What should I order? A Ricard with pan bagnat.
This French Riviera-themed venue looks good on paper but ever so slightly disappoints in reality. As a slice of Nice away from Nice, it ticks all the boxes: Mediterranean cuisine, a range of pastis, boules pitch in the basement, glass roof… The problem is that it tries too hard to channel the summer spirit, while overlooking certain logistical details – who, for example, wants to spend their day chucking metal balls in a dingy basement when it's 30 degrees out?
Quibbles aside, there's no denying that Les Niçois does good food (burrata dishes, cod nuggets, brunch on weekends) at reasonable prices (plates of tapas start at €3). The same applies to drink: glasses of southern wine and shots of Ricard liqueur start at €2.50. Throw in the warm service from a friendly staff, and we're starting to think this might be the place to be when the winter cold sets in. Bring on the boules.