Here are some insights on some of my favorite places to visit and dine in the French Riviera ( I lived there for about 2 years). I was going through my files found this doc that I wrote for a friend who was visiting Nice, France. I am surprised that I had so much time to write in such detail. So I thought it’s best that I share with everyone, just in case you are visiting the French Riviera. Perhaps sooner than later. 

• Nice
  • La rue Masséna is the main pedestrian zone of Nice. There are many shops and restaurants.  I recommend to go to a restaurant there one day or night, and enjoy your mean while people watching.  There are many restaurants there, I don’t remember the names, but most are good.  Pizza or La bouillabaisse would be my preference to order. 
  • Sunday mornings (before 11am) there is an outdoor market (marche) in Vieux Nice.  It has mostly food, but some local oil painting artists are also there. I’ve seen some of the best artwork from them.  I used to go there to get the freshest fruits, vegetables and flowers. There are lots of cafes there for a nice coffee and again people watch.  It’s also a super opportunity to take some great pictures of the ‘locals living’.
  • Right outside Vieux Nice is Promenade des Anglais, it’s a nice walk along the beautiful beaches.
• Vallauris
  • Le MenuScript – wonderful restaurant!  Great food and the owners will come out and talk to you to see if you like their food.
  • A great place to buy wines to take home is from Sovical (1955, route Saint-Bernard Porte 11) .  It’s about 5 minutes from Sophia (Compaq site)
  • Great place for potteries. This is where the local artists make them. This is also the town where Picasso lived, on a small street at the edge of the town, with magnificent view of the sea.  Just a few houses next to where I used to live J
• Monaco
  • Monte Carlos – Café du Paris is a café / restaurant right outside of the Monte Carlo Casino.  Great place to people watch, and see the most exotic cars pull up to the Casino and the hotel.  The food is good there but expensive.  Most of the time we just get a coffee.
• Antibes
  • L’Oiseau qui chante (translates to A Bird that Sings) is a restaurant right outside of Antibes.  It’s a great local restaurant with good food and great prices (Everything is great.  Good Escargot too)
  • Le Jardin (very good one)
  • La mer (by the harbor)
  • Les vieux murs
  • There is a pub next to la Marie (the government building), don’t remember the name.  We used to go there often.  An American woman from Texas and her Dutch(I think) husband owns it.  The hubby loves Jimmy Buffet and always play his songs at the pub.  They make the best fish and chips, and the combo ordeurf platter.  It takes a while for the food to come out since the Woman cooks it herself.  When she can, she comes out and play the piano and sing
  • After dinner, be sure to walk by the gated port. (when you are walking out of the Antibes front entrance, walk to the right up a slight hill, then you will see the gated port.  Pedestrians can walk in.)  There you can see the most elaborate yachts, some with helicopters on it.  The yacht at the very end of the port belongs to some rich Arab guy.  Not sure if it’s a price..
• Cannes – This is where the annual film festival takes place.
  • Le tantra, la cantine
  • Le baoli
• Biot (small town right next to Sophia-Antipolis)
  • La pierre a four
• St Paul de Vence – If you have time, you should visit St Paul de Vence.  It’s a gorgeous village on the tip of a small mountain.  There are many quant restaurants.  Right before entering into the ally, there is a nice restaurant to your left.  Right in front of the Boulle court.  I highly recommend visiting St Paul. It’s also an artist’s heaven. Many art galleries from the local artists there.

Kady’s favorite eats … a la Cote d’Azur: 

o       Pizza – it’s all thin crusted and oven baked

o       la bouillabaisse – specialty of the region, a mixture of all seafood. Very good and large serving.

o       les moules (mussels) – it’s a specialty of the region and it’s excellent! It comes with fries.

o       la Soupe du Poisson (fish soup). Sounds weird, but delicious.

o       Any pastries! Especially the Pain Raisan and Pain chocolate (chocolate coissant)

o       Escargot

o       Filet Mignon (Their ‘medium’ tend to be more like ‘rare’ for Americans)

o       gigot agneau (leg of lamb)

o       la Salade Nicoise

o       any fish (Poisson)

o       Any dessert!  Flan, Crème Brulee, Tarte au pomme (apple pie)

When eating out, I recommend ‘le menu’.  It’s a set of pre-selected menu, with appetizers, main entre(s), then dessert.  It’s the most valuable way to dine and with chief suggested food combos.

Bon Appetit!