Nice is a fantastic city brimming with good food, interesting sites and beautiful architecture. Being in close proximity to the UK it can make a wonderful last-minute or even short fly-over holiday. With so much to do there here’s a short itinerary of what to eat, see and do.
Morning
First thing you want to do when exploring a new city is fuel up with a nice breakfast. There’s something for everyone in Nice but while you’re by the Mediterranean why not eat al fresco looking at the water? Plage Beau Rivage beach club has two parts both for music and eating. You can start the day with bread, jams, scrambled eggs, pastries and if you like even a glass of champagne.
If you want to eat more in-land and have a lot more comfort food then check out Kililie’s Resto-Brunch. It has an international menu during the weekdays but on weekends there’s the all you can eat option of all the best American breakfast foods like eggs, bacon, french toast, muffins and more.
For something between the beach and the town is a lovely organic restaurant in Old Nice, close enough to the beach so you can enjoy a leisurely stroll afterwards. Cafe Marche is found in Old Town near the flower market and they serve farm-to-table foods of all kind such as salads, fresh sandwiches all sourced locally.
Afternoon
With your stomachs full it’s time to enjoy a full day of activities in Nice. Of course, the first thing anyone would recommend is to spend a few hours on the beach. The French Riviera is very long but some of the main beaches are Nice Beach, Blue Beach and Cocoon Beach.
It might be so hot that you may want to save swimming and sun-bathing till late afternoon. No matter though, there’s a lot of sites and monuments to check out before or after. The Castle of Nice is a wonderful way to learn about some of Nice’s history, plus the walk to the top gives amazing views of the Bay.
For art fans, it’s recommended to check out Musee Matisse, a museum devoted to the life and work of master painter Henri Matisse. Other museums include the Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art and the Marc Chagall National Museum – all within the historic centre, which itself is a beautiful part of the city to explore.
Nice is a very cosmopolitan city and has food from all over the world. But for lunch (or dinner) you should make use of the city’s proximity to the Mediterranean and enjoy some delicious sea-food. Grab some fish and chips from a small spot by the beach or from some of the many restaurants, such as George’s Roll Seafood, a Canadian founded eatery doing delicious street food inspired meals that gets incredible reviews.
Evening
We recommended a quick lunch because now it’s evening time you can have a big appetite for one of Nice’s incredible dinners. There’s something for everyone in Nice but for meat lovers, it’s definitely La Rossettisserie. Found in Old Town it serves the finest quality roast pork, beef, lamb, duck as well as in other varieties. The large dishes are accompanied by fresh vegetable ratatouille, or mashed potatoes etc and the interior design of the place is very medieval.
If you didn’t have seafood or lunch, or you simply want more, then Les Pêcheurs is a great choice at an awesome location – nestled at the port of Nice. It has a wide variety of dishes, both seasonally driven and based on the catch of the day. It has a terrace for warm summer evenings but the inside is also a lovely setting with wooden-beamed ceilings, painted walls and portholes.
A city favourite restaurant that has more vegetarian options is La Roustide. Specialising in truffle-based dishes they craft each recipe with unique cooking oils to bring out the dishes unique flavour. They also do premium risottos, gnocchi and foie grass. It has an intimate interior with low-lighting, chandeliers, plus it’s located in the romantic historic quarter.
Night
Hotel Negresco is itself a city landmark, with Michelin star restaurants and award-winning bars open to the public as well as guests. Situated on Promenade des Anglais the cocktail bar draws in a young crowd with ambient DJ sets and live jazz. It’s the perfect place to start the evening with one of a kind cocktails and the cool airs of the French Riviera just outside.
For live music one of the best places is Shapko Bar on the lively Rue Rossetti. It serves drinks until 2.30 am but it’s drawing attraction is its stage propped in the middle of the bar so you can see the performance wherever you’re sitting. Be sure to check out their lineup as they have anything from rock to samba.
And something a bit different is the Conservatory of Music, situated in the hills above the city. Visitors can take the No. 15 bus through the high-end villas and palaces of Cimiez and find themselves at the door of a modern auditorium. There are weekly shows of classical music, modern and experimental groups, quartets and more, often free of charge.
We hope this review helped when making your way around Nice for a day, with so much to discover it’s natural to want to stay for longer and a Sixt car hire is the perfect way to explore this city and beyond.
