Pastel painted buildings, the sparkling Mediterranean Sea, an abundance of pastry shops – Nice is almost too pretty to be real. I couldn’t stop taking photos the entire time I was there, I wanted to capture the city’s magic. Nice is just a quick 18 minute train ride from Monaco, and it’s also the location of the nearest airport (of course Monaco only has a heleport). While claims that you can see Nice from Monaco proved to be as accurate as Sarah Palin’s claim that she can see Russia from her house – the two cities are close enough that it would be a shame to visit one and not the other.
We had stayed at Le Meridien in Monaco the night before, and they had mentioned that the Le Meridien in Nice has a rooftop terrace with amazing city and sea views and suggested that it might be a nice place for a sunset cocktail.
The bar/restaurant named Le Terrasse offered views overlooking the park, the city, and the entire coast of Nice.
Le Terrasse must be a well kept secret since it wasn’t busy, but I highly recommend it.
After drinks we set off for dinner. We had a big 5 course meal the night before, so we wanted something a bit more casual. A touch of research led me to Le Rossitterie, a tiny restaurant, on a tiny street, that specializes in roast meats, and I was thrilled when the concierege at Le Negresco was able to secure a reservation for us.
Le Rossitterie was a delight. We were welcomed by an incredibly friendly waiter who spoke perfect English, and were seated right by the open kitchen were I was happy to watch the chef in action. I know that the stereotype is that the French can be a bit unwelcoming, but the staff at this restaurant was just so happy. Even the chef was all smiles and he cheerfully came to check on us during our meal.
We began with a ratatouille with lentils and a poached egg. After a week in Bavaria – where no one seems to eat vegetables, we were excited to have a vegetable focused dish.
The dinner menu is simple, you choose a roast meat and you choose a side, and whatever you pick it is 14.50. The options were Chicken, Lamb, Beef, and Pork and the sides were mashed potatoes, roasted potatoes, ratatouille, and salad. I went for beef and mashed potatoes while Charles ordered lamb since a bit of grafiti on the wall (this is encouraged) beside him indicated that it is the best. Charles was quick to point out that I was having meat and potatoes for dinner after complaining about all the meat and potatoes in Bavaria, but this was different because it was French and delicious.
I overheard the table behind my raving about their creme brulee, so naturally, I needed to try it myself. They were offering three different flavors, and I picked caramel. It was so good that I might never order creme brûlée again since anything else would be a disappointment.
After dinner we went back to our hotel, the magical Le Negresco, for drinks at their bar. Le Negresco’s bar has cozy tables, wooden panels, and a piano player performing French songs at night. It seemed so perfectly French.
We started the next morning off with croissants at a spot along the water. The cafe seemed pretty touristy, but these croissants were amazing. They were completely unlike anything I have ever found in America, crisp on the outside, and super buttery and flaky inside. My mouth is watering as I write this.
We spent much of our time that day wandering around taking in the sites and exploring the little side streets. We started with a visit to the carousel in the park by the hotel.
Then we walked to Old Nice. It was such a nice day, and we wanted to take the advantage of the opportunity to be outside since we knew it would be cold when we got back to Germany.
We discovered a bakery so cute that we had to go in.
Charles got a slice of quiche, while these tiny two bite pastries caught my eye.
This photo sums up my time in Nice quite nicely, since I spent a majority of my time eating and admiring the architecture.
The French really understand paint colors, shutters, and balconies like no one else. Why aren’t the buildings in Chicago this pretty? America has a serious shortage of pink buildings.
It shouldn’t surprise you that we took a pit stop for some rosé. The rosé from Provence is exceptionally great, if you are a rosé drinker you should make a point to try it.
After a couple more hours of exploring, it was time for more wine, and some cheese. We ate a cheese plate everyday when we were in Italy and France… and we definitely preferred the Italian cheese plates since they follow the rules of assembling a cheese plate and feature a variety of cheeses, while the French cheese plates included only soft (often stinky) French cheeses.
Before we knew it, we had to go back to the hotel to collect our things and head to the airport to fly back to Germany. I loved Nice, and especially our hotel – which was so unique that I will be sharing a post all about it soon!
I took hundreds of photos when I was in Nice, and I decided that in the dead of winter when Chicago is miserably cold, I will treat everyone to a virtual vacation to Nice. Sound good?