The best of the French Riviera

Our selections of places to eat, drink and spend the day, tested by the newsroom and kept up to date. 21 guides across Nice, Cannes, Antibes, Menton and Monaco.

Or by neighbourhood: Old Nice · the Carre d'Or · Garibaldi · the Port · all the neighbourhoods.

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The best rooftop bars in Nice

Nice has fewer rooftops than you would expect, and they are not all worth the lift ride. Most sit on top of hotels, which shapes the experience: the…

8 places

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The most beautiful private beaches on the French Riviera

Between Nice, Beaulieu, Villefranche, Juan-les-Pins and Cap d'Antibes, private beach clubs are everywhere and the quality gap is real. The price of a…

8 places

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Where to watch a football match in Nice

Watching a game in Nice is not only about finding a screen. A packed pub, a sunny terrace and a natural wine bar that rolls out a projector are three…

4 places

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The most beautiful hidden terraces in Nice

Nice is not short of terraces. It is short of terraces where you can hear yourself speak. Between the Promenade, cours Saleya and the main avenues…

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The best bistros in Nice

The bistro is the hardest format to get right: nothing should stand out, everything should be correct. Seasonal produce, proper cooking, fair prices…

4 places

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The best neighbourhood canteens in Nice

The neighbourhood canteen is the daily special, well made, served quickly, at a price that lets you come back every week. It is also the first thing…

4 places

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Where to eat after 10pm in Nice and Monaco

This is the classic problem of an evening that runs long: by 10.30pm most kitchens in Nice have closed. The number of places still serving can be…

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The best aperitivo bars in Nice

A good Niçois aperitivo comes down to three things: decent glasses, something to pick at without ordering a full meal, and a terrace or counter where…

4 places

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The best coffee shops in Nice

Specialty coffee arrived in Nice later than elsewhere, but the scene finally exists. Iced lattes, matcha, homemade pastries and, above all, places…

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The best brunch spots in Nice

Brunch in Nice has a problem: along the tourist routes it is often expensive and interchangeable. The good addresses sit slightly off the main drag…

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The best seafood restaurants in Nice

Being by the sea does not guarantee good fish, and Nice proves it daily along its busiest streets. The reliable signals remain a visible shellfish…

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The best Mediterranean restaurants on the French Riviera

Mediterranean cooking is everywhere on the Riviera, and that is exactly the problem: the word is often used as a label with no commitment behind it…

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The best Latin American restaurants on the French Riviera

Mexico, Argentina, South America: the Latin scene on the Riviera has grown considerably, and not only in the cocktail bar register.

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Where to eat empanadas on the French Riviera

The Argentinian empanada has settled on the Riviera, with a real gap between places that make them by hand and those that simply reheat them. The…

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The best focaccia in Nice and Cannes

Focaccia has become the sandwich of the moment on the Riviera, and quality varies enormously. The one test that never lies: dough made on site that…

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The best açaí bowls in Nice and Monaco

The açaí bowl has moved from niche product to standard fixture on every healthy menu in Nice. Everyone makes one now, so the difference comes down to…

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The best ice cream and frozen desserts in Nice

Between historic institutions and newer healthy spots, Nice covers the full range of frozen desserts. Your choice depends mostly on what you are…

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The best pistachio pastries on the French Riviera

Pistachio has been everywhere for two years, from cookies to flans, and most versions settle for green colouring and an artificial flavour. The good…

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Where to eat Nicois food in Nice

Nicois cooking is advertised on half the boards in the old town and seldom actually made on the premises. The four houses on this page share no…

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Where to eat fresh pasta on the French Riviera

Pasta made on the premises is not the rule here, close as the Italian border is. The four places on this page make their own: bronze-extruded pasta…

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Where to eat food from around the world on the French Riviera

Four kitchens, four countries, and no two rooms alike. Madame Hien's Vietnam runs on four generations of the same family, GOZ fills and cooks its…