Article by John Burnton - The Guardian newspaper 18 May 2008
The lowdown
Nice is the de facto capital of the Côte d’Azur, a Grande Dame the French often dismiss as being pour les riches et les vieux - for the rich and the old. But it has been recently transformed into a vibrant, cultural city. Although it is difficult to drag yourself away from the majestic seafront, the Promenade des Anglais, the baroque old town with its splendid pastel palaces and churches, conceals a labyrinth of funky bars, restaurants and late-night clubs.
Up in the hills among the swanky villas of the exclusive Cimiez neighbourhood, the streets are named after the Prince of Wales and George V, and there’s an imposing statue of Queen Victoria, who was a regular visitor. But there are also two state-of-the-art museums, dedicated to the painters Chagall (entry €6.50) and Matisse (entry €4), who were also long-term residents. From 1 July a new initiative will see all Nice museums becoming free. Any evening, you can pick up a sleek new tram from Place Masséna and take a tour of over a dozen colossal avant-garde sculptures that are lit up at night (a ticket for the tram, which passes most of the sculptures, costs €1; the proper guided tour costs €6).
Where to eat
Of all the Riviera resorts, Nice has both the best cuisine and the most affordable prices. Everyone visits the town’s colourful Marché des Fleurs, and rather than sitting down at one of the dozens of touristy restaurants lining the square, head for Chez Theresa’s flamboyant socca stall. Socca is a thin pizza/pancake made from chickpea flour and drizzled with fruity olive oil. A big portion costs only €3, and the socca itself arrives every five minutes on the back of a motorbike direct from the baker’s oven.
Alternatively, the Lou Nissart (1 rue de l’Opéra, 00 33 4 9385 3449) has delicious dishes of the day at around €12, such as rack of lamb roasted with provencal herbs or petits farcis Niçois - vegetables stuffed with minced meat. A three-course set menu costs €23.
For the evening, reserve at L’Escalinada (rue Pairolière, 00 33 4 9362 1171;escalinada.fr), in the heart of the baroque old town, where the owner, Marco, makes everyone feel like his best friend. There is a full menu, with three courses, a glass of kir and a pissaladière (a local onion and anchovy tart) at €23 , but it’s worth going à la carte here just for their speciality ribambelle (€15.50, but there’s enough for two), a selection of Niçois appetisers - chickpeas and onion, grilled red peppers, octopus salad, beignets of aubergine and courgette, and a frîture of sardines, baby squid and locally fished red mullet. For dessert, don’t miss the fabulous tarte au citron topped with meringue.
Where to stay
You don’t have to check in at the legendary Negresco Hotel to stay just by the Promenade des Anglais and the azure waters of the Baie des Anges. A few minutes’ walk away, in backstreets lined with grand belle époque mansions, lies the enticing Nice Garden Hotel (11 rue du Congrès, 00 33 4 9387 3562;nicegardenhotel.com; doubles from €65). Owner Marion Hoffman has lovingly renovated nine rooms in this family-run pension, and while the decor is charming, the reason to reserve here is her secluded, luxuriant garden with its orange grove and fragrant flowers.
Even closer to the seafront, Villa Rivoli (10 rue de Rivoli, 00 33 4 9388 8025;villa-rivoli.com; doubles from €69) is a rather grand, though faded, turn-of-the-century villa. But the place has just been bought by a dynamic new owner, who has embarked on a total renovation of the rooms and garden, which will be completed by summer. So this is definitely the time to book, as every effort is made to make guests feel special.
The essentials
Getting around
Nice, Cannes and Antibes are linked by a scenic train route that follows the coast: a one-way ticket costs €5, while a single bus ticket, whatever the distance, is just €1. From June to October, a day-trip ferry runs from Cannes (trans-cote-azur.com), to St Tropez for €37.50, about the same price you’d pay for a day’s parking there.
Getting there
Easyjet (easyjet.com) flies to Nice from Belfast, Bristol, Edinburgh, Liverpool, Newcastle and London; Bmibaby (bmibaby.com) from Birmingham, East Midlands; Flybe (flybe.com) from Exeter, Jersey, Southampton; Jet2 (jet2.com) from Leeds-Bradfod and Manchester. carrentals.co.uk has hire cars from Nice airport from about £35 a day.
Further information
· Antibes Tourism Office: 00 33 497231111; antibesjuanlespins.com
· Cannes Tourism Office: 00 33 4 9299 8422; palaisdesfestivals.com
· St Tropez Tourism Office: 00 33 4 9497 4521; ot-saint-tropez.com
· Nice Tourism Office: 00 33 892 707 407; nicetourisme.com
· Also see: guideriviera.com; tourismevar.com
