Restaurants in Nice

Selecting Lunch Restaurants Strategically

Online Research: Start by searching online for restaurants in your area that serve lunch. Websites like Yelp, TripAdvisor, and Google Maps can provide a list of options along with customer reviews and ratings.

Michelin Guide / Nice: Consult the Michelin Guide, which provides a comprehensive list of restaurants, including those that serve lunch for a reasonable price. Look for restaurants without a Michelin star rating, as they are known for their exceptional cuisine and service for a moderate budget.

Lefooding.com / Nice: Visit Lefooding.com, a website that lists affordable, unique and delicious restaurants, including those that serve lunch. Filter the results by location and cuisine to find suitable options.

Word-of-Mouth: Ask friends, colleagues, or neighbors for recommendations. They may have tried a great lunch spot that you haven’t considered yet.

Menu and Pricing: Once you have a list of potential restaurants, check their menus and pricing online. Look for restaurants that offer a variety of options at reasonable prices (e.g., $10-$20 per entrée / starter). Price of wine will vary but I choose a wine priced about the cost of about two entrées or one half the total menu price without wine. — Daniel Smith 2025/01/05 15:53

Advantages of Lunch Service

Fewer Customers: Lunch service typically has fewer customers compared to dinner service, making for a more relaxed and quieter dining experience.

Quicker Service: Lunch services often have a faster pace, with meals served more quickly, which can be beneficial for those with limited time.

Special Deals: Many restaurants offer special deals or promotions during lunch hours, such as discounts, combos, or value menus.

Variety: Lunch menus often feature a different selection of dishes compared to dinner, offering a chance to try new flavors and cuisines.

Selecting Reasonably Priced Restaurants

Michelin Guide: The Michelin Guide is much more than exorbitant, excessively outrageous starred, luxurious restaurants. Look for Michelin-starred restaurants that offer lunch options at reasonable prices. For example:

The Hinds Head (UK) offers a 3-course lunch menu for £50.

Kenny’s (UK) serves a “Sunday Feast” lunch for £45.

Lefooding.com: Filter Lefooding.com’s list by price range (e.g., under $20 per entree) and cuisine (e.g., Asian, Italian) to find affordable options.

Menu Analysis: Review menus online and look for restaurants that offer a balance of quality and price. Consider the following:

Portion sizes: Are they generous or modest? For lunch you may want modest portions.

Ingredient quality: Are they using fresh, locally sourced ingredients?

Menu variety: Are there multiple options at different price points?

To Try

Unique and Affordable Restaurants in Nice, France

Reviews

Cheap Eats in Nice video

Five Best Restaurants in Nice video

Five Restaurants in Nice *Favored by Locals* video

By combining online research, Michelin guide recommendations, and Lefooding.com listings with menu analysis and word-of-mouth recommendations, you can find reasonably priced restaurants that serve lunch and offer a great dining experience.

Restaurants & Cafés Recommended

lunch available

Le Séjour Cafe

Le Séjour Café as described in the Michelin Guide: "At Le Séjour Café one could think they are in the living room of a lovely private home, cosy and hushed." Stylish decor and excellent service abound but also include creative dishes with reasonable prices and innovative pairings. Séjour Cafe was passed from parents to daughter whose daughter created the Bistro Marin close by.

Bistrot_Marin

Bistro Marin - May be closed. Bistrot Marin is a charming fish restaurant located in the Carré d'Or of Nice, offering bistro cuisine with a focus on seafood. Michelin mention. Open for reasonably price lunch.

Chez Divia

Chez Divia - This restaurant with a warm and comfortable atmosphere serves refined Nice specialties with a somewhat old classic touch. A recent visit was disappointing given the aging appearance. It seemed like this classic restaurant with no modern updates in years.

Les Deux Canailles

Les Deux Canailles - In 2011 there first appeared in Nice, a new table: Les Deux Canailles (The Two Scoundrels). After having traveled the four corners of the 'Hexagon'<France>, the chef TAKANO Tsumoru finds refuge on the Cote d’Azur, attracted like his impressionist pairs of which he is a great admirer, by the clemency of the climate and the unique luminosity of the azure sun. It is his vision of the Cote d’Azur that Tsumoru wishes to create his plates, and to integrate his Japanese roots that bring all the uniqueness to his cuisine.

Fine Gueule

Fine Gueule Official Website

Address:2 Rue de l'Hôtel-de-Ville, 06300 Nice, France

Cuisine: Traditional regional cuisine featuring fresh, local ingredients.

Specialties:

Homemade pissaladière

Deviled eggs

Calamari á la plancha

Seasonal dishes

Atmosphere: Warm and inviting, with a newly refurbished interior featuring an open kitchen and counter dining. Popular with both locals and visitors.

Access:

Located in the heart of Vieux-Nice, close to public transportation and local attractions.

Open Tuesday to Saturday:

Lunch: 12:00 - 14:00

Dinner: 19:30 - 22:00

Closed on Sundays and Mondays.

Reservations can be made online through their website, Fine Gueule Online Reservations & Inquiries

Phone: +33 4 93 80 21 64

Email: contact@finegueule.fr

Olive & Artichoke

Olive & Artichaut is a dream of a small restaurant where everything breathes the happiness of being welcomed. Located in an alley of Vieux-Nice, the decoration of the two small rooms is simple but attractive, as the warm welcome all smile of the young manager Aurelie Marion. Thomas Hubert, her partner, is in the kitchen or rather cooks under the eyes of all at the end of the bar in a reduced space but with a confounding efficiency and naturalness.

Rouge

Rouge: Rouge is a little casual wine bar by Port Lympia, mentioned in the Michelin Guide. But don't let the laid-back style fool you. Tapas-style dishes are artfully designed and well prepared. Large selection of unique local wines by the bottle or glass. Rouge is a vibrant, casual restaurant situated in Nice's antique district, overlooking the Lympia port and facing Mount Boron.

Address:2 Rue de Foresta, 06300 Nice, France

Cuisine: Rouge specializes in Mediterranean cuisine, offering a variety of small plates crafted from fresh, seasonal ingredients.

Specialties: The menu features dishes such as smoked aubergine caviar, tomato carpaccio with feta, tuna tartare with raspberries, caramelized Ibaiama pork belly with honey, and pan-fried chipirons with chorizo.

Atmosphere: With a joyful and festive ambiance, Rouge welcomes guests along a superb counter, at tables, or on its terrace adjacent to the old fortress of the Chateau. The establishment boasts an extensive selection of natural and biodynamic wines, displayed in a large, refrigerated glass wine cabinet, allowing patrons to choose their preferred bottle or enjoy a glass, with complimentary tastings available before purchase.

Mentions:

The Michelin Guide on-line Mention, Rouge, un sympathique bar à vins.

Le Fooding: "Mi-faim, mi-raisin !"

Access: Rouge operates daily from 12:00 noon to 00h00 midnight, offering continuous service in a lively setting ideal for both casual gatherings and full meals. No reservations.

Le Grand Café de France

Le Grand Café de France is a large cafe, on, where else? Rue de France at 7 Rue de France. The street turns pedestrian and very touristy towards the east.

Le Grand Café de France serves everything tourists think French people eat every day: [French onion soup, snails, oysters, salade niçoise, foie gras, crêpes]. It's OK, good Art Deco decor, somewhat overpriced and cuisine not very innovative. Sometimes the service is dicey.

The terrace provides great tourist watching. This café might be a good place to experiment with Frenchy dishes on your bucket list. Oh yes, they certainly serve American burgers, deeply cooked.

Cuisine: Mediterranean and French cuisine, offering a blend of traditional and contemporary dishes.

Specialties:

Burgundy snails – €16.50

Sea bass ceviche with citrus – €19

Brie with truffle – €17

Foie gras with porto wine – €19

Traditional hamburger and fries – €23

Green asparagus with citrus notes – €16

Eggs mimosa with black truffles – €14

Pasta with pesto and burrata – €13.90

Fresh oysters

Fancy signature desserts

Atmosphere: Le Grand Café de France exudes a Parisian spirit, functioning as a brasserie, restaurant, and tea room. The establishment offers a continuous service, making it suitable for various occasions, from casual dining to special events. The interior is elegant, and there is a terrace for outdoor seating, providing a pleasant ambiance for both locals and tourists.

Access:

Centrally located in Nice, easily accessible by public transportation.

Open daily from 08:00 to 00:00.

Reservations can be made online through their website: Online Reservation

Inquiries:

+33 4 93 53 97 38

contact@legrandcafedefrance.fr

Top Restaurants in Nice

Nice sits at the intersection of Provençal, Niçoise, and Italian culinary traditions, backed by the Mediterranean larder of the sea, the mountains, and the plains of the Var. The result is one of the richest restaurant scenes in France outside Paris — currently home to seven Michelin-starred restaurants, two of which rank among the highest-rated fine dining establishments in the country.

Reservations are essential for all starred restaurants, often weeks or months in advance. Always verify current hours as they change seasonally. See also: guide.michelin.com/en/fr/provence-alpes-cote-dazur/nice/restaurants

I. Michelin-Starred Restaurants

★★ Flaveur — Nice's Only Two-Star

📍 25 rue Gubernatis, 06000 Nice · restaurant-flaveur.com · Tel: +33 4 93 62 53 95
Hours: Tue–Fri 12h–13h30 and 19h30–21h15 · Sat 19h30–21h15 · Closed Sun–Mon
Rating: ★ 4.4 (383 reviews) · Michelin: ★★ (2 stars since 2018) · Price: €€€

Flaveur is the brainchild of brothers Gaël and Mickaël Tourteaux, who honed their culinary skills at upscale establishments under prominent chefs including Alain Llorca and Michel Del Burgo. The only restaurant in Nice with two Michelin stars — one for each brother — Flaveur is also on La Liste as one of the 100 best restaurants in the world.

The cuisine is creative but simple, making the most of each flavour and giving each ingredient its due time at centre stage. The brotherly duo source their fish from small-boat fishermen and use organic, permaculture vegetables grown on the hills above Nice. The intimate space seats very few — the aquarium-themed interior is the work of Cannes designer Jean Rogliano.

Signature dishes: Mediterranean lobster · San Remo caramote prawn · scorpion fish in vadouvan spice broth · Niçoise peach bouillon · poultry from Pierlas with peanut rougail

Expect a 4–5 hour dinner experience. Reviewers consistently describe it as one of the finest meals of their lives. Book as far ahead as possible.

★ Restaurant JAN

📍 12 rue Lascaris, 06300 Nice · restaurantjan.com · Tel: +33 4 97 19 32 23
Hours: Tue–Sat 19h–22h · Closed Sun–Mon
Rating: ★ 4.8 (1,102 reviews) — highest-rated restaurant in Nice · Michelin: ★ · Price: €€€

Chef Jan Hendrik van der Westhuizen, once a yacht chef and photojournalist, serves a fixed set menu highlighting South African flavours, blending sweet, sour, and spicy in a unique French-African fusion. He is the first South African chef ever to earn a Michelin star, and he earned it here in Nice in his tiny 20-seat restaurant near the Old Port.

Jan bought the restaurant next door, baptized it Le Bistrot de Jan, and made his cuisine accessible via an à la carte menu — and a weekday 3-course lunch menu for just 32€. Whatever the weekly offering is, you can't go wrong.

The truly unique feature of JAN is MARIA — a private dining room and mind-blowing cheese room across the street, where dinner guests are escorted mid-meal for the cheese course before returning for dessert. One reviewer described it simply as “the best dining experience I have ever had.”

Signature dishes: Duck and peach with cherry jus on smoked mashed potato · apple, chorizo and haddock starter · MARIA cheese course

⭐ Top pick for a special occasion. The 4.8 rating from over 1,100 reviews is extraordinary for a fine dining restaurant. Reserve weeks ahead.

★ Les Agitateurs

📍 24 rue Bonaparte, 06300 Nice · lesagitateurs.com · Tel: +33 9 87 33 02 03
Hours: Mon, Thu–Fri 19h30–22h · Sat–Sun 12h–14h and 19h30–22h · Closed Tue–Wed
Rating: ★ 4.8 (1,305 reviews) · Michelin: ★ (since 2021) · Price: €€€

Julie Buseto and Samuel Victori were awarded their Michelin star in 2021 — the only new star in Nice that year, earned in the middle of the pandemic. Located in the trendy Petit Marais district near the Port, this convivial restaurant blends Japanese-inspired techniques with the finest local Mediterranean produce for a cuisine that feels both surprising and deeply rooted.

Reviewers rave about the langoustine tortellini, the lobster bisque, the dashi beurre blanc, and a pistachio dessert described as among the best ever tasted. The cellar table is particularly sought after. One of the best value-for-quality propositions in Nice's fine dining scene.

Signature dishes: Japanese-French fusion tasting menu · local fish and seasonal vegetables · 9-course menu (€165pp)

⭐ Tied with JAN for the highest rating in Nice. An extraordinary achievement.

★ ONICE

📍 5 rue Antoine Gautier, 06300 Nice · restaurantonice.com · Tel: +33 7 86 55 50 33
Hours: Wed–Fri 19h–20h30 · Sat–Sun 12h–13h30 and 19h–20h30 · Closed Mon–Tue
Rating: ★ 4.6 (322 reviews) · Michelin: ★ (2024) · Price: €€€

Lorenzo Ragni and Florencia Montes are the talented Italo-Argentinian couple at the helm of this intimate address in the antiques quarter. After international careers in Michelin-starred restaurants, they met at Mauro Colagreco's Mirazur in Menton. Today, they jointly sign a festival of crisp, gutsy dishes that reflect the seasons and the local catch.

They earned their first Michelin star less than ten months after opening — the two new stars awarded in Nice in 2024. The name can be read in Italian (oh nice!) or French (oh, Nice!) — both interpretations feel right.

Signature dishes: Tagliatelle of cuttlefish with lemon and citron · seabass with champagne and cockle emulsion · bloody orange sorbet with koji rice pudding · 5 or 7-course tasting menu (€125–145)

★ L'Aromate

📍 2 rue Gustave Deloye, 06000 Nice · laromate.fr · Tel: +33 4 93 62 98 24
Hours: Tue–Sat 19h30–22h · Closed Sun–Mon
Rating: ★ 4.4 (149 reviews) · Michelin: ★ · Price: €€€

Close to Place Masséna, L'Aromate features a monochrome interior warmed by swathes of gold and a glass-walled kitchen at its centre — so diners can watch the culinary mastery in action. Chef Mickaël Gracieux and his wife Élise Morselli-Lourtet have built one of the most intimate fine dining rooms in Nice. Gracieux trained under Charial, Robuchon, and Ducasse before earning his first star in 2008.

The menu is admirably concise: 4 or 6 courses (€120 or €160), dinner only. Local seafood — green crab, San Remo prawns — drives the menu, with creative Mediterranean combinations.

Signature dishes: Seasonal local seafood · sardine tart · 4 or 6-course tasting menus

★ Pure & V

📍 15 rue Bottero, 06000 Nice · Tel: +33 6 19 88 68 90
Hours: Wed–Sun dinner · Sun lunch also · Closed Mon–Tue
Rating: ★ 4.1 (293 reviews) · Michelin: ★ · Price: €€€€

V is for Vanessa — Vanessa Massé's passion for wine won her Michelin's Best Sommelier award in 2021, which accompanies the restaurant's own Michelin star, earned with Danish chef Mads Thomsen. The restaurant maintains a commitment to sustainable gastronomy, sourcing 90% of produce from local organic producers within 100km.

The restaurant's menu is full of simple, creative dishes made with local produce with international touches. Three tasting menus are on offer — four, six, and eight courses — with the option of natural wine pairings from a list of 70 vignerons, 80% French. A second, more casual restaurant on the upper floor called Pure & Vins offers aperitif, snacking, and dinner Monday–Thursday from 18h — an excellent and more affordable entry point.

Signature dishes: Steak tartare with fourme d'Ambert on buckwheat · chapon with artichoke and bacon in smoked white butter · lavender ice cream with miso caramel

Note: Some recent reviews mention the restaurant may be relocating — verify before booking.

★ Le Chantecler — Hôtel Negresco

📍 37 Promenade des Anglais, 06000 Nice · lenegresco.com · Tel: +33 4 93 16 64 10
Hours: Wed–Sun 19h–21h30 · Closed Mon–Tue
Rating: ★ 4.5 (298 reviews) · Michelin: ★ · Price: €€€€

Le Chantecler is the main restaurant of the iconic Hôtel Negresco on the Promenade des Anglais. Freshness, proximity and seasonality guide chef Virginie Basselot's hand, where the ingredients sing. Dishes are plated more artfully than most high-end restaurants — as much a delight for the eyes as the tastebuds.

The 18th-century Régence dining room — all boiseries, chandeliers, and period tapestries — is the most spectacular in Nice. A piano accompanies dinner. The experience is as much about setting and ceremony as it is about cuisine.

Signature dishes: Two set menus plus à la carte · poultry with white cabbage, kumquat, and pistachio · 5 or 8-course tasting menus · exceptional desserts

Book a window table for lunch (when available) for the light filtering from the Promenade. A bucket-list Nice experience.

★ Racines — Bruno Cirino

📍 3 rue Clément Roassal, 06100 Nice · Tel: +33 4 93 76 86 17
Hours: Wed–Sat dinner only · Closed Sun–Tue
Michelin: ★ (2024) · Price: €€€

At 70 years old, Chef Bruno Cirino won a Michelin star for cutting-edge vegan fine dining that will blow your mind. Racines is the only Michelin-starred vegan restaurant in France. Cirino showcases simple, flavoursome seasonal fare via a great value set menu. At Racines, ripe ingredients from the kitchen garden create Mediterranean cuisine with inventive touches. Local and sustainable produce is the true star of the show, with the menu reflecting the changing seasons.

A unique address in Nice — and in France. Not for vegetarians who want meat substitutes, but for those who want to discover what a world-class chef can do with the finest vegetables, herbs, and plants.

II. Bib Gourmand (Michelin — Excellent Value)

The Bib Gourmand is the Michelin Guide's designation for excellent cooking at a reasonable price — typically a three-course meal for under €40. These are some of the best value restaurants in Nice.

L'Alchimie

Michelin Bib Gourmand · Near Place Masséna

L'Alchimie offers great value for money with a bistro-style setting and clever culinary flair evident throughout the menu. Tables are snapped up fast — book ahead. The restaurant's specialty is gourmet food enhanced by global flavours.

III. Not Starred — But Essential

These restaurants have no Michelin star but are among the most discussed, beloved, and celebrity-frequented tables in Nice.

★ La Réserve de Nice

📍 62 boulevard Franck Pilatte, 06300 Nice · lareservedenice.fr · Tel: +33 4 97 08 14 80
Hours: Tue–Sat 12h15–13h30 and 19h15–21h30 · Closed Sun–Mon · Rating: ★ 4.5 (1,419 reviews) · Price: €€€

The most beautifully positioned restaurant in Nice proper — a sleek modern terrace perched directly above the sea on the Corniche, between the Old Port and the Cap de Nice. The menu is contemporary Mediterranean, with an emphasis on the finest local seafood: roasted sea bass, Dublin Bay prawns, cannelloni Riviera.

Go for the terrace at sunset. One of the great Nice dining views.

La Petite Maison

📍 11 rue Saint-François de Paule, 06000 Nice · Tel: +33 4 93 92 59 59
Hours: Mon–Sat 12h–14h30 and 19h30–23h30 · Closed Sun · Rating: ★ 3.5 (1,506 reviews) · Price: €€€€

In the heart of Nice, La Petite Maison is a trendy hub frequented by celebrities including Elton John, Bono, and Rod Stewart. The Provençal menu is rooted in the sharing philosophy: stuffed Mediterranean vegetables, Niçoise salad, pissaladière, and lobster linguine. The restaurant boasts an elegant ambiance with expansive windows, rustic wood floors, and high ceilings.

No Michelin stars, but no shortage of real ones. A Nice institution for over 30 years, and the restaurant of choice for the city's most glamorous dinner parties. The divisive Google rating (3.5) reflects very high prices and variable service — but many reviewers describe it as an unforgettable experience when everything clicks.

Tip: Go for lunch when the energy is slightly more relaxed. Celebrity spotting is year-round.

NESPO

📍 48 boulevard Victor Hugo, 06000 Nice · nespo-restaurant.com · Tel: +33 4 86 84 06 06
Hours: Tue–Sat 12h–15h and 19h30–00h30 · Closed Sun–Mon · Rating: ★ 4.1 (832 reviews)

Elton John called NESPO his new favourite restaurant in Nice — giving it “11 out of 10” — and it has become a magnet for other celebrities, including scouting trips for the next season of The White Lotus. It also offers a weekday lunch deal: 3 courses for just 30€, chosen from the weekly specials posted online each week.

A vibrant, modern dining room on boulevard Victor Hugo. The menu is contemporary French with a confident hand: truffle pasta, lobster linguine, sole meunière for two, crème brûlée described by reviewers as the best they have ever tasted.

IV. Quick Reference Table

Restaurant	Michelin	Address	Hours (summary)	Rating
Flaveur	★★	25 rue Gubernatis	Tue–Fri L+D, Sat D	★ 4.4
Restaurant JAN	★	12 rue Lascaris	Tue–Sat D	★ 4.8
Les Agitateurs	★	24 rue Bonaparte	Mon/Thu–Sun D, Sat–Sun L	★ 4.8
ONICE	★	5 rue Antoine Gautier	Wed–Sun D, Sat–Sun L	★ 4.6
L'Aromate	★	2 rue Gustave Deloye	Tue–Sat D	★ 4.4
Pure & V	★	15 rue Bottero	Wed–Sun D, Sun L	★ 4.1
Le Chantecler	★	37 Prom. des Anglais	Wed–Sun D	★ 4.5
Racines	★	3 rue Clément Roassal	Wed–Sat D	—
La Réserve de Nice	—	62 bd Franck Pilatte	Tue–Sat L+D	★ 4.5
La Petite Maison	—	11 rue St-François de Paule	Mon–Sat L+D	★ 3.5
NESPO	—	48 bd Victor Hugo	Tue–Sat L+D	★ 4.1

References

Michelin Guide: Nice restaurants — official list

Best of Nice Blog: Top Quality Restaurants — the best single English-language source on Nice dining

Time Out France: Best Restaurants in Nice — updated 2025

Pocket Wanderings: Michelin Star Restaurants in Nice 2025

SeeNice.com: Michelin Star Restaurants