After a movie or a concert, if you want to have a late dinner you need to have a plan. Here are my picks for a proper late dinner in Nice… after most other restaurants are closed!
After a movie, just hit the easy button and just head to the the pedestrian zone on rue Massena (tram stop Massena). Normally I avoid this touristy zone pietone, but for a good meal after-hours there are three good spots in close proximity, all run by the same family, known for good food/hearty portions, and all serve until 1am in high season.
- Pizza Cresci, at 34 rue Massena, with a full menu but their pizzas so big they only serve half, and even then they hang off the table!
- Le Quebec, at 43 rue Massena, with a North American-influenced menu including BBQ ribs and baked potato.
- La Taverne Massena, at 25 rue Massena, vast European-focused menu.
Chez Moi serves a limited set menu of classic French fare at reasonable prices, but in a trippy little hole-in-the-wall with very odd décor choices, which makes it perfect for after a film when you are feeling pretty odd yourself. They are located in the Musicians neighborhood and serve until 11pm, so very convenient to most downtown cinemas. 2 rue Paganini, tram stop Thiers.
After a concert at the Nice Opera, the best bets are the two Italian restaurants just steps away at the bottom of Cours Saleya, La Voglia or La Favola: both have good reputations, are owned by the same family, and both serve until 11pm. No reservations, 13 Cours Saleya and 2 rue Saint-Francois de Paule, tram stop Opera.
Here’s a surprise, Le Bistro Gourmand, an elegant Michelin Bib rated restaurant, takes reservations up to 10:30pm. As long as you’re all dolled up, this would be the fitting spot for an elegant post-Opera dinner. 3 rue Desboutin, just a couple minutes walk from the Nice Opera, tram stop Massena or Opera.
Ikaro, a new fusion-Japanese restaurant in Old Nice is getting rave reviews right out of the gate, and takes its last reservation at 11pm. It’s pricey but worth it: creative, impressive, and you can watch the chef projected on a big screen. 42 rue Droit, tram stop Cathedrale.
Cave de Fromager in Old Nice serves an only-in-France cheese-focused menu in their very atmospheric stone wine cellar until 12:30am. Great for a memorable (if heavy) meal after the Nice Opera or anything happening in the Old Town. Open every night but Thursdays, 29 rue Benoit Bunico, tram stop Cathedrale.
If your show went late, the next closest to the Nice Opera is Capri Blu, a new Italian bistro on the same street as the Nice Opera (near Parking Sulzer), with a limited menu of appetisers and pizzas, but open until 2am! 12 rue Saint-Francois de Paule.
Or escape the tourist scene all together and head to Le Felix Brasserie just across Promenade de Paillon gardens from the Old Town. It’s a typical low-key French brasserie with a well-rounded menu and local clientele, that serves non-stop from noon until midnight. 12 rue Felix Faure, a few blocks off Place Massena, tram stop Massena.
After an event in the Nice Port, it’s Pizzeria Les Arcades, which has a long-standing tradition with night-owls, serving until midnight for over 40 years. They have an idyllic location, under the giant arches overlooking the Port. Their reviews, on the other hand, are less than idyllic, but they actually don’t care what you say on Trip Advisor because they have a loyal local following, especially late-night, and that’s what counts. No website, no fluff, no fawning. 11 place de l’Ile de Beaute, overlooking the Port, right across from tram stop Port Lympia.
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Photo Credit: Ville de Nice Nuit by Alexandre Bucquet licensed under Creative Commons