Nice, France: Where the Sky Is Bluer and the Pastries Are Better Than Your Dreams
There are places you visit once and think, “That was nice.” And then there’s Nice—where you arrive, drop your bags, and immediately start fantasizing about how you could stay forever. Maybe open a tiny bookshop near the port. Maybe sell lavender soap and wear linen. Maybe just sit at cafés forever, eating croissants until someone makes you leave.
Nice isn’t trying to be trendy. It’s too busy being effortlessly, ridiculously French Riviera fabulous. It’s got that old-money seaside glamour—balconies with wrought-iron railings, Art Deco hotels, and palm-lined promenades that make you feel like you’ve wandered into a 1960s film. And yet, it’s warm and unpretentious. Like if Paris and a beach vacation had a baby and raised it on rosé.
Here’s everything I adored about it, plus where you should eat, sleep, and twirl around like you live there.
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First: The Vibe Check
Nice is all about pace. It’s slower than Paris, sunnier than most places you’ve probably lived, and prettier than it has any right to be. Wake up late. Stroll to a bakery. Sit in the sun. Look at people. Eat a thing. Repeat.
The heart of the city is the Old Town (Vieux Nice)—a buttery-yellow, pastel-colored maze of cobbled streets, flower-filled window boxes, and shops that smell like lavender, cheese, or perfume (sometimes all three). It feels like time stopped here in the best way.
Walk down to the Promenade des Anglais, the famous seafront walk that runs along the sparkling, stupidly blue Mediterranean. People are rollerblading. Couples are kissing. Dogs are better dressed than you. Life is good.
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Where to Sleep (And Dream of Croissants)
Nice has hotels for every budget and fantasy. I stayed in a few places—from charming and chic to “I’m pretending I’m Grace Kelly”—and here are the ones I’d actually tell my friends about:
🏨 Hotel Rossetti (Old Town Gem)
Tucked into a quiet corner of the Old Town, this place is cute, modern, and steps away from cafés and gelato. There’s a little rooftop terrace where you can sip coffee and listen to the cathedral bells. Also, the beds? Like sleeping in a cloud with a duvet.
🌴 Hotel Le Negresco (Glamour Overload)
This is the one with the pink dome right on the Promenade. It’s not cheap, but it’s an experience. It’s full-on Belle Époque luxury, with rooms that feel like art museums and hallways full of eccentric antiques. If you want to feel like royalty, even just for one night, stay here.
💡 Hôtel Amour Nice (Cool Kids Only)
This one’s for the Instagram crowd (not guilty). Neon signs, rooftop pool, bright colours, and a vibe that says, “I’m effortless but also curated.” It’s fun, stylish, and the rooftop bar at sunset is chef’s kiss.
☀️ Le Panoramic Boutique Hotel (Views for Days)
If you don’t mind a little uphill walk (or Uber), this small hotel has one of the best views of the city and sea. Plus, it’s quiet—perfect if you want to escape the buzz after a long day of being fabulous.
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Things You Should Definitely Do (Besides Eat and Nap)
🌊 Promenade des Anglais
Yes, again. It’s iconic for a reason. Rent a bike or just stroll until your feet give up. Stop for an Aperol Spritz. Repeat daily.
🧺 Marché aux Fleurs (Flower Market in Cours Saleya)
Open most mornings, this market is full of flowers, fruit, soap, and stuff you didn’t know you needed. Buy something that smells like Provence. Eat a crepe while wandering.
🏞 Colline du Château (Castle Hill)
It’s not really a castle, more of a giant park with epic views over the city and sea. Walk up or cheat and take the elevator (no shame). Pack a snack and chill at the top. Feels like you’re floating above the city.
🎨 Musée Matisse
A short bus ride up the hill gets you to this dreamy little museum inside a red villa. The garden’s lovely, the art’s iconic, and there’s usually no crowd.
⛵ Day trip to Villefranche-sur-Mer or Eze
Both are stupidly beautiful and just a short train or bus ride away. Villefranche has a quiet beach and a postcard-perfect harbor. Eze is a medieval village on a cliff, complete with donkeys, tiny perfume shops, and that “Am I in a fairytale?” feeling.
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Food: The Real Reason I Came Back Glowing
Let’s be real. You’re going to Nice for the sunshine and the snacks. It’s the perfect mix of French finesse and Italian comfort—think flaky pastry meets gooey cheese meets ripe tomatoes that taste like actual sunshine.
Here’s what I couldn’t stop eating:
🥐 Chez Maître Pierre (Bakery Heaven)
Near Place Masséna, this unassuming little bakery served the best croissant I had in the entire south of France. And I did the research, okay? Go early when they’re still warm, and eat it on a bench while pigeons stare at you in envy.
🍝 La Rossettisserie (Cozy + Carnivore Heaven)
This place is tucked away in the Old Town and smells like love and roasted meat. It’s tiny, rustic, and filled with locals. Get the rotisserie chicken with garlic potatoes and just let it change your life. They serve you like you’re family, which is rare in France unless you actually are family.
🍷 Comptoir du Marché (Bistro Dreams)
A small, charming place with a chalkboard menu and the kind of duck confit that makes you sit back and stare at your plate like it just told you a secret. It’s not fancy, just perfect. Get a table early or be prepared to charm your way in.
🌮 Snack Chez René Socca (Street Food Royalty)
This spot is a Nice institution for local street food. Get the socca—a chickpea pancake, crispy on the outside, soft inside, and weirdly addictive. Add a slice of pissaladière (like a pizza but with caramelized onions and anchovies) and a cold beer. Sit outside and pretend you’re a local who knows all the secrets.
🍦Fenocchio (Gelato God-Tier)
Do NOT leave Nice without eating a cone from here. They have over 90 flavors—rose, thyme, lavender, olive (yes, olive), and classics like chocolate-orange that are to die for. Go wild.
Parting Thoughts (aka: Please Go, You’ll Love It)
Nice has a way of slowing you down in the best possible way. It’s a city that says, “Why rush?”—and means it. You’ll spend your mornings with flaky pastries, your afternoons under striped umbrellas, and your evenings sipping wine while the sun paints the sky every color that exists.
You don’t go to Nice to do everything. You go to Nice to feel everything: the breeze, the salt in your hair, the weight of a good meal and zero guilt. You’ll come back softer, tanner, and with at least two tiny jars of tapenade in your suitcase.
Trust me. Go to Nice. Fall in love with the sea, the streets, and maybe just a little with yourself too.