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Where to eat in Nice: my 17 favourite restaurants

Nobody eats well following the tour buses. These are the 17 restaurants in Nice I'd send a friend to: the cheap neighbourhood place, the one locals keep to themselves, the splurge that's genuinely worth it. No photo menus.

Chez Pipo€ · Niçoise / soccaTucked near the port, Chez Pipo has been firing socca in its wood-burning oven since 1923, and it remains the reference for anyone working out where to eat in Nice on a small budget. Directions
La Merenda€€ · NiçoiseLa Merenda is a tiny room in the old town where a former Michelin-starred chef cooks classic Niçoise dishes on a handful of tables. Directions
Le Bistrot d'Antoine€€ · French bistroOne of the most reliable tables in the old town, Le Bistrot d''Antoine draws a nightly crowd for honest French bistro cooking done properly. Directions
Restaurant Jan€€€€ · Modern fine diningNear the port, Restaurant Jan is the Michelin-starred stage of South African chef Jan Hendrik van der Westhuizen, blending Riviera produce with subtle nods to his homeland. Directions
Lou Pilha Leva€ · Niçoise street foodRight in the heart of Vieux Nice, Lou Pilha Leva is a stand-and-share street food counter where you order at the window and grab a spot at communal wooden tables. Directions
La Petite Maison€€€ · Mediterranean / NiçoiseA Nice institution turned international name, La Petite Maison serves sun-drenched Mediterranean and Niçoise cooking meant for sharing across the table. Directions
Peixes€€ · SeafoodPeixes brought a breezy, modern seafood counter to Nice, built around ceviche, tartares and small plates made to pair with a cold glass of white. Directions
Oliviera€€ · NiçoisePart shop, part table, Oliviera is a small old-town spot devoted to the olive oils of Provence, where the owner pairs each dish with a specific single-estate oil. Directions
Café de Turin€€ · Seafood / oystersA century-old fixture on Place Garibaldi, Café de Turin is where Niçois locals go for oysters, sea urchins and cold seafood platters shucked at the marble counter. Directions
Azzurro Artisan Glacier★ 4.5 · €The gelato the locals point you to instead of the famous name nearby: better ingredients, homemade cones, and flavours that taste like what they claim to be. Directions
Brasserie Felix Faure★ 4.6 · €€An Italian-leaning brasserie by the Albert I garden where the cooking outruns the prices: salmon in vegetable sauce, proper lasagne, snails in pesto with parmesan for the brave. Directions
Chez Acchiardo★ 4.7 · €€A family table in Vieux Nice run by the Acchiardos for four decades, serving the Nicoise canon: stuffed vegetables, salade nicoise, daube, home fries. Directions
Le Plongeoir★ 4.3 · €€€The restaurant on a rock above the sea by the port, reached by a footbridge, where a diving board once stood. Directions
Oscar Restaurant★ 4 · €€An unfussy French dining room with one clear specialty: steak done properly at a price that undercuts every terrace on the seafront. Directions
PAN Sandwich Shop★ 5 · €A small counter built around the pan bagnat, Nice's tuna-salad-in-a-bun, plus baguettes like ham with comte and truffle. Directions
Philippe Tayac Patisserie★ 4.2 · €€A pastry chef's shop where the croissants sell out before noon and the tarts are built like jewellery. Directions
Waka Bar★ 4 · €€A beach bar on the pebbles for the end of the day: burgers, cold beer, spritz, and the sound of the waves doing most of the entertaining. Directions