THE FRENCH RIVIERA - France 2014 - page 1112

Ville de Siena draws young travelers who dig this place for its big portions, open
kitchen, and raucous atmosphere, with tables crammed outside ona narrow lane. The food
is Italian and hearty (€12-17 plats , closed Sun, 10 Rue St. Vincent, tel. [phone]).
Lou Pilha Leva delivers fun and cheap lunch or dinner options with Niçois special-
tiesandalwaysbusyoutdoor-onlypicnic-tabledining(daily,locatedwhereRuedelaLoge
and Rue Centrale meet in Vieux Nice).
Restaurant Castel is a fine eat-on-the-beach option, thanks to its location at the
very east end of Nice looking over the bay. Lose the city hustle and bustle by dropping
down the steps below Castle Hill. The views are unforgettable even if the cuisine is not;
you can even have lunch at your beach chair if you've rented one here (€15/half-day,
€18/day). Dinner here is best: Arrive before sunset and find a waterfront table perfectly
positioned to watch evening swimmers get in their last laps as the sky turns pink and
city lights flicker on. Linger long enough to justify the few extra euros the place charges
(€18 salads and pastas, €20-28 main courses, 8 Quai des Etats-Unis, tel. [phone],
www.castelplage.com ).
And for Dessert...
(See “Vieux Nice Hotels & Restaurants” map, here .)
Gelato lovers should save room for the tempting ice-cream stands in Vieux Nice. Fenoc-
chio is the city's favorite, with mouthwatering displays of 86 flavors ranging from tomato
to lavender to avocado—all of which are surprisingly good (daily March-Nov, until 24:00
in summer, two locations: 2 Place Rossetti and 6 Rue de la Poissonnerie). Gelato connois-
seurs should head for Oui, Jelato, where the selection may be a fraction of Fenocchio's
but the quality is superior (5 Rue de la Préfecture, on the Place du Palais).
Eating near Nice Etoile
(See “Nice Restaurants” map, here .)
If you're not up for eating in Vieux Nice, try one of these spots around the Nice Etoile
shopping mall.
On Rue Biscarra: An appealing lineup of bistros overflowing with outdoor tables
stretches along the broad sidewalk on Rue Biscarra (just east of Avenue Jean Médecin be-
hind Nice Etoile, all closed Sun). Come here to dine with area residents away from the
tourists. These two places are both good choices, with pleasant interior and exterior seat-
ing: L'Authentic has creative cuisine and comes with a memorable owner, burly Philippe
(€23 two-course menus, €27 three-course menus, reasonable pasta dishes, tel. [phone]
88, www.lauthentic.com ) . Le 20 sur Vin isaneighborhoodfavoritewithacozy,wine-bar-