Cœur de Nice

 

LIVING in the  Old Town:


Here there are some tips so that you do not miss anything during your stay “in the heart of Nice”.


* FOOD STORES (Grocery-Supermarkets, Bakeries, Butchers, Fish, Fruits and Vegetables and the Shopping Centre "NICE TNL")

* LAUNDRIES in the area


* THE “SOCCA”, typical local specialty

* OTHER specialties from Nice

* Apart from Socca, WHERE TO EAT? The Restaurants

* Small price RESTAURANTS

* Average price RESTAURANTS

* Other RESTAURANTS in the old town

* Upscale RESTAURANTS


 FOOD STORES
 
Groceries-Supermarkets.
The closest one is located in the “Rue Gassin” (at the corner with Cours Saleya, near the Restaurant "Favola") with the brand "Vival". This is a well-supplied store, the prices are average. 5 minutes walk from the apartment with the sign "Carrefour Express" in the Place Saint Francis just opposite the morning market for fish and shellfish there is another small-medium store.
Not far from this "Carrefour Express" there is another well-stocked supermarket branded "U" (??Utile): affordable prices and good quality, many products of the brand "U" are really excellent. It is based in the rue Pairoliere (24), we recommend it.
In the Place Garibaldi (9 minutes’ walk) you will find a large supermarket "Monoprix branded". With reference to food there is a huge choice. The house brand products are good quality and very reasonably priced. For more information click http://www.monoprix.fr/trouver-mon-magasin/monoprix-nice-garibaldi-nice-2764.html. And if you want to save money, no worries, there is a hard discount store branded "Dia" (http://www.dia.fr), recently opened which is located in the Rue Cassini. (10 minutes’ walk from the apartment). If you are looking for a "Shopping Center" the closest one is located 15 minutes walk from the apartment, on the corner between Bd Delfino and Bd P. Sola. For more details click: http://www.nicetnl.com/

Bakeries.
We are very lucky about this subject as we have just in front of the kitchen window (in the Rue Barillerie) one of the best bakers of the district "La Fougasserie".The daily queue for a baguette should mean something! Recently renovated, it is capable of crank out thousands of croissants and crusty baguettes. 3 minutes from the building there is another excellent bakery, “Espuno” , 35 Rue Droite. Local recipes and cooking in wood ovens are some of its secrets. Also well-known for its regional specialties: pissaladières, "tourta of blea", "fougassettes etc...
Butcheries
The old town is the right place to find the best French meat. There are dozens of butcheries among the streets “Rue Droite, Pairolière et Bunico”. Saint François butchery (11 Place Saint Francis) is the best known, near the daily fish market in the Place Saint-François. There you will certainly get a high quality product prepared in front of you just in the counter area (http://www.francisviandes.com/?page_centre=stfrancois).
Other remarkable butchers of the district are: Djebali, 16 Rue Droite; Ghibaudo, 29 Rue Pairolière; Tour Gasiglia 27 Rue Pairolière, Agu, 20 Cours Saleya; Fulcheri, 26 Rue Bunico; Viale, 13 Rue Pairolière; Délice, 4 Rue Saint François.
 
Fishmonger’s  shops.
8 minutes far from the apartment every morning in the Place Saint-François takes place a well-matched fish and shellfish market (Tuesday - Sunday from 6 am to 1 pm) If you like seafood or a good plate of bream you are in the right place.
 
Fruits and Vegetables
10 meters from the building every day, from 6 am to 1 pm, Cours Saleya becomes a large market for fruits and vegetables, the largest of the city (it’s closed on Mondays). For more information: http://en.nicetourisme.com/pro-details-travel-trade/1507
Obviously in the area you can find other fruit and vegetable merchants being open all day, especially in the streets Rue Bunico, Rue Droite, and in the Rue Pairolière.

 


 LAUNDRIES in the area

- 3 Place Vieille **** (AUTOMATIC)
(enseigne: "Wash and go" - Les Choucas"

06300 Nice

- 11 Rue Pont Vieux
06300 Nice
Numéro de téléphone + 33 4 93 85 88 14

- 16 rue Parolière (enseigne : Laverie Béa)
06300 Nice

- 2 Rue de la Loge (enseigne : Pressing de la Loge)
06300 Nice
Numéro de téléphone + 33 4 93 80 39 68

- 34 Boulevard Jean Jaurès (enseigne : Bleu de France)
06300 Nice

Numéro de téléphone +33 4 93 80 05 87


- 16 rue August Gal (enseigne : Agnès Pressing)
06300 Nice

Numéro de téléphone +33 4 93 89 79 55

In the flat a map of the down town is available



THE “SOCCA”, typical local specialty.
it is a sort of pancake made with chickpea flour and olive oil baked (that’s a Socca oven, not just any oven). Delicious as appetizer, just take a portion in the old city; add salt, pepper and enjoy with friends with a pint of beer or a glass of rosé wine. For more information about Socca, click: http://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Socca.
Around the old town and in the area bordering the harbour you can taste the socca in many places but if you are looking for something special we recommend: Chez Pipo, René Socca, Theresa Socca et Socca d'Or.
 
Chez Pipo: 13 rue Bavastro, Nice (Telephone :+ 33 4 93  55 88 82). Everything is as it was 100 years ago, it’s worth to be visited. 15 minute walk from us  in the Port district. http://www.chezpipo.fr/ (very interesting web site not only from a culinary point of wiev).
 
René Socca : 2 rue Miralheti (at the corner of rue Pairolière, closed on Mondays).
René Socca is like a small institution in local Bistros. Large wooden tables, pitchers of fresh rosé, socca, pissaladières, or stock fish and many other local specialties. This restaurant operates like a self-service. On-site or take away (a portion of Socca € 2.80), it is an opportunity to restore “without missing a crumb of local life”. It is 5 minutes from home.


Socca d'Or: 45 Rue Bonaparte, Port area (12 minutes from the apartment). tel. + 33 4 93 56 52 93. Small restaurant perfect for  specialties of Nice: socca, pissaladière, bol de mesclun (bowl of greens), tourte aux blettes (chard pie).
Socca is really a success: fine, crisp, well-salted. Perhaps the best of Nice, not too fat not too thick, just right!
Considering the size of the restaurant, it is better to book by phone! Here you can find all tastes of our beautiful city of Nice. There is also humor, simplicity and good humor of a team without fuss. Cash payment only. Mon, Thurs, Fri (10:30 to 14:00 and from 5:30 p.m. to 10:00 p.m.) Mar. (10:30 - 14:00), closed Wed and Sun
.

Théresa Socca: the address of  “Rue Droite” (n. 28) is primarily where socca and pissaladières are baked because Theresa’s stand is based in the middle of the Cours Saleya in front of the beautiful Chapelle de la Miséricorde (Chapel of Mercy). Her “detractors” think Theresa’s atmosphere is more important than how she cooks this beautiful dish .... Test and then judge! ......and be careful because walking through the narrow streets of the down town you risk bumping in to the cart pulled by an old bicycle carrying socca from the stone oven of the laboratory to the tables situated in the middle of Cours Saleya.

 
OTHER specialties from Nice:
 
There are few places that can offer so many specialties. The habitants of Nice have been able to develop and maintain their culture and to convey it into some typical plates for the gourmet’s delight. Given that the cuisine of Nice is very rich, the following list is not exhaustive but it contains the best dishes to be absolutely tried.
Olives and olive oil from Nice :
The “Cailletier olive”, is a kind of olive typical of the region that has exceptional taste, soft aromas and very low acidity, we can draw soft but tasty oil and pulp.
 
La pissaladière :
Made of bread dough, this pie does not contain tomatoes and hasn’t to be confused with pizza. It has a sort of onions "jam" inside and it’s decorated  by anchovies and olives. It is found in almost all bakeries of the old town.
 
Les farcis niçois (stuffed vegetables)
You’ll find for all tastes: with zucchini flower, sardines, anchovies, tomato, cheese. All is not necessarily 100% typical, but the spirit of stuffed is just that!! Do not hesitate to try all the flavours. The stuffed vegetables are often eaten cold or warm, never hot!!
 
Le pan-bagnat (from Nissart language, “wet bread”)
“Pan-Bagnat” is a typical sandwich of the old Nice tradition. It is a kind of “faluche” (Faluche is the bread of Flanders, round, white and flat) but the pan-bagnat uses a specific recipe: tuna, anchovies, vegetables and olive oil seasoned.
 
La tourte de blettes (tourta de blea en nissart, in  English: “Chard pie »)
Chard is a plant whose leaves are usually eaten cooked: Very particular, we strongly recommend you to taste this famous local specialty.
 
Les gnocchis
These are small balls of potato flour and eggs, cooked in boiling water and eaten with a drizzle of olive oil or a sauce of your choice (cream of mushrooms, pesto, etc.).
 
La daube niçoise
It is a beef stew with carrots that can be enjoyed alone, as a single dish, or that can become a delicious sauce for gnocchi or ravioli.
 
La salade niçoise
Nowadays you can find a lot of recipe variations which have nothing to do with the original one. Everyone thinks eating one day a salad having the name of “Nice”. The true Salade Niçoise contains spring onions, tomatoes, fava beans, celery, small purple artichokes, peppers, boiled eggs, anchovies, olive oil and olives of Nice.( “Cailletier olive”)
 

 
Apart from Socca, WHERE TO EAT? The Restaurants
 
Seafood :
9 minutes’ walk from the apartment, under the arcades of the “Place Garibaldi”, in the south side, opposite the Monoprix supermarket there are some restaurants specialized in seafood . The products are always fresh. Inevitably they mainly serve seafood but it’s quite logic for restaurants that do that. As for prices, they are relatively correct for restaurants of this type in French Riviera! The most famous is arguably the "GRAND CAFE DE TURIN". Do you like mussels, oysters and all kinds of shellfish…… not to be missed.
 
The Restaurants.
We like to say that the taste is something subjective, and it is said in this way: to everyone his own taste. Therefore the following lines have the main purpose of supplying practical suggestions and if you disagree you are kindly requested to write your opinion to our usual email address. Future visitors will thank you !!.
Restaurants have been segmented according to three types of price

 
Small price RESTAURANTS :
we have already talked about “Chez Pipo", "René Socca" and "Thérèse" in the section on Socca
 
La Rossettisserie  (8 rue Mascoinat , + 33 4 93 76 18 80; 4 minutes’ walk from the apartment (near the Cathedral): After an excellent appetizer you can taste an excellent selection of grilled meat on a spit with potatoes and ratatouille. All for about € 14.50. This is great! Reservations are strongly recommended either for lunch or dinner. Specify whether you want a private table or if you prefer to sit at the long wooden table where you can know new friends.
 
Chez Palmyre (5 rue Droite, +33 4 93 85 72 32, 5 minutes from the apartment): perhaps the oldest restaurant, clean and well managed since 1926 by a team mother / daughter. When the 93-year-old mother died and his daughter 77Upscale RESTAURANTS-year-old decided to retire it has changed hands. Now, it's Philippe keeping the country store ambiance and friendly prices, while chef Vincent, who’s been coming here since he was a child, elevates grandma’s cuisine to something wonderful. Three-course lunch or dinner 15 €. Super!!. The menu changes every day. The restaurant is very small, so book well in advance.
 
Le 22 Septembre (http://www.le22septembre.com/ ; 3 rue Centrale, +33 4 93 80 87 90, 4 minutes from the apartment). It is like a hidden secret, nestled in the street side that leads into the rue Rossetti (just after the ice cream shop “Fenocchio”) You can enjoy its superb Normande cuisine (with some influences from Provence) at unbeatable prices. A Georges Brassens’ sad song named it, the atmosphere in this small restaurant leaves a bit to be desired, but this small inconvenience is quickly forgotten once the food arrives. Try the salad with almond-crusted goat cheese, or with Camembert fritters… even the accompaniments are superb. 3-course menu for € 15 and € 18 and don’t forget it’s open for dinner only.
 
Effervescence (10 Rue de la Loge, + 33 4 93 80 87 37)  is a "Champagne bar" or better yet "Champagne cellar with dining" in the Rue de la Loge, in the heart of the Old Nice, between Place Rossetti and Place St. Francis (5 minutes from the apartment). They offer particular drinks, incredible dishes at reasonable prices. The choice "Michel" - € 19,00 - includes: 2 glasses of Cava (Spanish sparkling wine), 3 appetizer “verrines” (a layered appetizer served in a glass), then 12 pieces of sushi, and to finish, 3 dessert “verrines”.
 
Restaurant du Gésu (1, Place du Jésus, 5 minutes from the apartment). Nestled in a tiny place, opposite the church of the Gésu (Jesus is Gésu in Nissart) They offer a simple local cuisine at a good price. You will immediately feel at ease in the room lined with scarves and flags of international rugby and football clubs. About the food, the choice is wide among the specialties of the Italian-Nice cuisine: gnocchi, pasta, pizza, stuffed and fried vegetables, pesto soup. Payment in cash only, no website, no reservations. In high season it's hard to find an available table, enter and try ......... (from Monday to Saturday: from 12:00 to 14:30 – from 19h00 to 22:30)
 
Acchiardo (38 Rue Droite, 2 minutes from the apartment, + 33 4 93 85 51 16). Price / quality ratio very high with its local and authentic cuisine. This is a typical place, a little bit noisy but very “familiar” with advantages and disadvantages of this local feature. Acchiardo takes reservations. Opening hours: Every day from 8:30 to 15:00 and from 17:30 to midnight except Saturday and Sunday.
 
Lou Pilha Leva (10 Rue du Collet, in the old town, 8 minutes from the apartment – close to the bus stop « Cathédrale » ; telephone:+ 33 4 93 13 99 08 ). It is the right place for mussels, which are served in a delicious saffron sauce and French fries for only 9 €. You can order your food at the counter (ask "moules and frites"). You sit around a large wooden table outside until they "cry" to pay your attention. Other specialties are also available there:, socca, chard pie, pasta, stuffed vegetables, fried zucchini etc.. You can order “take away” too.
 
Pizza Pili: it is not a specialty of Nice, of course, but if you want to eat a large size and good pizza, go to one of the two pizza Pili points of sale, both based in the old town. For € 7.00 you will have a multitude of choices. The closest one is located in 24 rue Benoit Bunico, telephone:  33.4.93.54.18.31, 3 minutes from the apartment and the other one is in 13 rue du Collet + 33 4.97.08.01.95,  8 minutes from the apartment. Take your pizza away and enjoy it in the apartment.
 
Les Amoureux : situated in the Port Disctrict, it’s probably the best place for pizza in Nice (15 minutes from the apartment). The address is 7 Rue Fodéré, street behind the church, book early because the place is tiny and always crowded: + 33 4 93 07 59 73. Reservation is welcome by calling from 10:30 to 12:00 and from 17:30 to 19:00 from Tuesday to Saturday.

And finally, two friends in our little street, “la Poissonnerie”:
- Kebab House at number 3, where you can enjoy one of the best kebab of Nice and
- La Banane at number 6. Here is the "pan bagnat" the specialty of the house: it is a kind of sandwich with tuna or anchovies, vegetables and olive oil, very popular in our region.
 
Average price RESTAURANTS:
 
Comptoir du Marché (8 rue du Marché – telephone: +33 4 93 13 45 01, 8 minutes from the apartment) : Armand, who already owns the “Bistrot d'Antoine” in the old town, has transformed this place based near the “Palais the Justice”  and Cours Saleya to make a funny bistro, full of tone and personality. The “little brother” of the popular Bistrot d’Antoine has a fresh and young inspiration, a changeable menu according to the season, and set prices: 7€ for starters, 13€ for mains, and 6€ for desserts. Beef cheek raviolis in truffled bouillon, duck breast on the grill and other specialties will awaken your taste buds.
 
Au Bistrot d'Antoine (27, Rue Préfecture – telephone + 33 4.93.85.29.57, reservations a must), 5 minutes from the apartment : from Tuesday to Saturday: 12h30 - 13h45 and 19h00 - 22h00). The menu features country-French dishes that you don’t see every day, like sardines, veal with tuna sauce or beef tongue with horseradish sauce….. feel free to be adventurous here because it is all so delicious that you can’t go wrong.  Even a simple salad is a revelation. Price between € 30 and € 35.
 
Cote Marais (4 rue du Pontin telephone +33 4 93 80 95 39, 6 minutes from the apartment). Traditional restaurant (payment in cash only!) An useful address in the Old town! Small restaurant (thirty seats), impeccable hospitality. € 29 for the menu where everyone can find happiness thanks to the varied choice of appetizers, entrees and desserts. A very simple but authentic cuisine, perfect cooking, fair presentation of dishes! Incredible wine list offering a huge high quality  choice.
 
L’Oliviera : (www.oliviera.com telephone  +33 4 93 13 06 45; 8 Rue du Collet, 8 minutes from the apartment). The shop: Tuesday- Saturday 10h00 - 23h00 ; the restaurant, Tuesday- Saturday 12h30 - 14h00 and 19h30 - 21h00.- (closed on Sundays and Mondays). The "Oliviera" (Olive+Riviera), between the tradition of Provence hills oils and trendy character of the coast is the temple of olive oil foremost, but the “Oliviera” also attracts people for its original and tasty dishes (Lasagnes Verdura, Aubergine Oliviera and Avocat Loco. For example). “Restaurant concept”, creative cuisine, the Oliviera offers a wide range of French Riviera olive oils to be enjoyed during the meal with typical dishes or to be tasted “alone” just sprinkled on a slice of bread. The master of the house is an expert in the field.
On your Carpaccio or raviolis, you are advised to run an olive oil  trickle (oil definitely from  Luc, Var, Aix or Nice). And as the house knows its gourmet, a bottle of Bellet, Vaucluse or Var wine (to name a few)-is also chosen with distinction. Price: “à la carte” (starter, main course and dessert around € 20.00, a bottle of wine between € 15,00 and € 30,00).
 
Chez Juliette : (1 rue Rossetti, telephone. +33 4.93.92.68.47 open from Monday to Sunday – closed on Tuesdays, 4 minutes from the apartment) You’ll be in the heart of the old town and you’ll discover a French Riviera between tradition and trendiness: in a warm and tidy décor the dishes are colored and flavored. Suggested dishes: duck breast with honey from Provence and gnocchi four cheeses dressed. Price slightly above average and service to be improved.
 
La P’tite Cocotte : (www.la-ptitecocotte.fr telephone :+33.4. 97 08 48 61, 10 Rue Saint-Augustin, 7 minutes from the apartment). Enjoy the deck in the ascendant part of the Rue Saint-Augustin with a breathtaking view of the Treille and let yourself be lulled by the sound of church bells. Chef Cedric's priority is to compound affordable menus with fresh ingredients that change according to the seasons. Dishes are cooked in cast iron pots to beautify the flavours and to keep the food warm. Three delicious dishes for 16 € at lunch and three excellent dishes for 25 € for dinner. Opening hours : From Thursday to Sunday (from 12:00 to 14:00 and from 19:00 to 21:30) Closed on Tuesdays and Wednesdays.
 
Le Bistrot du Fromager: 29 Rue Bunico (telephone. +33 4 93 13 07 83) ; Monday – Saturday from 19h00 to 23h00, closed on Sundays, 5 minutes from the apartment. The customer could think that it is just cheese, but, on the contrary: it is cheese inspired, meaning that each dish (fois gras, pasta, salmon…) is prepared in a creative way with a fabulous French cheese.  The most famous dishes are “the camembert surprise”, “the tartiflette”, and the “Pasta Gregoire” (tell the chef you want to watch the preparation – it’s flamed in a giant bowl in the middle of the restaurant).  The menu, in French, is displayed in a changeable chalkboard. Don't worry, Gregoire is good at translating. .The price « à la carte » (appetizer, entree, dessert, between € 25,00 and € 30,00)
 
Cose Così : (in the Rue Colonna d’Istria corner with rue Rossetti ; telephone : +33 6 69 23 40 04 ; 7 minutes from the apartment). It is another tiny place hidden in the « Rue » behind the Cathedral, but it is worth making the effort to find it. This is one of the few Italian restaurants in the city that offer authentic menu choices, and sometimes really very peculiar (dishes that an Italian would command in a second). This is a small restaurant where everyone gives such attention to detail that you feel really taken care of. Open for lunch from  Tuesday to Saturday and for dinner on Fridays and Saturdays It is best to call for reservations.
 
La Zucca magica (Vegetarian Restaurant, in the Port district, 15 minutes from the apartment, 4 Quai Papacino, telephone + 33 4 93 56 25 27 -  www.lazuccamagica.com. ). The simple tastes, the engagement of offering old recipes of yesteryear, using the best products combined with reasonable prices are the basis of the philosophy of the restaurant.  Furthermore, all the customers are  welcome as friends. Price: from € 22.00 (dinner, 4 courses) and € 29.00 (lunch, 5 courses)
 
Other RESTAURANTS in the old town
 
We like to say that one of the reasons that makes the apartment "Coeur de Nice/Heart of Nice" to have a big hit with tourists is undoubtedly its strategic location. One of these advantages is its proximity to restaurants of all types and for all pockets. Here follows a list of those that are really a stone's throw from us, without forgetting that the taste is always something subjective "to everyone his own taste"!.
 
Le Safari, in Cours Saleya, it combines a great atmosphere with a high quality product, and although they can be a little bit expensive (it depends in any case on what you order) recently they offer half portions of pasta and salads, which allow to file the restaurant in the average category. Especially nice for lunch on Mondays when the “Cours” becomes an antiques market. Always in our crowded Cours: Voglia (at the end of the Cours), the upscale La Cambuse, La Storia for pasta, “Blast” to taste the best hamburgers in Nice and the Pub "The 3 Devils" for the best "happy hour" (17:00 to 21:00). Other streets of the Old town which have numerous restaurants (French, Corsican and Italian) are the “Rue de l'Abbaye” (5 minutes from the apartment, it is a parallel street to Rue de la Prefecture) and the "Rue de la Préfecture" itself, especially in the section between Rue Colonna d'Istria and Rue de la Poissonnerie.
 
Upscale RESTAURANTS
 
Personally we have only heard..........talking about
 
Le Chantecler : 37, Promenade des Anglais, telephone. +33 4 93 16 64 00, inside the « Hotel le Negresco ».
 
Le Bistro Gourmand ( 3 Rue Desboutin, telephone + 33 4 92 14 55 55) www.lebistrogourmand.fr.
Located in the old town: Chef David Vaqué just received a Michelin star just a year after its opening.
 
Flaveur : 25 Rue Gubernatis, telephone +33 4 93 62 53 95 (Carabacel area) http://flaveur.net/home/ (the only new Michelin star in 2011).
 
L'Univers : 54 Boulevard Jean-Jaures telephone +33 4 93 62 32 22. http://www.christian-plumail.com/. Previously, this was the best restaurant with the worst decor, but the chef Christian Plumail finally has completely renovated the rooms. New atmosphere and improved look (!). A Michelin star.
 
Keisuke Matsushima :22 Rue de France; telephone + 33 4 93 82 26 06 www.keisukematsushima.com/(A Michelin star.)
 
L'Aromate : 20 Avenue Mar Foch, telephone +33 4 93 62 98 24 Chef Mickael Gracieux, a Michelin star Michelin. www.laromate.fr
 
Aphrodite : 10 Boulevard Dubouchage ; telephone +33 4 93 85 63 53 The chef is David Faure, one Michelin star ; www.restaurant-aphrodite.com/
 
La Petite Maison : 11, rue Saint François de Paule ; telephone +33 4 93 85.71.53. This is the preferred place by the former France President Sarkozy. www.lapetitemaison-nice.com/
 
Don Camillo Créations : 5 rue des Ponchettes ; telephone + 33 4 93 85 67 95 ;  www.doncamillo-creations.fr/. Chef Marc Laville offers a list of culinary marvels. You pay a fixed price for 2, 3 or 4 small plates. Each small plate is accompanied by the perfect wine.
 
Luc Salsedo : 14, Rue Maccarani ; telephone +33 4 93 82 24 12 ; www.restaurant-salsedo.com/ . Chef changes his menu every 10 days.
 
Diamant Noir : 34, Rue Beaumont (Port-Riquier district) ; telephone + 33 4 93 89.69.60. www.diamant-noir.fr/  The Chef is Benjamin Bruno : that's to say thousands of ways to cook truffles.
 
L'Ane Rouge : 7 Quai Deux Emmanuel , in the Port district; telephone : + 33 4 93 89 49 63. The chef is Michel Devillers. www.anerougenice.com

 
 



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