The best Michelin-star restaurants in Nice, France

The Mediterranean flaunts a variety of culinary influences: the fruits of the Mediterranean sea off the coast of Nice are complemented by the flavours and bounteous produce that grows in the fertile lands of Provence.

Nearby Italy casts its revered ways in the world of food along the coastline, fusing the numerous culinary convergences that call these shores home. These gastronomic delights have led to myriad world-class luxury restaurants establishing themselves on the picturesque shores of the French Riviera. 

The list of Michelin-star restaurants in Nice, France

• Pure & V*
• Le Chantecler*
• Flaveur**
• L'Aromate*
• Les Agitateurs*
• Jan*

A flawless fine-dining restaurant: Pure & V*, Nice

Vanessa Massé - a lover of wine, particularly natural wines - recruited the likes of Mads Thomsen (a Danish chef, previously at Marchal in Copenhagen) to take the helm of her kitchen and storm the Nice dining scene with a creative flourish. Stemming from Massé's love of wine, the restaurant maintains a commitment to sustainable gastronomy, sourcing 90% of their produce from local organic producers.

Duck off the streets of Nice into this unassuming restaurant, where the bistro-like interior will be the understated ambience for this unforgettable culinary journey. To witness the full depth of the delectable delights that come from the kitchen of Pure & V, try the steak tartare with fourme d’Ambert cheese, which is served on buckwheat with some punchy paprika. Move onto the chapon with textures of artichoke and bacon, served with smoked white butter and cardamom. The most spellbinding of combinations comes from the pudding: the ice cream with lavender, chunks of raw and baked cookies, and a miso caramel sauce. 

Le Chantecler: A meeting point of the Mediterranean and Normandy at Le Chantecler*

A meal at Le Negresco Hotel's Le Chantecler is as much a visual affair as it is a gustatory one: each plate boasts a design of intricate arches and lines and strokes, whilst the dining room is a lavish eclecticism of colours and antiques where you will be waited upon by servers who have perfected the showmanship of their craft. Michelin has recognised Le Chantecler as one of their most delightful and comfortable restaurants to visit. Head chef Virginie Basselot, of Norman origin who has been at the helm since 2018, and her team produce unending creativity, with surprises at each turn. 

Basselot melds together her Norman roots with the freshness of the Mediterranean; wonderful seafood meets the creaminess of Normandy's butter and cream, which are given a lift by the lightness of lemon. The sea bass and oyster with tartare, lemon cream and Sologne caviar is simply delicious. 

Local produce and a great atmosphere at Flaveur**

This effortlessly trendy restaurant benefits from an atmosphere that can only be created by the ease that exudes from friendship: three friends - two brothers in the kitchen and their friend at front of house - bring an energy like no other to their running of the restaurant. The brotherly duo in the kitchen at Flaveur perform their magic with a nod to sustainability by sourcing their fish from small-boat fisherman and organic, permaculture vegetables grown on the hills that gaze upon Nice. 

The cuisine at this two-star restaurant is creative, but simple, making the most of each flavour and giving each ingredient its due time at the centre of the stage. Try the San Remo caramote prawn starter for a taste of the sea, followed by the speciality: nicoise peach bouillon with a vadouvan blend of spices. This is our favourite of the amazing Michelin-star restaurants in Nice, France. 

Flavours of the south of France at L'Aromate*

Graced by the prowess of Mickaël Gracieux, L'Aromate, with its sleek and modern interior, promises to please. The kitchen, which can be observed from the warmly lit dining room, produces unwaveringly artistic and flavoursome dishes that enrapture with touches that feel personal and reveal elements of the chef's character.

To start, the Mediterranean anchovies with virgin apricot and tomato from the garden, served on a puff pastry bread with olive. This showcases the freshness of the south of France, with local ingredients, some grown in the restaurant's garden, and anchovies plucked from the shimmering sea below. 

Shaking up the French Riviera: Les Agitateurs*

Chef Samuel Victori and his partner have sought to shake up the fine-dining scene in Nice not by radical transformation, but by subtlety and sheer skill. Moving with each season and the changing palette of the market stalls, Les Agitateurs finely crafts each dish with an eye to maiximising aromas and flavours with honesty and simplicity.

Food is sourced with a commitment to the locality and sustainability, with a flourishing garden grown from unmodified seeds and seafood from the nearby Thiers Coquillages et Poissons seafood market. What's available to them that day dictates the direction of this creative and everchanging menu.

Jan*: A South African Michelin-star restaurant in Nice, France

A man who has lived many lives already, as a journalist, a photographer, a chef aboard yachts, South African-born Jan Hendrik van der Westhuizen now flaunts his fine-tuned capabilities in his eponymous restaurant that is perched slightly aback from the gently bustling port of Nice. He is the first South African chef to have been awarded a prestigious Michelin star. The restaurant is cosy and intimate, a home-away-from-home feel that is seasoned with subtle notes of opulence. 

Local produce of the highest quality comprise the contemporary cuisine that emerges from van der Westhuizen's kitchen at Jan. Try the apple, chorizo and haddock starter before moving onto the duck and peach served with a cherry jus on a plump pillow of smoked mashed potato. His cuisine is wholesome and nourishing, but bursts with creativity and modest sophistication. 

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