Elizabeth Brauders | Fashion Editor
So many things come to mind when one is asked to imagine the French Riviera. Sunny days at stony beaches, fields of olives and grapes, stylish locals on Vespas or in convertible Ferraris, the paintings of Matisse, Chagall and Picasso, and Zelda and Scott Fitzgerald living up to their own legend as best they could.
Officially, I’m here in Nice to polish my French skills before I finish my degree, and work-wise, I’ve chanced upon some great opportunities – like hostessing aboard a yacht at the Cannes Film Festival, and being an English-tutoring nanny for small children. The flexibility of the work leaves me with ample leisure time to just enjoy the southern way of life, which, for me, revolves largely around fashion and food.
The greatest resource here for vintage fans are the antique markets, held every Monday in the main square, the Cours Saleya. Burberry trenchcoats, Hermès scarves and Chanel suits abound, pristine and sold at a tiny fraction of their original cost. It might involve some time digging around moth-eaten furs and blouses that appear to be made of equal parts woven damp and sweat, but the reward is worth it. For modern pieces, small independent stores like Elka & Cieva shore up the most unique finds, along with a sweatshop-free guarantee. The old-town also has a variety of shops offering handmade sandals and crisp white cotton dresses and shirts.
Once you’ve got an outfit put together, there’s no shortage of venues to show it off in either
Bar Le Relais, at Nice’s iconic Negresco hotel, oozes old-world class and elegance, carved walnut furnishings and oil paintings, and opens up the opportunity to slip into the ballroom for a sneaky Charleston. It’s about €20 for a cocktail, but it is worth it. For a more relaxed atmosphere, i.e. one without a dress-code and a barman in a three-piece suit, The Snug and Cellar is the only Irish pub I’ve ever been in that I didn’t hate and hosts the liveliest pub quiz I’ve had the pleasure of coming fourth in. The staff are welcoming and friendly, and the clientele is largely composed of loyal regulars, resulting in a more intimate experience than can be found in larger tourist bars.
In relation to food, markets are once again your best friend. This time, however, skip the tourist swarms (and tourist prices) on the Cours Saleya, and head to the top of the main street, Avenue Jean Medecin. Early in the morning, in front of the old train station, stalls spring up with local and organic food, and vendors who will recommend the best produce of the day, even inviting you to taste before purchasing.
Prices are low, almost shockingly so. My mouth fell open on my first visit when a bag of cherries and another of apricots came to €2 for both. The food is such great value for money, and buying it feels like such a quintessential French experience, that it’s worth getting up early for. Such ingredients provide the perfect excuse to attempt making some of the local dishes, like pissaladière, an onion pizza, socca, a chickpea pancake, or the famous salade niçoise, featuring tuna, olives and boiled eggs.
Food tends to be simple, but flavourful, with lots of garlic and good olive oil. If cooking is not your thing, there’s no shortage of restaurants that take full advantage of fresh local produce.
Again, a lot of the restaurants on the Cours tend to be tourist-traps, so be a little wary, especially if you can’t spot any French people eating there, and the menu reads exactly like the neighbouring establishment
My recommendations would be La Voglia, which is delicious, but a little more expensive, and expect queues at the weekends, or else Le Hussard, providing rooftop dining on gorgeous creations. For good, reasonably-priced food, La Storia and the Opera Bistro offer that Provence taste in large portions, with a warm welcome and excellent service. If you’re in the mood for something a bit different, the newly-opened El Merkado has a large range of tapas at around €4 each. Service is slow, but the food is worth the wait. The cocktail menu and selection of wines is also very impressive, and the in-house DJ provides an interesting atmosphere. Follow with an evening at Le Sansas, a salsa club. It doesn’t matter if you can’t salsa. Someone will take your hand and teach you the basics in about 5 seconds flat. If that’s not your style, Wayne’s is a good spot for table-top dancing until the wee hours, though the DJ has an inexplicable penchant for the Grease soundtrack.
Possibly the best part of Nice is that it’s a great base for travelling the rest of the Côte d’Azur and Provence. It’s the hub of a transport network that will take you quickly and cheaply to Monte Carlo for the Grand Prix, to Cannes for the film festival, to the mountains for skiing in winter, or hiking in Summer, to Grasse for the heart of the perfume industry, to Villefranche for its outdoor cinema in castle ruins, to Èze for its medieval citadel topped with exotic gardens, or to any number of small towns, each with their own curiosities and claims to fame. If getting up early or hungover isn’t your thing, push through it with a vanilla-scented coffee from Café Indien, and go exploring, especially to the smaller villages you’ve never heard of before. Going to see something that’s not already been photographed a thousand times for guidebooks is always the most satisfying, and the most breath-taking.
