Monastère Notre Dame de Cimiez

Nice

　　Painters Henri Matisse and Raoul Dufy are buried in the cemetery of this monastery, a five-minute walk across the park from the Musée Matisse. To reach Matisse's grave, turn left after crossing through the gate and weave through the grandiose family plots down to the lower cemetery, where you'll find...

Le Régina

Nice

　　Originally Queen Victoria’s wintering palace, this monumental edifice was subsequently converted into apartments. In the 1940s Matisse lived here, using one unit as a studio and another as his home, and it was here that the artist passed away in 1954. Visitors can admire the building from the outside while...

Cours Saleya Food Market

Nice

　　Fruit and vegetables, olives, cheeses, breads, herbs and spices – no market is a finer reflection of local Niçois life. ...

Musée Archéologique de Nice

Nice

　　The hodgepodge of Roman artefacts in this archaeological museum is rather ho-hum – but if you've already bought a Nice museum pass, it's worth a visit just to wander the grounds, which afford some lovely views of Matisse's villa and the adjacent Roman baths, all backed by rows of cypress...

Palais Lascaris

Nice

　　Baroque Palais Lascaris is a 17th-century mansion housing a frescoed orgy of Flemish tapestries, faience and gloomy religious paintings, along with a collection of period musical instruments. On the ground floor is an 18th-century pharmacy. ...

Bar des Oiseaux

Nice

　　Hidden down a narrow backstreet, this old-town classic has been in business since 1961, serving as a popular nightclub before reincarnating itself as a restaurant (some of its original saucy murals have survived the transition). Nowadays it’s a lively bistro serving superb traditional French cuisine spiced up with modern twists....

Cathédrale Ste-Réparate

Nice

　　One of Nice’s Baroque architectural gems, honouring the city’s patron saint. ...

Promenade du Paillon

Nice

　　It’s hard to imagine that this beautifully landscaped park was once a bus station, a multistorey car park and an ill-loved square. Completed in October 2013, the park unfolds from the Théâtre National to place Masséna with a succession of green spaces, play areas and water features, and is now...

Hyatt Regency Nice Palais de la Méditerranée

Nice

　　This opulent edifice is spectacularly recessed behind the massive pillars of its majestic 1929 art-deco façade. Rooms are well-appointed (king-sized beds, separate shower and bath) and all have balconies, though it’s worth noting that the sea views tend to be obstructed by the façade’s pillars. It all feels indulgently upscale,...

Chez Pipo

Nice

　　Everyone says the best socca (chickpea-flour pancakes) can be found in the old town, but don’t believe them – this place near Port Lympia has been in the biz since 1923 and, for our money, knocks socca-shaped spots off anywhere else in Nice. ...

Les Distilleries Idéales

Nice

　　The most atmospheric spot for a tipple in the old town, whether you’re after one of the many beers on tap or a local wine by the glass. Brick-lined and set out over two floors (with a little balcony that’s great for people-watching), it’s packed until late. Happy hour is...

Olive et Artichaut

Nice

　　There’s barely enough room to swing a pan in this tiny street bistro, especially when it’s full of diners (as it often is), but it doesn’t seem to faze young Niçois chef Thomas Hubert and his friendly team. He sources as much produce as possible from close-to-home suppliers (Sisteron lamb,...

Le Comptoir du Marché

Nice

　　With its vintage kitchen decor and great-value prices, the Comptoir does predictably well. There are five or six daily mains, scribbled on a chalkboard. The cuisine is a modern twist on traditional French recipes, with lots of offals and staples such as magret de canard (duck breast), confit rabbit and...

Kiosque Chez Tintin

Nice

　　A true local institution, this friendly little kiosk makes some of Nice's best pan bagnat – Niçois sandwiches piled high with tuna and veggies and slathered in olive oil. Locals flock here before or after a visit to the nearby Libération market. ...

Musée National Marc Chagall

Nice

　　The strange, dreamlike and often unsettling work of the Belarusian painter Marc Chagall (1887–1985) is displayed at this museum, which owns the largest public collection of the painter’s work. The main hall displays 12 huge interpretations (1954–67) of stories from Genesis and Exodus. From the city centre, allow about 20...

Cours Saleya Markets

Nice

　　Split between its beautiful flower market and rightly famous food market. On Mondays, flowers and food make way for a flea market. ...

Musée d’Art Moderne et d’Art Contemporain

Nice

　　European and American avant-garde works from the 1950s to the present are the focus of this sprawling multilevel museum. Highlights include many works by Christo and Nice’s neorealists: Niki de Saint Phalle, César, Arman and Yves Klein. The building’s rooftop also works as an exhibition space (with knockout panoramas of...

Musée Matisse

Nice

　　This museum, 2km north of the city centre in the leafy Cimiez quarter, houses a fascinating assortment of works by Matisse, including oil paintings, drawings, sculptures, tapestries and Matisse’s famous paper cut-outs. The permanent collection is displayed in a red-ochre 17th-century Genoese villa in an olive grove. Temporary exhibitions are...

Musée Masséna

Nice

　　Originally built as a holiday home for Prince Victor d’Essling (the grandson of one of Napoléon's favourite generals, Maréchal Massena), this lavish belle époque building is another of the city’s iconic architectural landmarks. Built between 1898 and 1901 in grand neoclassical style with an Italianate twist, it’s now a fascinating...

Colline du Château

Nice

　　For the best views over Nice’s red-tiled rooftops, climb the winding staircases up to this wooded outcrop on the eastern edge of the old town. It’s been occupied since ancient times; archaeological digs have revealed Celtic and Roman remains, and the site was later occupied by a medieval castle that...

Promenade des Anglais

Nice

　　The most famous stretch of seafront in Nice – if not France – is this vast paved promenade, which gets its name from the English expat patrons who paid for it in 1822. It runs for the whole 4km sweep of the Baie des Anges with a dedicated lane for...

Vieux Nice

Nice

　　Getting lost among the dark, narrow, winding alleyways of Nice’s old town is a highlight. The layout has barely changed since the 1700s, and it’s now packed with delis, restaurants, boutiques and bars, but the centrepiece remains cours Saleya: a massive market square that’s permanently thronging in summer. The food...