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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.