City Card - Nice
Eating
Budget: Chez Pipo (13 rue Bavastro), lively port-side
bar, great for early evening snacks and wine; Le Bull Dog Pub (16 rue de l’Abbaye),
free snacks with 25 types of beer; La Casa del Sol (69 Quai des Etats Unis),
popular tapas bar.
Mid-Range: Le Grand Balcon (St Francois de Paule),
red décor, paintings, Djs and exotic gastronomy; La Part des Anges
(17 rue Gubernatis), one of best value restaurants around, intimate setting
and delicious regional cuisine.
Luxury: Coco Beach (2 Avenue Jean-Lorraine),
first class fish and prime sea views; La Petite Maison (11 rue St Francois
de Paule), revered menu and colourful clientele, including visiting celebrities.
Drinking
Budget: Le Bar des Oiseaux (5 rue St Vincent),
atmospheric bar and restaurant with live bands and theatre.
Mid-Range: La 70s (24 Quai Lunel), retro lounge
bar; Le Blue Whales (1 rue Masconinat), relaxed pub with pool tables and live
jazz and salsa bands; Nocy-Be (4-6 rue Jules Gilly), cosy Morrocan tea room
where you can sip mint tea while lying back on cushions.
Luxury: L’F (6 Place Charles-Felix), hippest
address of the moment; Hotel West End (31 Promenade des Anglais), has an opulent
listed bar.
Things To See And Do
- Explore Vieux Nice – the old town, the most colourful area of the
city. See the Cours Saleya daily flower and fruit market, Place Rossetti –
the old town’s most charming square, with the Sainte Reparate Cathedral.
Stop for an ice cream in the square at Fennochio’s.
- Art lovers should visit the Musee d’Art Moderne et d’Art Contemporain
(Promenade des Arts), a marble museum of American and European art from the
1960s. In Cimiez, north of the centre, there’s the Musee National Message
Biblique Marc-Chagall, with a wonderful collection of paintings by the artist,
who was a long-time resident here, and nearby, the Musee Matisse, with works
by the famous French artist.
- For panoramic views, climb – or take the lift from Tour Bellanda –
up to Colline du Chateau, with its surrounding park and waterfall.
- Stroll along the Promenade des Anglais, past the port’s pretty pastel-coloured
houses and cafes.
- Visit the Russian church on Boulevard du Tzarewich.
Shopping
- Avenue Jean Medecin is the main shopping street for chain stores and department
stores.
Cours Saleya market is a colourful experience, selling fruit and veg every
day, and antiques and second-hand clothes on Monday.
- The streets for designer brands are Rue Paradis (Chanel and Armani), Avenue
de Suede (YSL, Louis Vuitton) and Avenue de Verdun (Cartier, Hermes).
- Local products to bring back as souvenirs are olive oil (go to Alziari in
rue St Francois-de-Paule), Provencal herbs and lavendar, honey and olive oil
soaps.
- The old town has some lovely one-off shops, such as traditional toy shop
L’Atelier de Jouets (Place de L’Ancien Senat).
Beyond The City
The Cote d’Azur is the scenic stretch between Cannes and Menton, near
the Italian border. East of Nice, there’s Villefranche-Sur-Mer, Beaulieu-Sur-Mer,
St Jean-Cap-Ferrat and Monaco. West of Nice are Cagnes-Sur-Mer, Antibes, Juan-Les-Pins
and Cannes. A train runs along the coast stopping at all these towns, and
westwards on to Marseille and beyond, or if you’re driving, take the
A8, which links all towns.
Sandy beaches can be found from Antibes to Cannes. In the other direction,
from Antibes east to Menton, they are pebbly.
Inland, the picturesque medieval villages of St Paul de Vence, Mougins and
Le Haut-de-Cagnes make a pleasant day trip.
Monaco, home to the famous Grand Prix in May, is easily reached by the A8
from Nice, by train, on the Cannes-Nice-Menton-Ventimiglia line or by bus
from Nice’s gare routiere.
Cost Of Living
30cl bottle of beer - €0.80
One-litre bottle of mineral water - €0.55
36-exposure colour film - €6
City-centre bus ticket - €13
Adult football ticket - €13
Three-course meal with wine/beer - €10-35
Key Phrases
Do you speak English? - Parlez-vous anglais?
I don’t understand – Je ne comprends
pas.
I would like… – Je voudrais…
How much/how many? – Combien?
What’s the time? – Avez-vous
l’heure s’il vous plait?
When is the next train for…? –
C’est quand le prochain train pour…?
Where is…? Ou est…?
The train station - la gare
The bus station – la gare routiere
The post office – la poste
The bank – la banque.
Do you have a room for two people? Avez-vous
une chamber pour deux personnes?
Double bed – grand lit
Twin beds – une chamber a deux lits
I’d like to book a table for two for 8pm
– Je voudrais reserver une table pour deux personnes a vingt heures.
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