Nice Restaurant Tips by allaboutnice

Restaurant Name: La Petite Maison

A favourite of food critic AA Gill, this restaurant is well reputed and mentioned in most guide books. I’ve had about three meals here. It would be the ideal place for groups of friends or birthday meal with friends and couples as the atmosphere is animated and buzzing and the chatter decibel factor is high. I would put your posh frock on. Perhaps not really a place for families with young children and not particularly intimate for a romantic meal a deux. Traditionally it is a handy after-theatre restaurant as it is opposite the Opera House. There are two sittings which allow early diners a 7:30 booking and then a post-theatre time. La Petite Maison is pretty much the equivalent of the Ivy in London. Pick your night right and you may end up rubbing shoulders with Elton.

The restaurant occupies one large room, very high-ceilinged with an open sweeping staircase leading to the loos (don’t drink too much- any stair-staggering is in full view of the diners) Look out for the Max Cartier sculpture on the bar – looks familiar? You will have seen a huge version at the airport roundabout.

Favorite Dish: The menu is limited in choice but the food is top quality and there are notices about the provenance of the beef. There are a few Nicoise specialities. One thing we have noticed, it’s a place to have three courses as the portions are not large. Also make sure you order side dishes of vegetable and potato, if you’re not careful you can get a steak on your plate and nothing else. Salads/starters/pastas are about 15-20 euros and steaks are about 30 euros plus extra for side dishes. There is the usual choice of sauces for the steak if you wish, the peppered is excellent.

It’s ok to tuck into the peppers, tomatoes, fruits and things lying around on the table when you first sit down, there's oil and salt/pepper to help things along. You will also be brought some coarse tapenade and bruschetta. Look out for the Madame in charge fussing around the tables making sure everything is just right. She issues commands to the waiters hovering nervously at her elbow and has them tweaking tables and moving them just an inch or two so that they are perfectly placed.

Menus are provided in English if necessary but like many translated menus the dishes sound better in French.

The wine list is good. As it is not a cheap restaurant and you might be here for a celebratory meal then I suggest you try a bottle of the strong full-bodied red Bandol, 35-40 euros 1999 or 2001 would be great with steak. The puddings are rather nice here – try the flat crispy tart with berries about 11 euros or the white chocolate mousse for about 8 euros.

We’ve eaten inside although there is a narrow terrace outside during the summer months.

Like the Ivy, it's supposed to be difficult to get a table here. We’ve never had a problem but our mo has been to reserve (see their website for details) many weeks in advance or just to pop in on the night at about 7:00 pm and ask for an early table for 7:30 pm. We have a child with us. I suggest you reserve a late table to catch the best atmosphere and leave the kids at home.

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Theme: Local
Comparison: more expensive than average

Phone: 04 93 92 59 59
Address: 11 rue St Francois-de-Paule, Old Nice
Directions: At the far end of the Cours Saleya in Old Nice, away from the Chateau. Just about opposite the Opera House.
Website: www.lapetitemaison-nice.com
Other Contact: fax 04 93 92 28 51

Restaurant Name: La Tapenade

Summer 2006

La Tapenade is an attractive corner restaurant with a narrow terrace. We’ve had many meals here in and out of season and it is a good fail-safe place to try for lunch or dinner. The inside is cheerful and yellow with frescos and exposed brickwork. The outside offers a view of the waterfall 'La Cascade' (man-made and sometimes switched off) at the top of the Chateau Hill. Look at the furniture shop opposite and see if the pull-down wall-bed is still there - it hasn’t changed in five years. You are at the mercy of wandering musicians a bit but it is a great place for people watching and the food is consistently good. A range of fresh pasta and pizza and Nicoise specialities. It’s a good place to try if you are in Nice for a day and just want a decent lunch in the Old Town, very generous portions and a chance to try the local Nicoise specialities. The staff are courteous and pleasant, service is attentive and you can linger as long as you wish; you will not be hurried along here.

Favorite Dish: Best value as always is the set menu which offers a choice of starter, main and pudding. There are two set menus. The first for about 17 euros offers an assortment of beignets – battered (frittered) vegetables – courgettes, aubergine etc or Salade Nicoise (tuna, egg, anchovy and mixed salad with olives, peppers tomato etc) or Ratatouille (a stew of courgettes, aubergines and tomatoes) or green Mesclun (leaf) salad for starters. The main course choices are Lapin (rabbit) a la mode Gairant, lasagne, grilled sardines or pizza of choice. Puddings are 2 scoops of ice-cream, chocolate mousse, chocolate gateau or crème caramel.

The second set menu for starters has a choice of courgette flower beignets, fish soup, Assiette Provencale or Salade Nicoise. Next course is a choice of duck, grilled fish, entrecote steak with a choice of sauce or fresh pasta mushroom ravioli. Puddings choose anything from the menu. This menu costs around 24 euros.

Or go a la carte; the prices are very reasonable for example and the portions are big so one course is often enough. They do one of the best Nicoise salads I have had in Nice and I have them all the time. It took me a good 25 minutes to finish a plate yet it is listed as a starter. My husband recommends the rabbit. Prices for one course range between 6-7 euros for a salad to about 12-16 euros for a main course. Pichets of wine start at about 7 euros. I’m a bit hazy with the prices as I can’t find any recent receipts. My daughter just fancied a plate of plain pasta last time which they were happy to sort out and only charged 6 euros for a huge portion.

If La Tapenade is full or you fancy something more casual and still very authentic, then try Bar Antoine at 27 rue de la Prefecture a little further up the road. The best meal to eat here is the daily special for around 11 euros – check on the board to see if it appeals.

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Theme: Local
Comparison: about average

Phone: 04 93 80 65 63
Address: 6 rue Sainte Reparate/rue de la Prefecture
Directions: Open Sunday and is closed for one day during the week, sorry forgot which. Find La Tapenade where the corner of rue de la Prefecture meets rue Sainte Reparate in the Old Town, 2 blocks back from the Cours Saleya.

Restaurant Name: Les Choix d'Anna, Nice Port

Summer 2006. If you fancy a take-out pizza you will find similar kiosks to Les Choix d’Anna all over Nice. They are very handy for a quick supper and save you cooking if you’re in an apartment. They can also be discreetly taken to your hotel room; great if you’re on a budget, have children or just need a quick snack. The pizzas vary in price from around 6-8 euros. In summer 2006 for a special promotion, all take-out non-delivered pizzas were just 5 euros, incredible value.

Les Choix d’Anna is open Monday to Friday 11:30 to 14:00 and 18:00 to 22:00 hours (delivery in evenings only) Closing day is Wednesday. Open evening only on Saturdays and Sundays, 18:00 to 22:00 hours.

Les Choix d’Anna is on the corner of the road by my studio, rue Francois Guisol. Our usual m.o. is to wander in, choose and pay for our pizza then call back in about 10 minutes to collect it. I think this is much easier than telephoning and trying to deal with delivery instructions.

Favorite Dish: The pizzas are delicious. My daughter’s favourite pizza is pepperoni. This is surprisingly hard to come by in Nice; the closest is the Chorizo pizza, slices of spicy Spanish sausage. I usually have the vegetarian option with no cheese when I’m dieting ‘pas de fromage svp’. There are 25 different types of pizza and they are all one size; large. You can choose your own toppings if you wish and you can add an egg for an extra 0.80 euros. If you don’t fancy pizza, then there are other hot meals to try - mixed grills for about 8 euros, burgers for around 5 euros and hot pasta dishes from around 7 euros. There is also a variety of salads and sandwiches from around 5 euros. Crepes or pancakes are also available both sweet and savoury, priced between 4-7 euros.

The best bit is you can also order a bottle of champagne with your take-out. A bottle of Mumm Cordon Rouge is 19 euros or you can go for it with a bottle of Pelletier for 23 euros. What a great idea, pizza and champagne.

You can of course order the usual range of drinks; wine, beer, soft drink, water etc.

This is a really handy place to know about if you're staying in the Port area for example, the Comfort-Port Hotel or the Kyriad-Port Hotel and of course extremely handy if you're renting an apartment in my Residence Port Nicea.

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Theme: Pizza
Comparison: least expensive

Phone: 04 93 79 09 36
Address: 22 rue Bonaparte, Nice Port
Directions: From the Port, head up rue Francois Guisol, Les Choix is on the left at the next junction with rue Bonaparte. from Place Garibaldi, head down rue Bonaparte, Les Choix is on the right at the junction with Francois Guisol.

Restaurant Name: Chez Memere

July 2006. Chez Memere is a stylish restaurant close to Place Rossetti, just off a side road, the location makes you think you have found a tiny hidden away gem. You get the odd scooter whizzing by but generally it is quiet. I was hoping it would prove to be a great find. After your meal it is a surprise to take a few steps and be in the centre of the busy Old Town.

The set up is quite kitschy with old velvety banquettes joining the tables and chairs spilling onto the narrow street. The menu was a bit different to usual, plenty of different fish dishes from about 14 euros and rabbit, duck etc from about 13 euros. Starters, salads and Nicoise specialities from about 7.50 euros and pizzas from about 9 euros, not the cheapest pizza but they were pretty magnificent.

The day’s special was Paella – a fragrant rice, fish and chicken dish. We often select a restaurant to try based on the day’s special; if it’s something my husband fancies, then that’s decided as I will always have a salad and my daughter will always choose fillet steak if it’s on the menu or pasta/pizza during frugal times so it is easy for us to eat anywhere in Nice, pasta, pizza and salads are offered practically everywhere. My husband fancied Paella which is sometimes hard to find as a single serving. I was having a fat summer and am off salads so the daughter and I had a pizza.

The paella arrived in a Tagine- an earthenware Moroccan lidded serving pot. It looked a bit small but was enough with bread. The pizzas were pretty amazing, most Nicoise pizzas are fairly thin with nice toppings and not too much cheese. These pizzas were thick and stodgy, smothered with cheese, so deep, most of the toppings had sunk in and disappeared. I loved the pizzas but it might not suit everyone. The paella was excellent apparently. The meal for the three of us, three main courses, one pudding an bottle of wine was 55 euros.

Favorite Dish: The food was in fact excellent; they must have a great chef and all around us people seemed to be enjoying their meal. BUT, there were a couple of let-downs. The waiters push you a bit to order their ‘Assortiment Chez Mamere’ a selection of Nicoise starters. I thought it a bit forced, perhaps they been under orders from the manager, not really come across this in Nice before. It didn’t matter to us, we ordered what we wanted. We ordered a bottle of the house red, at 14 euros not cheap (half a bottle is 8.50 euros) What happened next was strange. The waiter came with the wine and a corkscrew - all bottles of wine must be opened at the table, then he realised he had no corkscrew so off he went. When he came back he went through a pantomime of unscrewing a bottle of wine that clearly had already been opened as the cork was half-way out and in fact, he gave up the pretence and just yanked it out by hand. If I had had my wits about me, I would have stopped him in his tracks and insisted on a new bottle opened at the table but I wasn’t quick enough and I’m still cross with myself for not challenging him. To give him the benefit of the doubt perhaps he had opened the bottle when he went back in for his corkscrew. If I was being suspicious and cynical I might have thought that the wine was in fact cheaper stuff, decanted into an expensive bottle. It tasted fine but 14 euros worth – I a have a cheap palate so couldn’t tell, makes me a nice cheap date though :-) As always we ordered the free carafe of water along with the wine. It was tepid, a bit mean I thought (mind you that’s probably what they thought when I ordered it!)

The area is very touristy so perhaps they have lost heart a bit and don’t expect repeat customers; it’s a shame as the food was so good, it was let down a bit by everything else. I might even go back there, I would like to order the wine again and see what happens. Jury is still out on this one.

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Theme: Local
Comparison: about average

Phone: 04 93 62 48 46
Address: 6 rue Francis Gallo, Old Nice, nr Place Rossetti
Directions: Old Nice. Head off the central square Place Rossetti past Place Halles aux Herbes with the Cathedral St Reparate on your left. Rue Francis Gallo is ahead a bit to the right. The restaurant is on the corner.

Restaurant Name: Chez Juliette

Chez Juliette wasn’t hidden away – it’s out there amongst all the tourist restaurants in the heart of the Old Town. There are reasons though why I have ignored it over the last few years and why it is suddenly flavour of the month. First of all it is a bit dearer than the usual run of places I go for, however, now that I have mastered the art of eating and cooking cheaply and easily in my studio (thanks to the wonderful supermarket Picard and a George Foreman grill on the balcony) we are more likely to spend a few more euros when we DO go out – Chez Juliette’s set menu is 17,50 euros for three courses. Unless it’s something special like Le Tire Bouchon for 28 euros or an anniversary or birthday, we usually eat out for about 12 euros. Also, we have sneaked to Nice a couple of times by ourselves when the daughter has been on school trips – Chez Juliette is not really suitable for children, definitely a romantic sort of a place, especially inside, in the winter.

Until you examine the menu and decide to spend the extra couple of euros per head it is hard to see why you would choose here over somewhere else, the decor outside in the summer is a bit on the naff side - lots of unnecessary artificial plants about, try and ignore this. Inside, in the winter, the style is faultless, Matisse-esque paintings by the owner’s father cover the walls and all is red velvet and stylish chandeliers. The bill is presented in a kitsch hatbox.

Favorite Dish: Anyway, the menu is far more tempting to adults than children, another reason we have walked by with our young daughter in the past, there is no pizza or much pasta here. All the dishes are quite sophisticated and arrive elegantly presented. It is a real change to see something different on a menu. The last time we came here, we ate from the a la carte menu – I had a crab and avocado salad followed by tender lean round slices of duck with courgettes, then pears in chocolate – it was all wonderful. I even eat all the bread here – thin slices of wholemeal-y looking stuff.

I would still be walking by this place turning my nose up at the plastic flowers if it wasn’t for the helpful tip-off by our ATS driver, Bernard. He HATES the restaurants in Nice but when pushed for just one recommendation, he said Chez Juliette would be his choice because the food is top quality, the meat in particular is of the best quality and it is the only place he would eat in Nice. So, we tried it and loved it. So now you can try.

If you are a couple in Nice looking for really lovely and romantic places to eat, but not wanting anywhere too pricey or stuffy then Chez Juliettte may be the one for you, perhaps combined with the dearer Le Tire Bouchon on another evening. La Becasse (now closed 2006) is still a favourite for tighter budgets and you will get peace from the wandering buskers here. Chez Juliette’s popular location near Place Rossetti attracted three sets of musicians (and I use that term loosely) last time.

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Theme: Eclectic/International
Comparison: about average

Phone: 04 93 92 68 47
Address: Chez Juliette, 1 rue Rossetti, Old Nice
Directions: corner of rue Rossetti and Benoit Bunico, Old Nice. From Place Rossetti turn your back to St Reparate Cathedral and walk away with Fennochios on your left and La Claire Fontaine on your right. Chez Juliette is on the right hand corner of the next block.
Website: http://www.fra.cityvox.com/restaurants_nice/chez-juliette_47163/Profil-Lieu
Other Contact: open from 7pm, closed Tuesdays

Restaurant Name: La Grange, near Place Garibaldi

...there's not too many fighting for this award I'm sorry to say.

Anyway, close to our studio and in an unattractive road we only tried this restaurant because it was handy - open on a Sunday, lunchtime and evening (note: opening times have changed 2006, no Sunday) and en route to the Gare Routiere to catch the airport bus home. Since that visit we have returned several times. Please bear in mind that this restaurant looks nothing special at all from the outside. The inside is much better - it's small, only seven or eight tables and the decor is a happy compromise between stylish and rustic, rustic winning perhaps. The manager makes this place a bit different too. Looking most un-French and more like a bank manager than a restaurateur, he is fastidious and precise. Watching him carefully wipe the glass bottles containing the oils and vinegars before replacing them back on the shelves, you realise that his modus operandum extends to all parts of the restaurant. The cutlery, glassware, surfaces, are very clean, the crockery un-cracked. There is a high standard of hygiene here. The chef has a tiny kitchen visible behind the bar and the meals are simple and freshly prepared.

Although there is no terrace here, the window and door are open and fans whirr so it feels fresh and airy even on a hot summer evening helped by the lack of traffic on the quiet road outside. We have eaten here a few times and it is always busy but we have only ever seen French people here. It is only a few steps from Place Garibaldi and I think it is worth the extra minutes walk from the usual well-trod route.

Favorite Dish: I have my usual Nicoise salad and it is large, fresh, good balance of ingredients, really excellent value too for 6,90 euros. Did I mention how cheap it was here? Olive oil and Balsamic vinegar are provided at the table so that you can dress salads to your own taste and pepper can be freshly ground from a proper pepper mill. La Grange has the addendum `Pizzeria` on the wall outside which does no justice the wide range of food available here -pizzas are only a small part. Choices range from salads, pasta, fish and steak. You can also order simple things not on the menu and you will be accommodated wherever possible. For example the chef will obligingly knock up an omelette if required - helpful for families with young children. In addition to the printed menu, a blackboard with daily specials is also presented - last night my husband had liver doused in parsley with chips from the daily specials, it was excellent and the daughter had steak au poivre. A bottle of house red was 12 euros and was offered either slightly chilled or at room temperature. No puddings are listed in the menu; all homemade, they vary every day. Last night the choice was tiramisu, crème brulee, chocolate mousse, fresh pineapple or ice-cream. For three main meals, 3 puddings and a bottle of house red, the bill came to 53 euros.

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Theme: French
Comparison: less expensive than average

Phone: 04 93 89 81 83
Address: 7 rue Bonaparte, 06300 Nice
Directions: Rue Bonaparte links Place du Pin and Place Garibaldi, handy for Port, Bus Station, back of Old Nice and Acropolis. 1 minute walk from Place Garibaldi.
Other Contact: closed Sun mid-day and Tuesdays

Restaurant Name: Chez Palmyre

Chez Palmyre is a tiny family-run restaurant. There are only six tables and one is occupied by the family, who take it in turns to cook and serve an authentic French meal. The décor is genuine kitsch. There’s even an old-fashioned phone – the sort you dial rather than push buttons – remember those? The old-fashioned look (ie they’ve not re-decorated since the 70s) is more cheerful than stylish.

The night we went, December 2004, only two other tables were occupied. I suggest you get there on time. It was a bit like eating in someone’s house. We were all served at about 7:30 pm. Four girls who tried for a table at 8:30 were turned away with raised eyebrows. The Patron and his wife obviously decided that three covers was ample business for an evening. We had a very relaxed, charming and unhurried evening vastly improved by the absence of smokers – luck rather than management.

As usual it was the menu which looked great value that attracted us, four courses for 13 euros and wine from 2 euros a glass.

2006. Since finding this restaurant, we have been back for many evening meals, it IS hot in the summer despite the ceiling fans. An enthusiastic review in the New York Times, summer 2006 means reservations are essential to guarantee a table.

Favorite Dish: You will get a very French meal here, you have to hang on to your knife and fork between courses which are served individually, not all lumped together on one plate. This is very typical in France ie to get a bowl of salad leaves dressed well, very simple, THEN a small steak by itself, then a bowl of vegetables. It makes a nice change and you really notice the individual flavours. Portions look small but this is deceptive. At the end of the meal we were all pleasantly full. This was helped by the bread basket which was kept topped up throughout the courses.

The 13 euros menu consisted simply of a choice of four starters, four meat/fish dishes, four vegetable dishes and four puddings one of which was a cheese course.
The best combination in terms of balance and value was the Salad Nicoise starter or ‘assiette anglaise’ (charcuterie) followed by the steak with a bowl of thick soupy ratatouille then the cheese course – a fair-sized chunk of brie with extra bread. If you didn't want cheese, the crème caramel looked good -a slice from a large homemade pie.

Coffee is 1,40 euros and the tiny selection of wine starts from 2 euros a glass for the house red or rose and 7,30 euros for a bottle of house red or rose. A bottle of Cote de Provence is 12 euros. A brandy with your coffee is 4,60 euros.

Chez Palmyre is an authentic, cheap and handy place to eat in the winter – there is no terrace or outside tables, more desirable in the sumer. Not sure of the opening times or days closed. (I suspect this will be an ad hoc arrangement) Best just to walk by and check on the day – you’ll also get to see the daily menu that way.

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Theme: Local
Comparison: least expensive

Phone: 04 93 85 72 32
Address: 5 rue Droite, Old Nice
Directions: At the north end of rue Droite (away from sea) in the Old Town. Around the corner from the pizza restarant - Bar du Coin and a restaurant called Saf Saf. Easy to miss.
From the Cours Saleya, left at the Chateau Hill end of the Cours and up rue Droite.
Website: http://tinyurl.com/umobp
Other Contact: http://www.allaboutnice.com/rest

Restaurant Name: Chez Pipo

This restaurant is very basic, more of a cafe selling local specialities than a restaurant really. We came for the socca which is meant to be the best in Nice. There is no menu but the waitress was keen to practise her excellent English. A central cooking area occupied by a huge socca oven splits the seating areas into two parts, on one side there are several tables and chairs and the other side has more communal, longer tables and benches, great for larger groups or sociable couples, no need to be shy, just fill up the spaces. There is room on the pavement outside for a few tables. The view is nothing special just a road at the back of the Church by the Port. The daughter and I decided to sit outside as we were there in good time and there was a free table. I believe it gets quite full but people are happy to wait for a seat and sometimes there is a wait for the socca to be cooked. I liked the fact that Chez Pipo opens at 5:30 pm, it is useful for families whose children are used to eating earlier than French children; most restaurants in Nice don't open until 7pm and remain quite empty for the first half hour. By the time we left, it was very busy and there was a wait for the socca. Socca is a huge savoury pancake made from chickpea flour, which is cooked then scraped and broken up into portions (2,20 euros for a small portion, 4,40 euros for a large portion) that is often served as a take-away fast food and is always eaten with your fingers. I don't think you can reserve here, just turn up and wait or come early. Closed Saturadys, open Sunday - Friday 17:30 - 22:00.

Favorite Dish: There was a ten minute wait for the socca so I ordered a glass of Rose wine (1,90 euros) which was poured from a bottle right to the brim of a large glass, a very generous measure. There were a couple of other courses we could have tried; Pissaladiere pie - onion tart or bruscetta - toasted rounds of baguette with bowls of tapenade, garlic and aubergine dip for spreading, but we were holding out for the socca. I ordered a bottle of mineral water (Vittel, 2,20 euros) for my daughter but I noticed that most people seemd to have large free jugs of iced water so I'll order that next time. The socca came, a small portion for the daughter, a large one for me. It is presented as long slices on a plate with a napkin and pepper, you eat it with your fingers. It was delicious and very crispy and light. I had tried the socca at Rene Socca in the Old Town a few days earlier and it was completely different, much thicker and stodgier. The problem with the light and crispy socca at Chez Pipo was that although I had the large portion, I was still hungry. I decided to have a pudding, the other speciality of Chez Pipo - the Chard Pie, called Tourte de Blettes. Although it is served as a sweet pudding at Chez Pipo I believe there is a savoury version too. Well, this sweet chard pie was utterly gorgeous. A thick filling of sweetened chard vegetable, dried fruit, pinenuts and spices in a light flaky pastry top and bottom and sprinkled with caster sugar, I was so glad the socca had left room for this. One serving comes as a large square cut into four squares; like the socca you eat with your fingers. It was wonderful. I would recommend this restauarant for the tourte de Blettes alone, not just the socca, even though the socca was very good. It tasted a bit like a Christmas mince pie, but nicer. Daughter had homemade lemon meringue pie, there was also a choice of tiramisu or icecream. All puddings were 3,80 euros and quite honestly, one portion of the Chard Pie would do for two sharing although I polished off mine with no problem.

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Theme: Local
Comparison: less expensive than average

Phone: 04 93 55 88 82 (no reservations)
Address: Chez Pipo, 13 rue Bavastro, 06300 Nice (Port)
Directions: Rue Bavastro is directly behind the large neo-classical Church in front of the Port. An easy walk from Castle Hill, Place Garibaldi, Port area or any of the following buses for the Port: 1,2, 7, 9, 10, 14, 20, 30, 81, 82 and 100
Other Contact: open 17:30 - 22:00 Sun-Fri

Restaurant Name: Spuntino Divino

...You'll have to find somewhere else. This restaurant has changed names and style although I think the owners and staff are the same. Now called '(something) de viandes' and specialises in steak, Italian style, we've not eaten here since the changes. (Feb 2006)

This new Italian restaurant was recommended in an article in 'Nice Matin' Nice's daily newspaper. The article was entitled 'Bien terminer l'ete sans se ruiner' which means something along the lines of 'Enjoy the last of the summer in Nice without going bankrupt', no easy task.

The restaurant immediately gains points for its location, right in the centre of the Cours Saleya. I can't remember what was here before, but a tiny McDonalds on the Cours has recently disappeared...

It is all new, clean and trendy-looking. Modern seats and tables extend out under the awnings to the middle of the Cours and there are a few comfortable padded chairs just outside the restaurant. There is seating and a bar inside too.

Favorite Dish: The menu is very simple. You choose from six varieties of pasta or potato gnocchi (Italian dumplings). Then you select a sauce from about five varieties, eg carbonara, ragout de viande (this the the bolognaise option), arrabica etc.

The simplest, cheapest option is a bowl of penne pasta or fusilli plus any sauce and the cost is only 5 euros. The other choices range from 5.50 to 5.90 euros. Very good value.

You can also add a few extras like dried tomatoes, grilled courgettes, ham etc for an extra 50 cents to 1.20 euros.

The pasta comes in deep bowls and fresh parmesan is handed around.

It is a great place to have a light lunch and cheap enough to feed a family on the Cours without breaking the bank. We had our usual free carafe of ice-cold water. Wine starts at 2.50 euros a glass. Beer is 3 euros a Pression and cocktails are 8.50 euros - it does have a trendy wine-bar atmosphere at night, especially inside.

There is also a small selection of salads from about 6 euros and a bigger selection of Italian sandwiches. For the sandwiches, you choose from two sorts of Italian bread, then a selection of sixteen different fillings from 4,50 - 7 euros. euros.

Slices of Focaccia bread (natural, green olive or cherry tomato) are 2 euros.

All the food is available as take-away.

A bowl of pasta bolognaise for 5 euros on the Cours is very good value. There is a small range of Italian puddings priced 3.50 euros. Coffee is 1.50 euros.

The cheapest Italian sandwich plus a glass of wine would be 7 euros. Wine and a slice of Italian bread only 4,50 euros.

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Theme: Italian
Comparison: less expensive than average

Phone: 04 93 62 60 42
Address: Spuntino Divino, 34 Cours Saleya, Old Nice
Directions: In the heart of the Cours Saleya, next door to Thor Pub (so you get free live music in the evening!)

Open everyday for midday and evening meals. Also open for breakfast, pastries are 2 euros each or bread and jam for 3 euros, coffee, 1.50 euros.
Website: http://www.allaboutnice.com/restaurants_in_Nice