c

#WhenIn Nice (& Saint-Paul de Vence & Èze)

Yuan Nielsen
Jul 27, 2017 · 4 min read

When in Nice… rent a scooter and get out of Nice. It seems harsh, but other than the mind-blowing little restaurant Oliviera (thy name still haunts me), my favorite part of Nice was actually venturing out to the nearby villages. Old Town Nice has its charms, but nothing beats discovering places such as Saint-Paul de Vence and Èze…

Where to stay:

We found a very modern and comfortable hotel in the heart of Nice, but it was rather unmemorable, so I will instead recommend a place we found when walking around in Èze Village. The place is called Chateau de la Chevre d’Or, and if we were to ever find ourselves in that neighborhood again, this is where we would stay, cost what it may.

How to get around:

Scooter!! It provides both freedom and wind in your hair, and it is super fun to ride in the sun between beach and town.

Where to eat:

Breakfast:

Restaurant La Fontaine in Saint-Paul de Vence is an extremely charming little place with a small outdoor terrace, literally right above the village fountain. It was the perfect way to start the day with coffees and croissants, imagining what it must have been like to walk the cobblestones below all those many years ago.

Lunch:

Restaurant Alain Llorca in La Colle-sur-Loup has the perfect view of Saint-Paul de Vence towering proudly from its green and luscious hill. The food is very good (prepare yourself for the myriad of little dessert pastries at the end), and the service is excellent. This is the perfect place to enjoy a lunch on the way to or from Saint-Paul de Vence.

Dinner:

Oliviera, Oliviera, wherefore art thou Oliviera?… This utterly inconspicuous little restaurant (disguised as an olive oil shop) is frighteningly good, and Mr. Oliviera loves olive oil above all else (so I’m afraid any roaring declarations of love will be tragically unreciprocated), and his food tastes like what I imagine that food critic was experiencing in Ratatouille.

What to eat:

At Oliviera’s? I don’t think I am ready to talk about it yet…
As far as Nice specialties, one would have to try socca (no, not Sokka our bend-less friend from The Last Airbender), the crêpe of chickpea flour that apparently is quite the thing in this area.

What to do:

Saint-Paul de Vence is simply breathtaking. This quiet medieval village on the hill is really quite magical.

Èze sits on a high hilltop and has spectacular panoramic views as well as small beautiful alleyways. Very much like Saint-Paul de Vence, this historic village is terrifically charming.

Cap Ferrat is lovely, especially from above. We rode around in and above it on our way to and from Èze and enjoyed some very beautiful views.

What not to do:

Don’t spend all your time in Downtown Nice. As much as it (probably) has to offer, I found it rather repetitive to walk in circles around Old Town. I think it is much more interesting to explore outside of the city, and the views of Nice from beyond Nice is really quite Nice…

Live Great Stories

Yuan Nielsen

Written by

#WhenIn

#WhenIn

Welcome to a place where words matter. On Medium, smart voices and original ideas take center stage - with no ads in sight. Watch
Follow all the topics you care about, and we’ll deliver the best stories for you to your homepage and inbox. Explore
Get unlimited access to the best stories on Medium — and support writers while you’re at it. Just $5/month. Upgrade