It was nearly six years since I’d last been to Nice – September 2019. That time I’d stayed just 4 nights; 5 nights in 2015, but this time I made it a whole week. I decided that it would be nicer to stay in an apartment rather than a hotel for the longer spell and found a lovely one-bedroom flat in Appartements Masséna via Booking.com. Based in the Jean Medécin district (Jean Medécin was a politician) and near Place Masséna where I’d stayed in 2019, I knew the area quite well and that it was very central – just a 10-minute walk down to the Vieux Nice (Old Nice) and the sea – the Mediterranean!

It was a simple but very nice flat with French windows leading out to a small private terrace. The owner Delphine was a wonderful host, always ready to answer questions and she popped round briefly one evening and we had a nice chat. The flat was on the first floor but you can see from the photo below that the apartments had a wonderful old lift!

 

 

How to get to the centre of Nice from the airport

To get to the apartment was just about as easy as can be. Delphine had said I should take the No.2 tram from the airport (Terminal 1) and it came direct to Jean Medécin station, which was only about two minutes away from the flat. I bought a return ticket for €10. Delphine and someone at the airport told me if it was free to the next stop (Terminal 2) and I could buy cheaper tickets there, but having been on the go since 4.30am, I was quite content to pay the €10 and not have to get off at the next stop. However, if you’re looking to buy a season ticket – one for a few days etc. – then it might be worthwhile and there were various options if you plan to travel around.

Jean Medécin and Place Masséna

Place Masséna is a wonderful area. Created in 1840, it’s said to be the most famous square on the Côte d’Azur and is named after a French military commander of the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars. The street where I was staying led into Avenue Jean Medécin and from there it was less than 5 minutes to reach Place Masséna, passing shops like Galeries Lafayette on the way. It’s a vibrant area with many shops, bars, cafes and restaurants. Avenue Jean Medécin is pedestrianised, apart from the trams which run along it.

 

 

The Art & Beauty of Nice

 

Nice has attracted many artists, particularly since the 19th century: Henri Matisse, Marc Chagall and Raoul Dufy; artists like Pablo Picasso and Pierre-August Renoir also spent a lot of time there or near to Nice. It’s easy to understand why. The light is wonderful; the depth and strength of the colours, particularly the magnificent blue of the sea and sky is stunning.

Nice lies on the beautiful Baie des Anges (Bay of Angels), that stretches in a sweeping curve from Nice to Antibes. Along its edge lies the famous Promenade des Anglais which is 7 kilometres long. The promenade dates back to the 18th century when Nice was popular with wealthy English people who were escaping harsh winters back home. They liked to walk beside the sea but at the time there was no promenade or path to walk comfortably along. In 1820 they decided to finance the building of a promenade, hiring beggars and the unemployed of Nice to build it. It was completed in 1824. It was the locals who named it ‘the way of the English’ and it was given the promenade name in 1860 when Nice became part of France rather than Italy.

 

It’s lovely to be able to walk literally for miles – though I don’t quite do that! – along the bay, the beautiful blue of the sea opening out before you.

 

It’s usually busy: runners in the morning; people walking; children playing; the odd busker. Fortunately there’s a separate bike lane now so that’s a hazard that’s been moved – though you do have to cross their narrow road carefully when moving away from the sea back into the city.

Of course sometimes it’s lovely to just sit quietly for a while looking out to sea; maybe reading a book while you take some sea air. That’s where Nice’s famous blue chairs come into the story. In 1948, Jacques Ballanger, who had a street furniture business, decided to replace the old wicker chairs with more robust ones. Originally they were white but became blue to represent the sky and blue Mediterranean Sea. I always think of this as ‘Nice blue’. There are also many white benches, often in shady pergolas.

 

Just behind the Promenade des Anglais at the eastern end of the bay lies Vieux Nice – the old town – and the Cours Saleya where each day you’ll find a market. Sometimes it’s food; sometimes flowers; and on Sunday there’s a flea market. This is my favourite area and I always want to be staying somewhere within easy walking distance of it.

 

It’s also an area where the city’s history of once being part of Italy is strikingly evident. I’ve heard Italian spoken in the market; there are lots of Italian restaurants; and when you walk through some of the narrow streets behind the market you feel as if you could almost be in Naples – the colours; the smells; the occasional bit of washing hanging from a window.

 

The food market is where you can really experience the joy of being in France if you love good food: courgettes with their flowers still attached; huge tomatoes, globe artichokes, bunches of garlic and wonderful fruit; stalls with a huge selection of saucisson; beautiful breads, pastries and slices of pissaladière.

 

 

In the evening, while the main market is being cleared away, another is setting up in Place Pierre Gautier selling jewellery and other craft goods.

I’m just happy to be there are any time of day, wandering around, looking at what’s on offer at different stalls, stopping for a drink or something to eat. It’s just the best place.

 

Breakfast 

Near the market, right by the Palais de Justice, is Bar de la Dégustation. This is where I went for an aperitif almost every evening of my previous trip and I headed there my first evening this time. When I noticed they also did breakfast. I went back next morning! Most breakfast come as formulas in cafes. Here I had Formule Parisienne for €9: a hot drink of choice, croissant or pain au chocolat, baguette with butter and jam and freshly squeezed orange juice. Breakfast in Nice usually comes as a great deal!

 

Another favourite breakfast place was Chez Maître Pierre, very close to my flat in the Jean Medécin area. I’d noticed that the bread in my favourite restaurants came from there and indeed, while I sat at the front eating my breakfast, I could see a bike with a huge carrier attachment being loaded up to be delivered to different restaurants. Inside the sight of the bread was wonderful; the bread to eat was amazing. Really, you can’t get French bread of this quality outside France!

 

The formula here was €10.90 and I came back another day to buy one of their sandwiches to take back to my flat for lunch.

 

Another favourite cafe-bar this trip was Topaz on the sea front and their coffee was one of the better ones. I did have trouble finding a really good coffee such as I can easily find in London!

 

On my way to the Chagall Musée one morning, I took pot luck at Le Grand Café de Lyon along Avenue Jean Medécin. I was heading in the opposite direction to usual, so seeing new places. I had just a coffee and pain au chocolat and it was good.

 

On my final morning, when I had to leave the flat for the airport by 11.30-12.00, I went into a cafe close by that I’d noticed but not gone into. I should have gone in before. Note for next time! Ginette cafe offered a good Formula Petit Déjeuner for just €7: freshly squeezed orange juice, pastry and coffee.

 

Lunch

Lunch turned out to not be quite as successful as breakfast. A couple of times I went to Pain & Cie, which years ago had been a Pain Quotidian and had been a favourite. It had sadly gone down a bit in both service and food, though I had a nice enough quiche there one lunchtime. That however was followed by an espresso so weak it was like those times you run the Nespresso machine but have forgotten to put a new pod in!

 

Bar Topaz – as mentioned above for breakfast – did a good lunch too and I had a Taboulé with Feta one day. It was good, but I couldn’t quite manage all the generous amount of feta! One of the things I liked a lot about this place was not only the view out to the sea, but the friendly and efficient young staff (who happened to be all women).

 

Aperitif

Going out early evening for an aperitif (or aperitivo if in Italy) is a must for me on holiday. One evening I took pot luck at a bar opposite the Palais de Justice.

 

And, of course, I had to go back a couple of times to Bar de la Dégustation. A glass of wine or whatever drink you order almost always comes with some complimentary ‘nibbles’: nuts, olives, crisps.

 

Dinner

Well dinner is the most important meal of the day for me, both at home and on holiday. I don’t like eating a lot at lunchtime and always prefer a main meal in the evening. Returning to Nice, I had favourites I wanted to return to but with a week of evenings to fill, hoped to find some new places too. But first – I had to go back to my favourite of the last trip, Peixes (pronounced: pesh). And, as it would turn out, after two visits this time, it remains my favourite!

   

There’s no booking at Peixes so it’s wise to turn up reasonably early or you will have to join a long queue. This first evening I had ‘Scallops ceviche, passion fruit, avocado purée, pomegranate’ (€16). It looked so attractive and tasted delicious. My main of ‘Half-cooked Salmon, herbal cream, vegetables’ (€25) looked fairly ordinary (well I do often cook similar salmon at home) but then to my delight the salmon itself was wonderful; the best salmon I’ve had in a long time.

 

I went back again on my penultimate evening. They change the menu each week but it was still the same as on my first night. This time I chose Cod Fish Acras – fried cod balls. These were wonderful. For my main I ventured away from fish to have a change and had ‘Crispy Chicken, sweet chilli sauce, Thai salad’ (€23). This was great. Peixes had done it again. What I love about this place is the gorgeous food, all with a slight but not too challenging twist, and the great and friendly service. You always feel welcomed and you are well looked after in a relaxed way, without it being OTT.

 

The other restaurant I wanted to return to was Bar des Oiseaux. I’d had lunch there my previous visit and it had been wonderful. This is somewhere you need to book in advance. I went twice this time and it was always fully booked and people were being sent away or told the only table available was much later.

Both times I sat outside. The first time I started with ‘Courgette Flowers stuffed with aubergine, fresh cheese, pine nuts, herbs and basil pesto’ ((€16). This looked impressive and was good, though I did feel the strong flavours outweighed the delicacy of the courgette flowers. Next I had ‘Bourride: mixed grilled fish, pasta, coconut milk sauce, red curry, ginger’ (€19). This was a modern take on a classic Provençal fish soup and it was very good. I decided to have a dessert and chose ‘La tarte au citron du Bar des Oiseaux’ (€9). This was definitely a deconstructed version but it did taste like Tarte au Citron and was very delicious.

 

 

I booked a table for Saturday evening (the restaurant is closed Sunday and Monday). This time I chose ‘Peas: as a velouté with basil, haddock fish, cream and crispy onions’ (€16). This was wonderful; perhaps the best dish of the holiday. The pea velouté was so velvety and smooth and truly delicious. I chose another ‘starter’ rather than a main to follow. This was partly that with the heat (it was late 20s/30C), I didn’t quite have my usual appetite – though I was hungry and wanted to eat! Their version of Salade Niçoise was a perfect choice: ‘fresh tuna, anchovies, egg, fevettes (broad bean), radish, artichoke, basil’ (€17). This was wonderful too, the tuna just seared and raw in the middle.

 

Unfortunately the dessert I chose didn’t follow these high standards. I asked what ‘La Truffle de tiramisu, caramel au café’ was. Was it some kind of truffle served with coffee? No, I was told they were pieces of tiramisu. I was served four chocolate ‘truffles’ covered in an excessive amount of Chantilly cream. The ‘truffles’ were fairly solid, cake-like pieces covered in cocoa powder that, frankly, weren’t very nice. I almost didn’t eat them; I didn’t eat any of the cream. When I paid, I said that I didn’t think they should call this dish ‘tiramisu’ and that I hadn’t found it pleasant. I rarely complain, but the rest of the meal had been wonderful and I felt I wanted to say something. I got the impression that criticism, however gently given, wasn’t appreciated. They charged me only €5 instead of €9 but I think a better restaurant would just have apologised and not charged me at all. It was a shame to end on this note. Bar des Oiseux is without doubt one of the best restaurants in Nice, and while they’re known for their quirky takes on classics, I think you should always keep the essence of the classic. It’s ‘classic’ for a good reason! The Tarte au Citron managed that; it still tasted like its name. But the truffles bore no resemblance to tiramisu.

I had a much simpler supper one evening at La Femme Du Boulanger, near the apartment, where I’d had lunch the previous time.

I chose to sit outside and there was a nice view along the small street. Complimentary homemade tapenade and toasts came with my drink and it was excellent.

 

I chose their salmon fillet (€28.90) as my main, which came with rice and vegetables. It was very nice – the salmon not in truth as wonderful as I’d had at Peixes but still good. For dessert I chose Tarte Tatin, a long favourite and it was very good. It was a delightful place, the staff so friendly and all nicely relaxed with good, if fairly simple food.

 

Returning to the Italian restaurant Cose Cosi, just off the Cours Saleya, was an impromptu choice. I just happened to be wandering around deciding where to eat and saw it, remembered having a good lunch there once before, and so asked for a table. My glass of rosé wine came with some lovely local olives.

 

I chose a simple pasta dish: La Pugliese – penne, tomato sauce, burrata and rocket (€19). It may have been simple, but that’s the wonder of Italian dishes – they are so simple and you don’t understand how they make them taste so good! I followed this with a Crème Brûlée.

 

My last evening was a Monday when many restaurants are closed. I considered Peixes again, but they hadn’t changed their menu yet (they do regularly) so again, I made an impromptu choice when passing Le Grand Balcon in a road leading into Cours Saleya. Their wall boasted several Gault Millau signs and the menu looked good. They didn’t open until 7.30 and offered to reserve a table for me.

It was a wonderful place to sit on my last evening with a view right along to the market area.

I chose a main of sea bream fillet with local purple artichokes (€25). All mains are served with seasonal vegetables. I have to say that when the dish came, it looked a little more rustic than I was expecting for a more sophisticated restaurant. However, it all tasted wonderful from the tastiest of fish, to slightly crunchy but lovely artichokes, delicious ratatouille and the creamiest and smoothest of potatoes. I enjoyed it a lot. When it came to dessert, I felt I just had to have ‘Madeleine de Proust, glace vanilla and salted butter caramel (€12). Madeleines are special things and there’s a recipe on this blog (click here) that makes wonderful ones – the recipe from the famous Roux brothers. And I do indeed mention the famous Proust quote. However, when my dessert turned up, I did actually exclaim quite loudly. It was huge and covered in Chantilly cream. There’s nothing wrong with Chantilly cream if you’re expecting it but this was too much again – it’s not really my thing. And the madeleines? At the risk of showing off, they really weren’t as good as mine; a little heavy. The ice cream was good but it was all far too much and I left half of it – and all the cream. I’m not sure Proust would have approved . . .

 

One of my reasons for going to Nice (and for many others) is to enjoy great French food. I did have many lovely things, but there were disappointments. Maybe that’s inevitable when you’re there for a whole week rather than a short break. Where was the simple, straightforward but incredibly good French food? Too many restaurants were trying to be too clever; too many perhaps (given that slightly outrageous last dessert) trying to please tourists? But I shall remember the best and I shall most certainly be going back to Nice again – hopefully sooner than six years this time!

There are plenty of lovely food shops to buy things to take home or as takeaway. I saw a whole macaron bar; had lovely ice cream at Azzurro.

 

I bought pretty bracelets in the evening craft market; Provençal mats and tablecloth; and bags of Herbes de Provence from Olio Donato, where I always go to shop.

Things to Do and Places to See

One cannot forget art in Nice. Memories of all those glorious paintings of it by Matisse, Dufy, and others. I’d arrived pretty tired and had no special plans, but after a couple of days felt I wanted to explore and see a bit more. So one morning I walked to Musée Masséna, which I’d passed the previous day. It was a little dull, to be honest. But the next morning I set off on a half-hour walk after breakfast to the Musée Des Beaux Arts where there was a Raoul Dufy exhibition. It was fantastic.

 

The following morning I took another half-hour hike (it was quite uphill!) to the Chagall Museum, which again was brilliant and set in nice gardens full of old olive trees and lavender.

 

I usually love to go to Musée Matisse, but didn’t manage it this time. But it’s a ‘must’ if you haven’t been. And one other thing that absolutely can’t be missed is the view from Colline de Château. This is a must for me when in Nice. I’ve always walked up before, but this time went later afternoon and in the heat, and because I’d already done the walk to Chagall, I took the free lift. It was a very small lift; rather claustrophobic as described by a woman standing next to me. it was worth the short trip though and it was a beautiful afternoon to enjoy the view. And I did walk down, which was a lovely thing to do.

   

So ends my week in Nice. What a wonderful city it is. It was great to enjoy the food, the sights and just being by the beautiful Mediterranean for a week.

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