Eating out in Nice

The lovely resort town of Nice on the French Riviera offers a vast number of tourist activities. Dining is certainly among them, with hundreds of excellent restaurants. There are at least ten in the city centre alone. We're talking classic, sit-down restaurants. The fast food places and bakeries are not included, although they are also a great choice.
Nice features classic Mediterranean cuisine with fresh vegetables, fish, meat, and typical ingredients like olive and nut oil. Garlic and aromatic Mediterranean herbs are what make the cuisine of Nice unique.
You will appreciate some tips, which will prove useful should you decide to visit a restaurant here. The French do not eat dinner before 20:00, so make sure you have a solid lunch. Most restaurants do not open until 7:30. Do not call the person waiting on you Garcon - this is outdated and offensive. Call the waiter Monsieur and the waitress Madame. Say s'il vous plait or Excusez-moi to draw attention. High-class restaurants usually offer an aperitif before dinner, and if you don't say no, you will probably get wine and cassis. This is all right if you like having a drink before you dine. This is the custom in France. You would do well to opt for wine over beer, because the wines are excellent and well priced, while beer is really expensive. House wine is best.
The 'formule' is a set-price meal including a certain number of courses, as many as four. Another option is the dish of the day. You can include it in the formule. This usually makes the best value. Some entrees, like the excellent Nicoise Salads, suffice as a main course. You would do well to order desserts in advance if you see something you like. Tasty desserts tend to disappear quite fast.
Children's menus are rarely offered. Most restaurants serve pizza or pasta, which children love. Be aware that 'pate' means pasta, not meat paste.
As for steak, the French words are 'bien-cuit' or 'pas bien cuit' - well done or rare.
Having said that, we will go on to recommend a number of exceptionally good restaurants in Nice.
Chez Pipo is actually more like a café, with a friendly, casual atmosphere and great value meals. It opens at 17:30, a rarity indeed. The specialty here is socca, a large, crispy pancake made with chickpea flour and divided into portions. Socca is a common fast-food dish in Nice. Naturally you can enjoy it sitting down as well. Other popular meals are Pissaladiere pie, a pie with onion, and bruscetta, toasted baguette with your choice of aubergine, garlic or tapenade sauce. The Chard Pie is second only to socca. It is served as dessert here. The pie is filled with dried fruit, sweetened chard and pine nuts, and coated with caster sugar.
Chez Juliette is a charming restaurant lying at the heart of Nice's old town. It is a bit more expensive than most, but that is a minor consideration. Most dishes are elegant and sophisticated. There is little pasta and no pizza. A popular course includes starters of avocado and crab salad, a main course of duck with courgettes, and a savoury dessert of chocolate pears.
La Grange is one of the cleanest restaurants in the city. Dishes are simple and products are fresh. This is a great place for children. You can choose from fish, steak, pasta, salad, and more. The restaurant is also unbelievably cheap.
Finally, you cannot leave Nice without an authentic French meal. Chez Palmyre is a small, family-managed eatery with five tables. It will feel like eating in someone's house. You will enjoy a nourishing meal if you choose the specialty course - salad followed by a thick, juicy steak, a bowl of creamy ratatouille, a cheese course with succulent Brie, and homemade pie. All this is supplemented by a towering breadbasket.

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