by For some, Nice is the starting point for many much-loved places in the South of France: happening Marseille, dressed-up Antibes, and glitzy Saint-Tropez, to name just a few. For others, it’s a destination in itself – a coastal city that feels more suited to Liguria than Le Sud.
Historically, Nice belonged to Piedmont and Turin in the 17th century and to the Duchy of Savoy before joining France in 1860. But before that – before Nietzsche spent his days walking the streets and Matisse found inspiration in an apartment in the Cimiez or Queen. Victoria fell madly in love while strolling along La Promenade des Anglais and famously said on her deathbed in 1901 “Oh, if only I were in Nice, I should recover” – a settlement established in Greece 400 R .Ch.
And yet, with its old-school glamor and its busy past of conflicting communities, Nice somehow managed to fall off the impressive list of savvy travelers who might have favored more European destinations. permanent. That is until now, with the opening of a flashy new hotel in a former convent that’s attracting a design crowd and a string of natural wine bars and lifestyle shops attracting a scene of Parisian cool kids who quickly discovered that the Cours Saleya is an easy hit. the. Champs-Élysées.
Ask the locals, they have known the magic of Nice for years.
PLACE TO EAT
Street food fans will be delighted with paper bags filled with socca – a crispy chickpea flour pancake and classic Nissarde – which can be picked up at most of the stalls that line the marché aux fleurs along the Cours Saleya. Speaking of Nissarde flavors, La Merenda is the best place for French: fried courgette flowers in season, sweet sardines and a bowl of tongue in a deep green pesto that rivals anything found in Genoa. It is also run by the former head chef of the Negresco (a longtime establishment).
For something more fun, head to Lavomatique, a sit-at-the-counter former laundromat that excels in small bites including straight-fried falafel and crisp white glass and those looking for dishes further out should book a table at Banh Mei. in Vieux-Nice. Regulars go for chilli oil and a drink recommended by Rennaud Châteaugiron, formerly of Clown Bar in Paris.
Petit-dejeuner should include butter maritozzo and cinnamon buns at Boulangerie Pompon, which only opened in April this year.
SHOPPING PLACE
Stay focused on the Old Town, it is quietly becoming an area of condensed coolness. But splattered among the coffee shops and lifestyles are some old-fashioned options where it’s worth stocking up on items to bring home. First up, Trésors Publics, for a fun collection of souvenir keepsakes including thin hardware, sweet stationery, and linens of all colors made by French artisans.
For the pantry, go to Nicholas Alziari for oils and tapenades and Maison Auer is a one-step wrong confectionary with the best candied fruits (chestnuts in syrup stand out) and rich chocolates. Over to the port, there’s Good Design Store: a space filled to the brim with chintzy trattoria platters, minimal glassware and striped towels.
WHERE TO DRINK
Natural wine bars and tiny hole-in-the-wall coffee shops are the latest places to get a drink. Frisson mixes cortados with coconut ice cream in a more modern space with graphic prints on the wall and the Carhartt crowd of thirty-somethings sip vin natural at Barrique. For more sit down, small pates, bottles of wine with friends kind of night, it’s Babel Babel for the sea view or Fanfan & Loulou near Parc Castel des Deux Rois. Simply touch the side earlier to get a seat.
WHERE TO BE
It took ten years for Valéry Grégo – a former financier turned inventive hotel creator who heads the Perseus group and previously launched Côte d’Azur Hôtel Les Roches Rouges and Le Pigalle in Paris – to develop his vision for an abandoned 17th-century convent age to give. stay smart in life. And it is far from the more shiny classics seen and seen on the coast. Instead, Hotel du Couvent is a deliberate, attentive and carefully preserved hideaway in the Old Town of Nice. Rooms are soft, clean and fine neo-monastery in design – with little details reminiscent of the nuns of Santa Clara there are antique wooden furniture or delicate religious iconography mixed with later finds of Picasso gouache and books about Cezanne.
At breakfast, freshly baked bread and croissants come out of the on-site boulangerie, the same room used nearly 400 years ago, and at dinner, a line of well-heeled guests grab an Adonis (a Negroni riff made with port and orange blossom. ) in Le Bar before sitting down for a long wine-flowing dinner of artichoke and thick rice pudding with a sticky caramel sauce. But most of the magic happens in the gardens – a high plateau of stone levels filled with drooping fruit trees and a vegetable patch used by the kitchen. On one of the upper decks is La Guinguette, a more casual lunch spot to take a break from the pool. When it gets too hot, the underground Roman baths are where to seek shade, and cool water drops in the frigidarium. This is a new type of stay that carefully imitates the classics of the French Riviera. Read our full review here.
Rooms from £330, hotelducouvent.com
In the Riquier area, Mama Shelter – a brand that keeps a close eye on ever-growing cities – has just opened its doors. And it’s a 102-room color-happy contemporary hotel with a pattern that has drawn huge queues from artists who have all brought their easels here.
Rooms from £80, mamahelter.com/deas
WHAT TO DO
The whole time can be spent hopping from museum to museum and up into the hills to mosey about the Musée Matisse – Nice has the second highest number of museums in the country outside of Paris – and this was the place which he had after all. The Musée Masséna is steeped in history and more colorful stained glass art fans should see at the Marc Chagall National Museum.
But as an alfresco city, do as the locals do and go for a walk: along the flower market, the Promenade des Anglais and up to the Colline du Château (Castle Hill), the site of the first Greeks. It would also be remiss not to have a swim in the Med – so make an early beeline to the sea and put up a colorful umbrella. Note however that this is not a sandy beach, but pebbles and stones bring rock shoes.
For sprawling on rocks, head to La Réserve – you’ll also find a change to jump off the retro diving boards at La Plongier. For a more formal business, claim a beach bed at Plage Beau Rivage, it is old-fashioned and glitzy, but bring the wallet.
