There is more to life than increasing its speed.
Gandhi
World-class beaches. Old-world charm. Renowned culinary scene. Gorgeous weather. Azur blue sea. What more could you ask for when you are looking for a last-minute, relaxing weekend abroad with minimal planning necessary? Nice checked all the boxes, and our friend Jen loved the idea too and joined us for our 4th of July weekend getaway in the French Riviera. We spent the long, warm days lying on the beach, strolling through the old town marveling at the architecture, and indulging in ridiculously good food.
After dropping off our bags at the hotel and taking a quick peek at the view of this beautiful city out our window (above pic), our first mission was to find a spot with outdoor seating to start soaking in the sunshine and indulging in local cuisine. Our hotel recommended a cute little restaurant that offered traditional Nice fare that was on my must-try list including ratatouille, which actually originated in Nice, and ravioli Nicoise, which are stuffed with slow-roasted beef.
The ratatouille was made from the freshest vegetables and bursting with flavorful. The ravioli was just heavenly.
After lunch, walking the palm tree-filled Promenade des Anglais was the perfect introduction to Nice. The promenade runs for 7 km along the beach and is lined with some iconic buildings, such as the Hotel Negresco and the Opera House.
Fittingly given it was the 4th of July, a mini version of the Statue of Liberty stands in front of the Opera House.
At one end of the promenade, there is a rock outcropping and then stairs that wind up to Castle Hill.
The views from Bellanda Tower are well worth the hike up the stairs.
Just a bit further up the hill is the Parc de La Colline du chateau with a cooling waterfall and more spectacular views over the distinctive Mediterranean-style orange roofs as a reward for the hike up.
Speaking of a reward, after climbing up the hill on a hot, sunny day, we definitely earned two scoops of ice cream from the Nice institution Fenocchio. Established in 1966, this ice cream shop has perfected 94 flavors from the classics to exciting innovations including some odd ones like beer and cactus. I went floral with orange blossom and lavender. Both were amazing. Jen went with tiramisu and chocolate, and Jimmy chose salted caramel and cinnamon cookie. We all agreed that the shop lived up to the hype.
Fennochio is in the old town, Vieille Ville, which is one of the best areas to stroll and appreciate the old-world charm and architecture. Ornate, pastel buildings are synonymous with Nice.
We capped off the day with another outstanding meal with some French classics such as beef tartar and crème brulee and quite possibly the best thing we ate all trip: a lobster risotto.
Our second day was about as perfect as you could get. We lounged on the beach all day in the brilliant sunshine. We had an attentive and funny waiter bringing us drinks all day with mimosas in the morning to Spritz in the afternoon. We could jump in the beautiful turquoise waters to cool off while admiring the elegant Belle Époque buildings nearby.
When we got hungry, we got light and refreshing snacks and salads brought to us. Of course, we had to try the Niçoise salad and our favorite cheese from neighboring Italy, burrata. And last but not least, a shrimp poke bowl.
After a healthy lunch, we couldn’t help topping off the perfect beach afternoon with another trip to Fenocchio. I just had to try the amaretto, salted caramel, and speculoos (spiced shortbread biscuit).
As the finale of this perfect day, we all got spiffied up for a fancy two Michelin Star dinner at Le Chantecler in the legendary Le Negresco hotel, where royalty, celebrities, politicians, and trendy jet-setters have been coming since 1913.
The highlights…an amuse-bouche with salmon beet tartar and a fancy spin on the Nice onion tart
Seabass and oyster tartar with lemon cream and caviar
Smoked burrata with zucchini flower and pistachio
Fillet of lamb with gnocchi and smoked eggplant purée
Raspberries and blueberries on a lemongrass and Brazilian mate sorbet
Chocolate, caramel, and peanut delight
Fine dining in a historic, glamorous hotel on the French Riviera with great company…icing on the cake of a perfect relaxation weekend.
Having seen a lot of the Nice highlights, our second full day we took advantage of the proximity to one of the world’s smallest countries, Monaco, and jumped on a train for a day trip to one of the most glamorous places in the world (blog coming soon).
For Nice, our time was coming to a close but not without a bit more beach and foodie time. We enjoyed a lovely breakfast on the beach with mimosas.
We checked out two more famous sites…the Russian Orthodox Church, which opened in 1912, and the Neo-Gothic Notre Dame de Nice.
And we knocked a couple more traditional Nice food specialties off the must-try list. We found a sampler platter with socca (chickpea pancake), the Pissaladière onion tart, chickpea fries, eggplant and zucchini blossom fritters, tapenade, and pizza.
Nice was just what we were looking for. A peaceful weekend spent in quaint cafes with open terraces and in glamorous buildings enjoying world-class cuisine, strolling airy boulevards with French Baroque architecture and roaming the narrow cobblestone streets of the old town.
We couldn’t have asked for a better place to unwind and get some summer sun.
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