Best of Nice

I was lucky enough to attend Chez Palmyre’s 100th birthday party!  This unassuming little restaurant opened in 1926 and now, 100 years later, remains remarkably true to the vision of Palmyre Moni, its namesake.

The story begins in 1926 when 12-year-old Palmyre was just a girl. Her extended family of Tuscan immigrants pooled all their resources to buy this modest little storefront, which was situated under a scruffy boarding house filled with immigrant workers.  The formula was basic: a simple square meal at a low fixed price in a homey setting.

The first 20 years were without electricity or running water; Palmyre grew up peeling vegetables under gas lamps, stoking a wood burning stove, and hauling water up the stairs from a little well in the basement!

Palmyre Moni and her daughter Suzanne

Palmyre grew up and married, running the restaurant with the help of her husband, but when she was widowed at 36 she found herself on her own with just the help of her teenaged daughters, especially her eldest Suzanne …which is pretty much how things stayed for the next 50 years!

Even in to her 90’s Madame watched over every aspect and greeted every table.  When she died in 2009 at the age of 95, her daughter Suzanne, who had never married and was then in her 70’s, had literally lived her entire life in that restaurant.  She didn’t want to close it, but at the same time couldn’t continue the pace.

That’s when the second story begins.  Vincent Verneveaux knew that he was born to be a chef.  He left his Paris high school for culinary school, and at 16 was accepted to apprentice with Guy Savoy, 3-star Michelin chef, whos Paris restaurant has been rated the best restaurant in the world.  At 18, diploma in hand, young Vincent left Paris behind for Nice, with an offer to cook under another legendary chef Jacques Maximin at the storied Hotel Negresco.

Two years in, 1988, Vincent was drafted for military service, as was the custom for all young men in France at the time, but instead of being sent to boot camp, his talent got him assigned to the Élysée Palace in Paris cooking for the French President Francois Mitterrand!  At the end of his military service, Vincent was offered an incredible chance to see the world as a personal travelling chef for a mega-rich South African, on super-yachts, private jets, black-tie dinners at grand estates… for 15 years!

After 2 decades of crazy hours and non-stop stress, it was time to settle down and open his own place.  Vincent married his long-time love Sam, and they moved to Nice, buying an apartment on rue Droite, coincidently just down the street from Chez Palmyre.  Even though Vincent and Sam often ate there, Suzanne was unaware that Vincent was looking for a spot to open his own restaurant, and Vincent was unaware that the space was in the process of being sold… to someone else!  They realized their dovetailing visions before it was too late, and Suzanne backed out of the sale-in-progress, selling to Vincent instead!

Vincent, Sam and Sebastian, under the watchful eye of Palmyre Moni

In 2011 Vincent and Sam re-opened Chez Palmyre with the original concept exactly the same: three courses of locally-sourced seasonal ingredients at one affordable price.  They modernized the kitchen, but kept the 22-seat nostalgia-festooned dining room in its original state, with strangers still often sharing a communal table.

…But the big change was that Chef Vincent used his culinary finesse to elevate the previously basic fare to a celestial level.  Imaginative, refined, top quality, always a surprise, always a delight.

But that wasn’t the only surprise: just 10 days after the grand re-opening, Sam discovered she was pregnant! Growing a restaurant while raising their child lead to their strict work/life balance: closed Wednesdays, weekends, and school holidays, no exceptions.

So 100 years after opening, Chez Palmyre is still delighting locals and visitors alike, with Vincent and Sam in the kitchen, and Sebastian Gil as the public face, juggling reservations and single-handedly serving 2 full seatings for both lunch and dinner, and doing it with a smile!

The set price is now 25€ for 3 courses with 4 choices each.  Reserve well in advance, but since they don’t have a website, reserving can be a bit of a challenge…  the best way is to just call or drop by from 9-11am before they open, to make your reservation. 5 rue Droite, tram stop Cathédrale, +33 4 93 85 72 32.

See related pages:  Cheap Eats in Nice, Best Medium Priced Restaurants, Where to Eat Sunday and Monday, Best Top-End Lunch Deals in Nice, Best Vegan/Vegetarian/Gluten-free, Food Finds in the Old Town.

Photo by Best of Nice