheese available
If you are near avenue de Suede, the nearest are probably down rue de France, heading west towards the Negresco. On Rue de France, just after you pass Musee Massena on the left, you will come to two on the right. Near the first one is a very good fromagerie, Nery’s Fromagerie de la Carre d’Or, They have a limited selection of charcuterie items as well (and maybe beurre). The second is larger. Across from the second is an Italian shop with cheese and italian charcuterie. You will see a boulangerie on the corner, avoid it. (You will also pass by Bio Brod on the right, first). Before you get to the three others, on the rights just about mid block is another boucherie. Across the one on Meyerbeer is an excellent traiteur, La Boutique d’Eric, with small ready to eat verrines and plats. Towards the water is another good sandwich shop, Pan, with a good pan bagnat. How so many boucheries survive in such a small proximity is a mystery to me, but welcome to the neighborhood of Chez Gooster, the land of the dozen boulangerie/patisseries within 500m.
There is also a fromagerie that carries some charcuterie, La Ferme (the smaller location of the two) on Maccarani that is closer. That shop is much tinier and I don’t go there.
Lalchimie wowwwww. Prior to this meal I had been a bit disappointed with the food offerings in Nice (probably due to user error), but this meal changed everything. Spectacular is the only way to describe this meal. Every bite was impeccable. Sauce, technique, ingredients, preparation, presentation were flawless and such a high qpr to boot. We got the entree, plat, dessert prix fixe for lunch which was 29 euros I have no idea how they can crank out such good food for such low prices but I’m not complaining.
I would describe each dish but there’s no point because every bite was delicious. I was even highly skeptical of the “fusiony” sounding Tom kha shrimp ravioli but it was recommended by the server and it was one of the best bites of lunch.
Got out of there for less than 100 euros including wine and sparkling water. They even provided a “kids” sized portion of a plat but it seemed like the adult version just at a discounted price. This has probably been the best meal I’ve had in the last year and easily trumps any meal we had in Paris two years ago especially again given the price point.
Reserve early it seems hard to book we got in at the last seating at lunch but the dinner reservations seemed pretty difficult to secure. Thanks again @Gooster for this wonderful rec.
and 
. I feel more French already.
