Where to Eat on Sunday and Monday

The traditional “night off” for restaurants, it’s a challenge to find a good place to eat on Sunday and Monday…   Best of Nice does the legwork to come up with a list of restaurants that can be counted on for an excellent meal on Sunday and Monday, in and around the Old Town.

From my list of Best Restaurants: Medium Range, only three are open on Sundays and Mondays:

 

Snug & Cellar Bar is not only open, but pulls out all the stops with a traditional Sunday Roast that includes all the trimmings, and is served all day and all evening.

Sunday and Monday are the perfect night to go Niçoise, with several truly excellent choices… in fact, these would be my picks to experience the local cuisine any day of the week:

  • La Taca d’Oli at 35 rue Pairolière, for authentic Niçoise cuisine in a very local ambiance, since 1947.  04 93 80 70 93
  • L’Escalinada, is another favorite for Niçoise faire, with a great open-air ambiance with the tables perched on the diagonal stairway of its name.  22 rue Pairolière, 04 93 62 11 71
  • La Merenda is the foodies favorite for 4-star Niçoise served in the tiniest of hole-in-the-walls, made famous by it’s formerly Michelin-starred chef that decided to get out of the rat-race.  Go by in person to reserve: there’s no phone, no credit cards, no nonsense. Closed Sundays, but open Mondays for lunch and dinner.  4 rue Raoul Bosio.

Stroll down rue de l’Abbaye, a charming street lined with tables from a variety of good Italian, French and Corsican restaurants.  When other restaurants are closed, you can still have romantic dinner at Le Tire Bouchon (both nights), Italian at Ville de Sienne (Mondays), La Villa for Corsican (with a nice interior courtyard), or the seafood amphora at L’Estrihla (Sundays).

Looking for something more exotic?  Delhi Belhi, hidden away at 22 rue de la Barillerie, has been a local favorite for Indian cuisine for 30 years.    04 93 92 51 87.  Alternately, Indian Lounge on rue Droite is also open these nights.

For Sushi, you could go to the massive pink Planet Sushi on Jean Jaures, but rather than a chain, why not go somewhere with a more personal touch?  Try  100% Sushi  on rue de Collet, just off Place Centrale, where they even do a 15€ all-you-can-eat sushi lunch special.

And of course you can always count on Cours Saleya, which despite its touristy reputation, still has a number of restaurants that are good enough to appeal to locals:

  • The excellent (if pricey)  La Safari
  • The upscale La Cambuse
  • La Storia for pasta
  • Caffé dell’ Arte for hipsters
  • Blast for rock-n-roll and Nice’s best burgers
  • and La Voglia for Italian at the bottom of Cours Saleya.

  • … All are open Sunday and Monday, including Monday lunch when the Brocante/antique market is happening right across from your table.

Best mussels and French fries on a Sunday or Monday?  Lou Pilha Leva, in Place Centrale, where you line up to order, then eat on big outdoor communal tables.  They sometimes close early on quiet nights, so don’t drag your heels on Sunday and Monday, especially in the winter.  (UPDATE: currently closed for a full remodel)

In the Port, Chez Pipo serves their best-socca-in-Nice on Sundays (lunch and dinner), La Barque Bleue is an excellent choice for Italian with a seafood bent, the Bistrot du Port is another good spot for their bargain lunchtime 14€ formule du jour with wine, and L’Ane Rouge, a top-tier restaurant gastronomique, is also open both nights.

Also from my Best Restaurants in Nice: Top Tier page, Le Chantecler at the Negresco is open Sundays (lunch and dinner), L’Univers and Les Deux Canailles are open Monday nights, and Luc Salsedo is open both nights.

Photo credit: Cours Saleya by Miniwark, licensed under Creative Commons

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