A Complete Guide to Nice, France
the crown jewel of the côte d'azur
Hello friends, happy Sunday! How are you keeping? I hope this post finds you enjoying the beautiful sunny morning, coffee in hand, comfy socks on, and in the mood for a light spot of armchair travelling. I’m dropping into your inbox to share my latest travel offering with you: A Complete Guide to Nice, France. Husband and I have visited the wonderful city on the Côte d’Azur a handful of times— most recently, back in April/May with Bean! — and always love every second of our time there. Over the years, we’ve accumulated quite a list of our favourite places to explore, stop for coffee, eat or drink, or just linger around… Can I tell you about it?
As usual, there are tons of recommendations below, divided into the following categories for ease: getting there / where we stayed / where we got pastries / where we ate / where we drank / where we tourist-ed / where we shopped / and map our trip. Of course, the where we ate category is further broken down into dined in / took out / and gelato. It’s loaded to the hilt with everywhere we’ve visited and loved over the years, and I really hope it helps you plan your trip.
Shall we?
getting there
Nice airport is extremely well connected — with over 12-million passengers every year, it’s the 3rd busiest in the country! — and getting from there to the city couldn’t be easier. Here’s how we made the journey:
we flew direct from Dublin to Nice with Ryanair, with the flight lasting approximately 2-hours. We have also previously flown Aer Lingus on the same route.
from Nice airport, we walked to the tram stop and bought two tickets to take us into the city centre. The tram stop is located directly outside the exit at Terminal 1, and the L2 tram towards Port Lympia departs every 7-minutes. We bought two return tickets — the only ticket option available! — from the machine on the platform, and they cost €10 each.
you used to be able to buy single tickets from the machine for €1.70, but this option has since been removed from the airport machines. According to the internet, you COULD chance riding the tram (!)ticket-less(!) to the first stop, Grand Arénas, and get out there to buy a ticket for €1.70 instead of paying the full-whack at the airport. This sounded like too much hassle and a risk we weren’t willing to take with Bean in tow — but you do you.
from the airport, we rode the tram all the way to the Jean Médecin stop, which took a delightfully short 20-minutes. We didn’t see any ticket checkers on our trip, but be sure to validate your ticket upon boarding the tram regardless.
from the Jean Médecin stop, we walked a very convenient 2-minutes to our accommodation, below.
Maybe one of the easiest airport to city centre transfers ever?
where we stayed
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Le Carré d’Or // the wonderful neighbourhood we stay in every time we visit. Located a delightful 10-minute stroll to the waterfront, we have come to love the area; there are plenty of restaurants, cafes, supermarkets, and it is within walking distance to both the Old Town and the train station. The owner of the exact apartment we stayed at has asked me not to share the details with you, but I would definitely recommend the area.
where we got pastries
DØM // the most lovely locals-only boulangerie! Literally 1-minute away from the front door of our apartment, we stopped here every morning for pastries and most afternoons for a fresh baguette. Over the course of our visits we sampled: many a croissant and pain au chocolat, an almond croissant, a pain-au-chocolat-almond-croissant fusion, a chocolate éclair, and both a chocolate and a pistachio babka bun. Everything is always delicious. Would recommend. Address: 24 Rue Alphonse Karr, 06000 Nice
Philippe Tayac Pâtisserie // a very swanky pâtisserie that actually lives up to the hype! We both went for their delightful pain au chocolat and it was so good: buttery + flaky, airy yet chewy, with really good quality chocolate batons — the fact that they were absolutely massive was just a plus! We also stopped by one afternoon for a pecan cookie and it was so fancy; thickkk and buttery, topped with a gooey nut butter and some candied pecans — yum! Would recommend. Address: 15 Rue du Maréchal Joffre, 06000 Nice
where we ate
dined in
Bistrot d’Antoine // a fantastic restaurant in Nice’s old town! We ate here on our last trip and l-o-v-e-d it! We shared foie gras terrine to start: delicious by itself, but served with some lovely Chez Maître Pierre toast that pushed it over the edge. For mains, I devoured braised pork cheek casserole with creamy polenta, while Husband similarly devoured a pork fillet with mash & veg; both were fantastic. To finish, we shared a delicious plate of tomme de brebis sheep’s cheese — new-to-us, but a fast favourite! All of the above was accompanied by a nice bottle of red, and gosh it was perfect! Nice staff, great food, cute décor, and a very reasonable bill. Would recommend. Address: 27 Rue de la Préfecture, 06300 Nice
Le Vingt4 // a lovely spot located a short 2-minute walk from where we were staying. Again, we visited on our last trip, but I remember really enjoying the food! I ordered the slow cooked lamb shoulder served with hummus & roast carrots, while Husband went for the pork chop served with potato dauphinoise and veg hash. Everything was so delightfully melt-in-the-mouth that not a single morsel of food was left behind! We also enjoyed a glass of wine each, côtes du rhône for him & vermentino for me, and both were delightful. Would recommend. Address: 24 Rue Alphonse Karr, 06000 Nice
La Rossettisserie // full disclosure: it has been nearly 10-years since we’ve eaten here, but we have very fond memories of a fantastic meal here on our first trip to Nice together. Although I can’t be entirely sure of what we ate all those years ago — although, I feel pretty certain it was the half chicken! —, we absolutely loved the meal, and the ambiance. We will be back! Would recommend. Address: 8 Rue Mascoinat, 06300 Nice
took out
BEURRÉ Sandwicherie // on our most recent 7-day trip to Nice, we stopped by here for sandwiches 4-days — if that isn’t a strong recommendation, I don’t know what is! Between us, we tried: the classic jambon beurre (ham, butter, cornichons, rocket), baguette brie (ham, butter, brie, tomato, cornichons, rocket), l’italien (mortadella, stracciatella cheese, pesto, rocket, tomato), baguette Emmental (ham, butter, Emmental, cornichons, tomato, rocket), and their citronnade maison. Everything was wonderful: the baguettes were crusty and fresh, the butter was luscious, the cornichons were zingy, and the meats + cheeses were perfect. Would recommend. Address: 4 Rue de Russie, 06000 Nice
BART Focacceria // another wonderful sandwich spot! Located in the heart of the old town, this is apparently one trendy little spot — we stopped by around opening time thinking we’d be the only ones there, only to be greeted with a small queue of people ahead of us! We went for one classica (jambon, pesto, stracciatella, rocket) and one porchetta (porchetta, fig confit, ricotta, rocket) to share; both were amazing. The bread was soft and pillowy, the fillings were flavourful, and they were authentic-tasting enough to temporarily transport us to Italy! Would recommend. Address: 31 Rue de la Préfecture, 06300 Nice
La Tomate // a tiny takeaway hole-in-the-wall pizza place that literally bowls us over every time! Over the years, we’ve sampled their margherita, diavola, and chorizo pizzas, and they have always been absolutely fantastic! The bases are delightfully thin and crispy with a wonderful char taste — which is surprising because they aren’t wood-fired?! — , the toppings generous, and the tomato sauce is just wonderful. A must-visit. Address: 4 Rue de Russie, 06000 Nice
Restaurant Don Carlo // another very reliable pizza place! We somehow always end up getting takeout here on our first day in the city — starving and fresh off the plane, a wood-fired margherita downright laden with mozzarella is exactly what we need to reset the scales. Although not as light and airy as the above, this is a really good alternative, and the staff are always very friendly. Would recommend. Address: 7 Rue Paul Déroulède, 06000 Nice
gelato
Oui, Jelato // easily the best ice cream we’ve ever had in France. I went for a cone of pistachio, Husband went for a cone of milk chocolate, and both were absolutely delicious. Not too sweet, studded with roasted nuts, perfectly creamy, generously scooped, and topped with an extra spoonful of gelato and crispy wafer hat. We sadly only discovered this place on our last day, but will absolutely be back! A must-visit. Address: 5 Rue de la Préfecture, 06300 Nice
Fenocchio // somewhere we stumbled across on one of our wanders through the old town, I am torn about recommending this place. Although we stopped by a few times during our most recent visit to the city, the ice cream we had there was nothing special. After trying the pistachio and being disappointed by the sweetness/artificial flavour, we stuck to hazelnut thereafter and found it to be much better. Address: 6 Rue de la Poissonnerie, 06300 Nice
where we drank
N Les Bars - Le Negresco // the most beautiful bar! Located inside the lavish Hotel Negresco, stopping in here for a drink is such a treat; the bar is stunning with dark wood, large artworks, tapestries etc., the staff are attentive, and our drinks were perfect. I went for a whiskey sour and Husband went for an old fashioned; both were amazing, but the old fashioned had the edge ever-so-slightly because both the ice and orange peel(!) were brandished with the hotel’s logo. Although a little on the expensive side — €25 per cocktail when we visited in ‘23 —, we both agreed it was nice as a once off treat. Would recommend. Address: 37 Prom. des Anglais, 06000 Nice
Brasserie Le Magenta // somewhere we walked past every single day with Bean and then just decided to stop by for a happy hour spritz one afternoon — and it worked out so well we did it again the next day! The three of us sat out at a table near the front of the street, enjoying the atmosphere, people watching to our heart’s content, and sampling the free olives that came with our Aperol spritz goblets. Would recommend. Address: 1 Pl. Magenta, 06000 Nice
Topaze Bar // an accidental find from our last trip pre-baby. Located along the edge of the Promenade des Anglais, this was such a prime people-watching/sunset viewing point. We stopped in for a spritz at exactly the right time, and somehow managed to nab one of the large tables right at the entrance with a comfy couch and swing chair — it was delightful! We did walk by with Bean recently in the hopes of returning, but it didn’t really seem baby-friendly. Would recommend. Address: 47 Quai des États-Unis, 06300 Nice
where we tourist-ed
Promenade des Anglais // the most beautiful seaside walk! Essentially straddling the entire length of Nice’s coastline, the promenade is 7km long and strolling along it never gets old. We literally stop by every single day that we’re in the city, and it is always just so lovely! An especially romantic spot around sunset, but equally just as beautiful in gusty winds or drizzly rainfall. A must-visit. Address: Promenade des Anglais, 06000 Nice
Colline du Château // sitting at the tippy top of Castle Hill, this is the ultimate spot for amazing 360° views over the entire city! Located at one end of Promenade des Anglais, we’ve made the sweaty trek up here every single time* we’ve visited the city and it has always been absolutely worth the effort. Fun fact: every day at noon, a large boom rings out over the city from Castle Hill. Previously the boom came from a cannonball — nowadays, it’s a firework — but this has been a daily occurrence in Nice since the late 19th century; fun! A must-visit. Address: Castle Hill, 06300 Nice
*okay TECHNICALLY we didn’t make the sweaty trek on our last visit because we had Bean in the buggy — but thankfully there is an elevator for anyone who needs it.
Cascade du Château // a dreamy waterfall located at the top of Castle Hill! Artificially built at the end of the 19th century, not only is this a fun spot to cool down at on a blazing hot day, but it also makes for a magical backdrop for the stunning view over the city. A must-visit. Address: All. Professeur Benoît, 06300 Nice
Old Town Nice // getting lost in the winding streets of Vieux Nice is a quintessential tourist attraction in the city. The buildings are all painted the most gorgeous shades of yellow, orange, or pink, and it’s just so lovely to wander around a bit, explore without a map, and see where the wind takes you. Our usual route through the maze saw us ducking in at Place Masséna, wandering through the many little arteries leading towards the sea, and re-emerging somewhere close to the base of Castle Hill, usually having picked up a gelato en route. A must-visit. Address: Vieille Ville, 06000 Nice
Cathédrale Sainte-Reparate // aka, Nice Cathedral. In my absolute honest opinion, we were totally underwhelmed by this church, especially in comparison to Italian churches. We also found an annoying lack of information available inside — nothing about the patron saint, and nothing about the art held within? Confusing. In case you’re interested: the patron saint is Reparate, a 15-year old Palestinian girl who was decapitated for her faith in the 3rd century AD. It is said that after her death, her body was ‘blown by the breath of angels’ to Nice, where they remain today, in this church. Address: 3 Pl. Rossetti, 06300 Nice
Cathédrale Saint-Nicolas de Nice // another church, but this one we found far more interesting! A traditionally decorated Russian Orthodox Church — think: colourful onion domes and decorative spires —, this is the largest Eastern Orthodox cathedral outside of Russia. Aside from the obvious beauty of the exterior, the inside was just as eye-catching: very ornately decorated, and unlike any church I’ve ever visited before. Would recommend. Address: Av. Nicolas II, 06000 Nice
Port Lympia // the old port of Nice, filled to the brim with many a big fancy super-yacht! We only made it to the port for the first time on our last visit, but I really enjoyed strolling around the area; there were loads of families out and about, loads of joggers, plenty of cafes etc. Would recommend. Address: Nice Harbour, 06300 Nice
Musée National Marc Chagall // a great museum all about Chagall! It’s rather on the smaller side, with the focus largely on his religious works, but we both enjoyed exploring the pieces and wandering around the garden. Pro tip: admission to the gallery is free on the first Sunday of every month! Otherwise, tickets will set you back €8-12. Would recommend. Address: Av. Dr Ménard, 06000 Nice
#ilovenice sign // a fun little photo op, located at the base of Castle Hill. Similar to the ‘iamsterdam’ sign in Amsterdam, this is something to climb on and pose in front of, with the Nice coastline in the background. Address: 9 Quai Rauba Capeu, 06300 Nice
Daytrip to nearby towns // Nice is ideally located for many a fun outing along the coast! Over the course of our visits to the city, we’ve done daytrips to Juan-les-Pins, Villefranche-sur-Mer, Monaco, and Antibes — all of which are within a 30-minute scenic train ride! Read more: A Quick Guide to Villefranche-sur-Mer, France / 6 Things to See in Monaco / A Morning in Antibes, France (coming soon!). A must-do.
where we shopped
Nicolas Nice // a lovely little wine shop! Although we largely bought our wine from the Monoprix below, we have splurged on a nice bottle from here once or twice. If you can’t treat yourself on holiday, then when can you? Address: 23 Av. Jean Médecin, 06000 Nice
Monoprix Nice Victoire // the most convenient supermarket for us — but known to be one of the more bougie and expensive options. We stopped in daily for every little thing from fancy cheeses, aged jamon and pérrugines au pavore, EVOO, cerise noire chutney, and some gourmet crackers, to crisps, Pocky, pasta, water, wine, beer, and shower gel. The store also has a great salad bar selection, with coleslaws and pasta salads etc., and a wonderful hot food counter filled with a rotating menu of hot treats! We sampled their bœuf bourguignon, poulet basquaise, and rotisserie chicken during our stay, and everything was delicious. Address: 30 Rue Biscarra, 06000 Nice
map our trip
To make life easier, I’ve marked everywhere listed in this guide onto Google Maps for you! Simply click on the image above — or click here — to go through to a digital map that’ll open straight into your Google Maps.
There we have it, friends: A Complete Guide to Nice, France. The length of it got away from me slightly, but I couldn’t bear to leave anything out! Have you visited the jewel of the Côte d’Azur before? If you think I’ve left out any major recommendations then please hit me up using the comment box below — I’d love to hear from you!
Discuter bientôt,
Vicki xo
*Date of trips: 28th April - 5th May, 2026 / 16th - 20th January, 2023 / and 25th - 28th April, 2018
related posts
A Quick Guide to Villefranche-sur-Mer, France
6 Things to See in Monaco
A Morning in Antibes, France (coming soon!)
