Worth the detour…
These addresses may not be found in top gastronomic guide-books, but are nevertheless much talked about. The crowns of laurels of these restaurants without any stars are woven by their clients.
Word of mouth works wonders ! We exchange addresses giving lots of details about the setting, the welcome, the cooking. In Nice, five of them have all it takes to draw fans of good food and a friendly atmosphere. On the port, facing the boarding jetty for the ferry to Corsica, Les Pêcheurs, run by Yanis and Aurélie, invites you on a voyage of taste : here, you’ll be treated to pan-fried scampi with ginger and citronella, knuckle end of lamb with four spices. “Fresh and natural ingredients, typical of the first offerings of the season.” More Niçois in spirit and the dishes, La Cantine de Lulu, Lou Pistou and the Bistrot du Port (the last with a hint of Liguria) propose real musts inspired by local recipes : onion tart, “ratatouille”, Swiss chard pie… Offering decor in either bistro or small “brasserie” style, the first has ochre walls and tables of black slate, the second lays typical red-and-white check tablecloths and the third features the glowing sunshine yellow of a Niçois fresco. For all three, a menu that depends on the market, the seasons and the mood of the chef. Then there’s Carboni, where Publio sings the praises of trans-Alpine cuisine with talent and the appropriate accent. “Everything comes straight from Italy, cold meats, cheeses, wines…” You simply must try his fresh pasta (prepared in many different ways) and the fillet of beef “à notre façon”. In the Film Fest city, don’t miss La Table du Chef and Le Bistrot des Artisans. La Table du Chef (ex-Simplicité) proposes bistro-style cuisine, with Mediterranean recipes (risotto with gambas, calf’s liver Venetian style, blanquette of veal…). Evenings, Bruno Gendarme “imposes” his Surprise menu : a starter, fish, meat and dessert, all based on seasonal fare. Far from the Croisette and its surroundings, Le Bistrot des Artisans attracts initiates inside its walls (you won’t come across this address by chance). Casual is the key word here. Traditional dishes too, with Niçois tripe, “andouillettes” (a kind of offal sausage) and prime cuts of meat. As for fans of couscous and “tajines”, their favourite haunt is La Pigeot. This address run by the Loumani brothers is a unanimous hit where you’ll discover the Maghreb in their harira soup with carvi, cinammon and ginger, lamb with dried currants and prunes, “pastilla” with pigeon. For the decor, ochre walls, blue and white tiling and the inevitable wrought-iron lanterns, with congeniality as a bonus. A village built like an arch against its ramparts, La Turbie surveys the Mediterranean. Bruno Cirino, who already runs his Hostellerie Jérôme here (with a Michelin star), has now opened the Café de la Fontaine. A real “gourmet” café, a “village bistro”, as the chef likes to say. Depending on what he finds at the market, he concocts a “brandade” of cod with mild peppers, farm-raised rabbit Niçois-style, roast leg of lamb with cloves of garlic. It’s simple, healthy and totally unpretentious. And the word is out…
Carnet
Carboni, 10 rue Saint-Augustin, Nice (04 93 76 67 51). Carte : approx. 35 €. La Cantine de Lulu, 26 rue Alberti, Nice (04 93 62 15 33). Approx. 25 €. La Pigeot, 16 rue Alexis-Julien, Valbonne (04 93 12 17 53). From 30 €. La Table du Chef, 5 rue Jean Daumas, Cannes (04 93 68 27 40). Lunch : plat : 15 €, entrée + plat : 19 €, entrée + plat + dessert : 22 €. Menu Surprise : 32 €. Le Bistrot des Artisans, 67 boulevard de la République, Cannes (04 93 68 33 88). Entrée + plat or plat + dessert : 25 €. Le Bistrot du Port, 28 quai Lunel, Nice (04 93 55 21 70). Approx. 25 €. Le Café de la Fontaine, 4 avenue du Général de Gaulle, La Turbie (04 93 28 52 79). Approx. 25 €. Les Pêcheurs, 18 quai des Docks, Nice (04 93 89 59 61). Menus : 28 et 38 €. Lou Pistou, 4 rue Raoul Bosio, Nice (04 93 62 21 82). Carte : approx. 35 €.
By Cécile Olivéro
