Restaurants In Nice - Anything Nice?

[aliénor]

i would like to add a restaurant to the list of nice places. we recently returned to the usa affterr visiting with family in Nice. our son and his wife took us to a restaurant in the hills above cimiezin Nice-probably about 10 miles north of downtown. the name of the restaurant is Le Parcours,and as it is in the hills it had a lovely view of the city below. to start we had an amuse of cauliflower mousse with foie gras and burnt milk foam. we had a choice of a three course menu for 37E or a 5 course for 52E. i had the jarret d'agneau with bulgur and which was just wonderful and my husband had their filet de rouget with sweet potatoes. the service was very good, attentive but not pushy and the the wine they suggested was divine.-but i can't remember tits name. my son and his wife have eaten there before and say that it is always a delight to go there i believe the chef's name is jean-marie delacourt. oh yes, there is also a flat screen showing what is going on in the kitchen. i was suprised to see that the activity in there was so calm and well choreographed. i would have expected more hustle and bustle in the kitchen as the dining room was full. btw, we were the only americans there that night.

another restaurant in Nice which we love and is always busy is Zucca Magica. we have only been there for lunch. it has a fixed menu no choice and all vegetarian: lots of cheese, veg, pasta and full plates. i can't remember the price but it is not out of sight. it is located in the old harbor across from L'Ane rouge. the latter we really don't care for-too pretentious and not worth its price. zucca comes off better value for its price

now i am home in the land of BIG plates and Big people.......usa

[Roger le goéland]

Any recent recommendations within walking distance of the Gare Routiere? (more specifically halfway through the Rue de l'Hotel des Postes)

We have 3 days...

So far we have La Merenda and l'Univers on our list, as well as Fenocchio and possibly Terres de Truffes. Any bistros etc.?

[Roger le goéland]

Tried Merenda. The daube provencale (arriving in just under 30 seconds) was just a daube, nothing special (and not quite enough sauce for the amount of bread given). I fail to see how this is different from any of the neighbouring places (who will give you more daube too) although the panisses were good. Tarte au citron showed hints of the chef's skill - the crust was a true work of art in terms of pate sablee control, the lemon was controlled and balanced and absolutely gorgeous. Wine nothing special. 24 euros.

The waiter asked me if I wanted "an explanation" but I was starving and so said no. What did he mean?

L'Univers tomorrow.

[robert brown]

Good luck at L'Univers and keep your fingers crossed. L'Aromate, though very short in its number of offerings, is one of the stellar stories of new restaurants on the Cote d'Azur. The chef there has talent to burn. It's gorgeous food made in full portions. Go to the website. The serious food is available only at night.

Terre des Truffes has hit the skids. It's a has-been. Cafe Turin has also gone downhill rather quickly.

Edited March 19, 2009 by robert brown (log)

[Roger le goéland]

Is the Salle d'Empire in Hotel de Paris cooked for by the Louis XV?

[robert brown]

Roger, that's a new one on me. I only know the Louis XV and the restaurant on the top floor of the hotel, the latter of which is pretty bad. If you are going that far afield, both the Hostellerie Jerome in La Turbie and Mirazur in Menton are worth going to. I prefer the Jerome's conservatism, but the Mirazur chef is getting some buzz. I need to go back to Mirazur as the one dinner we had there was a bit hit and miss. But the chef there knows his stuff.

[Roger le goéland]

No, had a meal there (conference) and it wasn't spectacular, hence my asking.

Visited La Petite Maison and it was absolutely disgusting. Then again we did go for one of the set "saveurs". Maybe the 50 euros truffled chicken (per person) is worth it.

"Pasta Basta" was more satisfying - fresh pasta and sauce. What it says on the tin. 8-10 euros each, would probably cost 5 times that in London. They even give you a block of parmesan to grate over your pasta.

edit - beware that l'Univers only does one service and is closed Saturdays (so is La Merenda) so phone them up ahead of schedule and find out when it is. The food had the most wonderful smell and I am very sure it would have been the highlight of the trip.

Edited March 21, 2009 by Roger le goéland (log)

[Busboy]

YOu may have better access to great seafood than I, but if I were in Nice I might enjoy stopping by one of the shellfish restaurants near on the edge of the old city(on?) the Gare Routiere for wonderful fresh shellfish including sea urchin and violettes (sp?). A nice break from heavier Nicoise fare.

[robert brown]

L'Univers is on no one's recommended list that I know of. One visit was enough for me to know that it's not a restaurant at which the conception is distinguished. Locals don't go there. I was going to say that La Petite Maison has declined rather preceipitously in the last year or two, but, yes the chicken is the only dish worth having. Next time you go and want good Nicoise cuisine, thkink of not just La Merenda, but two doors away at Lou Pistou or Cantine de Lulu. Still, as I said before, L'Aromate is the place I am concentrating on.

As I wrote above, Grand Cafe de Turin, near the bus terminal ofr Gare Routiere, has also fallen off a cliff. I believe the fish places either side of it are owned by the same people.

[Roger le goéland]

What about the place on the hill (A something, Askieri?) which serves Alouettes and other Nicoise stuff? It seems present in the Gantie, G&M, Michelin, Lonely Planet...

Ah, Robert, if only you could have been 2 days earlier! Lou Pistou I did consider, but thought "no way they could compete with La Merenda" and then we spotted LPM. Will definitely try your recommendations on our next trip.

[robert brown]

Oh, I think you mean Alzieri, the olive oil family's restaurant. It's not up to the level of Cantime de Lulu, Lou Pistou or La Merenda, based on my two visits.

[sethd]

Roger, that's a new one on me. I only know the Louis XV and the restaurant on the top floor of the hotel, the latter of which is pretty bad. If you are going that far afield, both the Hostellerie Jerome in La Turbie and Mirazur in Menton are worth going to. I prefer the Jerome's conservatism, but the Mirazur chef is getting some buzz. I need to go back to Mirazur as the one dinner we had there was a bit hit and miss. But the chef there knows his stuff.

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I would highly recommend traveling to Mirazur. I had a great meal there last May. Another restaurant to consider is Le Chevre d'Or in Eze, especially for lunch.

[MichaelCE]

L'Univers is on no one's recommended list that I know of. One visit was enough for me to know that it's not a restaurant at which the conception is distinguished. Locals don't go there. I was going to say that La Petite Maison has declined rather preceipitously in the last year or two, but, yes the chicken is the only dish worth having.  Next time you go and want good Nicoise cuisine, thkink of not just La Merenda, but two doors away at Lou Pistou or Cantine de Lulu. Still, as I said before, L'Aromate is the place I am concentrating on.

As I wrote above, Grand Cafe de Turin, near the bus terminal ofr Gare Routiere, has also fallen off a cliff. I believe the fish places either side of it are owned by the same people.

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I agree about L'Aromate. I also like Dom Camillo Creations and Le Diamant Noir.

[TarteTatin]

Anything new or old and good- in the Nice area? We like bistros better than high end restaurants...

We'll be staying in Juan-les-Pins in early May, then traveling the coast road (I think?) to Cassis, where we've been many times.

Thanks!

[Parigi]

Nice?

Had a great - and inexpensive - lunch at Flaveur, which just got its first Michelin star.

[pkeibel]

We had a great meal at La Merenda,4 rue Raoul Bosio this past October. If bistros are what you want then this is fine the only down side is that it is cash only

[david goodfellow]

We had a great meal at La Merenda,4 rue Raoul Bosio this past October. If bistros are what you want then this is fine the only down side is that it is cash only

We have had some great meals over the years here. You would not realise how good it is if you were not tipped off about it

Is Dominique le Stanc still the chef?

We ate his food at The Negresco many years ago, and could not believe he swapped those kitchens for the two square metres space here.

[Busboy]

Hi Tarte! Trip number 38? (PM me with your B&B info which I have lost).

La Marenda famously doesn't have a phone so, if you want to go there, wander by at the end of the service before, or maybe when they start setting for the night, and let them know your intentions. If your are feeling really macho, the stockfish is a brutally pleasurable experience. If you're American, they may make you taste it before they serve it to you. Rotted (nor really, but quite strong) cod, tomato and garlic in a stew. Quite good, if you like that sort of thing. The wine list is "red, white or rose" and the tables can be crowded. Our last meal there was shared with a pair of Swedish heavy metal fans. They were delightful, of course.

One thing to remember in Nice is that their street food is famous. Socca, pizza, harissa... that sort of thing. Plan on just munching out rather than sitting down for lunch one day.

"Cuisine Nissard" is a cross between Italian and French, and often involves deep frying. Look for squash blossoms. I saw the chef from La Merenda (I recognized his bicycle) buying the squash blossoms at the market one morning, after I'd eaten them at his restaurant the night before.

Also, I loved the shellfish places on the edge of the old city. Try a "violette" if they are in season. Oddest shellfish I ever ate. And the oysters and sea urchins were simply incredible.

Are you going to be there for the Jazz Festival?

[TarteTatin]

Wow, thanks everyone!

Busboy, I emailed you separately...

Here's a link to our B&B, just in case:

http://www.airbnb.com/rooms/7193

Merci,

Susan & Sam

[LindaK]

If your are feeling really macho, the stockfish is a brutally pleasurable experience. If you're American, they may make you taste it before they serve it to you. Rotted (nor really, but quite strong) cod, tomato and garlic in a stew. Quite good, if you like that sort of thing.

La Marenda sounds lovely. Busboy, is stockfish the same as salt cod? Marue, en français. I've been cooking a lot with it lately over here: Salt Cod Diary. Thankfully, no one has yet called it "rotted" cod, which might scare even me! ;-)

[Busboy]

I asked and was told that it was not the same as salt cod -- the impression I got was that it was cod that had been cured, but was not the same cure as you usually get with marue. Much stronger in flavor (I go through a lot of brandade in France, so I'm used to cured cod). So strong, in fact, that the waiter made me taste some from a cup before he would serve me the full dish.

while I've got your ear and as you seem to like the stuff, let me tell you a twist on brandade that I munched somewhere in Languedoc (where they claim the dish as their own) a couple years ago. Just a little filip but delightful: on top of a little round of brandade, the chef arrayed little rounds of boiled potatoes in a single layer, and then spooned a few sun-dried tomatoes on top. Rather than diluting the flavor, the potatoes kind of substitute for the bread and the tomatoes give it a pleasant zing.