The Most Eccentric and Quirky Cafés in Nice
Bonus: scroll to the bottom for a list of English-speaking Expat Coffee Meetups…
Cat Café
La Ronronerie Have a coffee or lunch with a side of feline love. The four friendly host cats have the run of the place and love to be petted, not to mention the loads of cat toys lying around if they’re feeling frisky. Purr purr purr… Open Wednesday through Saturday from 9am to 7pm, 4 rue Lepante, tram stop Durandy or Jean Medecin.
Hidden Tea Salons
Just off Place Palais du Justice, look for L’Art Gourmand. This was the village gun shop (check out the ancient fresques!), turned into a delectable artisanal chocolate shop, that harbors a hidden café/tea salon up the stairs in the loft. It’s not only warm and cozy, but is filled with the aroma of chocolate! Perfect for a coffee, or better yet, a velvety thick homemade Italian hot chocolate to warm you up on a chilly winter afternoon. 21 rue du Marche, tram stop Opera.
Another that is not obvious unless you are looking for it, is the glassed-roof greenhouse above Marinette Bakery behind the Cathedrale in the old town. It is a fantastic spot to have a pastry and coffee in winter. Open from 8:30am-6pm, closed Mon/Tues. 16 rue Colonna d’Istria, tram stop Opera.
Baby Café
If you have little kids, this is just for you: Maman les P’tits Bateaux is a baby/toddler-friendly oasis where harried parents can have a civilized coffee or lunch an meet others while the kiddos ransack the play area. They feature a robust monthly schedule of workshops for the tots (playdoh, pottery, painting, jewelry making…) including puppet shows in English every Friday at 11am (…plus the occasional storytime in English as well). Open Tues/Wed and Fri/Sat from 9:30am-6pm. 21 rue Delile, tramstop Garibaldi
- Here’s a list of more ideas for What to do with Kids in Nice
Arty Bars and Culture Cafés
Le Bistrot Poete has a monthly calendar of happenings including music, art, group chats, readings, and wine&art workshops, all in a homey welcoming ‘Central Perks’ kind of ambience. Oh and did I mention good food and reasonable prices? 34 rue Tonduti de l’Escarène on the corner with rue Pastorelli, tram stop Durandy. Open Wed-Sat.
La Tresorerie De L’Art is a flourishing culture hub café with daytime arts and crafts workshops and discussions, as well as evening conferences and music. 13 rue Trachel, tramstop Gare Thiers. Similar and in the same neighborhood (just one block up), you’ll find Atelier Alfred coffee house at 13 rue Vernier with more workshops to whet your creative spirit and participative events in the same vein.
- For nighttime, here is a list of Secret and Hidden bars in Nice
Weekly Expat Coffee Mornings
This weekly meetup has been happening in Old Nice for over 20 years… Every Sunday from 10:30am-noonish Les Distilleries Ideals becomes Nice’s English-speaking expat hub to meet others in the same boat! It’s crowded (get there early if you want to sit), but is a fantastic place to start making connections and new friends. 21 rue de la Prefecture in Old Nice, tram stop Cathedrale.
On Saturday mornings at 9am, there is a new weekly expat meetup in English (less well-known, so more intimate and less crowded) at the Le Country Store, 39 rue Marechal Joffre, tram stop Jean Medecin.
Read the Room is a new family-run English language bookstore and coffeehouse with comfy chairs and a welcoming café with great coffees and homebaked goods. Open Tues-Saturday. 3 rue Papon, tram stop Republique.
- For a list of nighttime Expat meetups and language exchanges look here: What to do in Nice at Night)
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