Nice: The Ultimate Guide to the French Riveria

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Nice: It's just as nice as you imagine

Nice is a Mediterranean wonderland full of breathtaking views, fabulous food, and unforgettable experiences. Nice feels almost more Italian than it does French and this is due to the fact that Nice was a part of Italy for most of its history. So the warm hues of orange, yellow, and pink that decorate all the buildings in Nice are very reminiscent of Italy. And the food reflects this as well in all the best ways! Think of it like Paris but far more relaxed and approachable.

Hidden Gems of Nice

Now if you go on Instagram you'll see a million pictures of different restaurants and nearby cities you can visit while in Nice. I almost exclusively used Rick Steve's French Rivera guidebook to help decide where we'd be going when we visited last year. The being said, I did end up finding a few great little spots while we were there.

Specifically, we took a chance on a newer restaurant in Nice called Ikaro. It's in the heart of the old town, which has most of the best places for shopping and dining. And the owner is amazing! It was actually my birthday the night we went and the owner and our amazing server sang Happy Birthday in French and we all had lemoncello together. It's doesn't get much better than that! Plus, check out the amazing steps in this restaurant!

And while it's not necessarily a hidden gem, I think it's definitely important to add Lavomatique as one of the restaurants you should try in Nice. Definitely try to get a seat at the counter by arriving a few minutes early to your reservation. They do two seatings and you can make reservations online. For me, I prefer to make reservations online because for some reason when I'm put on the spot trying to speak French and make a reservation I completely fumble my words. So this takes the stress out of the situation entirely!

Both of these restaurants use fresh, local ingredients to make some amazing food. We had deep fried zucchini blossoms at Ikaro that were fantastic. And at Lavomatique, while we sat at the bar, we got to talk to the chefs there and learn more about the food. Truly and unforgettable time.

Traveling Within and Around Nice

Nice is incredibly walkable, but if you're feeling tired or have a bunch of shopping to bring back to your place, the tram is your best bet. There is an app you can download called Lignes d'Azur Mobile. Here you can buy a pass for the tram. You can either buy individual tickets or you can buy day or multiple day passes. It's pretty reasonably priced and you'll definitely want it for getting from the airport to downtown Nice. Now, as you come out of the airport you'll see the tram station through the throngs of people and towards your right by the street. Please make sure you check to see which platform you're on the ensure you're going the right direction towards Nice. The side that you'll want is the one closest to the airport and will run towards Jean Médecin. Speaking of which, Jean Médecin is a main road through Nice and most of the shopping that you'll want to check out is on this street.

The other fantastic part about Nice is that there are several neighboring places to visit that are within 15 to 30 minutes. We went to Antibes and Villefranche-Sur-Mer while visiting Nice and both were great but for very different reasons. I will say Antibes felt a little more touristy to me while we were there. There's a prominent harbor with tons of luxury yachts, a nice walking pathway along the Mediterranean, and a couple sandy beaches if you're tired of sitting on stones in Nice. Villefranche-Sur-Mer is a wonderfully quiet little town with a very steep hill you can climb for some beautiful views. They also have a nice sandy beach and lots of little restaurants right on the water. We had a croque madam at a small beach side restaurant and enjoyed the amazing views.

Menton and Eze are other popular spots you can visit. Eze can take a minute of extra travel time to get to the instagram views you've seen. You'll take a train and then either a bus or walk up the steep hill to get to the garden that's depicted in all the pretty videos you've seen. Is it worth it? It wasn't for us but maybe it will be for you. If you want a view from way up high perfect for pictures, I'd recommend staying in Nice and climbing Castle Hill. There's a really pretty waterfall at the top and the steps up aren't that bad, I did them in wedges and did fine. But if you need a break there are lots of benches to take a break and there is an elevator too.

Nice: Where to Eat on the Beach

In Nice there are quite a few options you can choose from as far as dining on the beach. They're all right on la Promenade de Anglais but the one we choose was la Galet. Look for the signage on the promenade and you have to go down a flight of steps to get down to the restaurant and the beach. I definitely recommend making a reservation and again you can make them online which is definitely a plus in my book.

If the stones on the beach in Nice aren't your thing, you can also rent a chaise here for the half day or full day and you'll get full access to the food and drink menu too. Which are both fantastic. We split a fantastic caesar salad and pizza. Plus, I mean I could do a whole post about the rosé here but I'll keep it short. It's absolutely worth trying. If you think rosé is just pink girly wine let me tell you, it's just not true and you've been lied to. Rosé is frequently consumed here in Nice and all through the French Rivera and Provence, especially in summer. It's crisp, refreshing, and not cloyingly sweet like you'd thing based on its color.

La Cours Saleya: The Best Market in the French Riveria

Yes, I said it, this is without a doubt the best market in the French Rivera, at least in my opinion. Fragrant spices, gorgeous flowers, olives that are both sweet, herbaceous, and salty, it has it all. I will say we went to the market in Antibes and it felt incredibly touristic. Maybe it was just me, but it was way smaller, covered and just didn't have the selection that la Cours Saleya had.

Please note that all the vendors here work only in cash so no credit cards friends. So either have some euros on hand or go grab some before you go. The days the market is open and times change based on the season so please check out that Rick Steves guide for the most accurate information. Or a quick google search will probably do it!

Just strolling through the market is worth your time. It opens relatively early, at least when were were there. Because to me it's just insane that a lot of the coffee shops here don't even open until 10am. Coffee can be hard but it can be found! But anyway, if you're looking to grab ingredients for a picnic or just some great snacks while you walk around la Promenade de Anglais you truly can't go wrong.

Final Thoughts

I feel like Nice is a great intro into Europe for anyone who hasn't traveled here before. The public transportation is very easy to navigate and honestly if you like a good walk you probably don't even need to use the tram besides from the airport. There's lots of nearby destinations all within a 15 to 30 minute train ride and cost only a few euros. Plus it's just absolutely gorgeous. There's a reason that artists like Monet lived here and painted the amazing light of the blue coast. So book the flight, go drink some rosé on the beach and eat some amazing food, you won't be disappointed.