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France : Nice - January 2008

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Thanks to Nice’s new tramway, you can glide between Place Garibaldi’s al fresco restaurants and Galeries Lafayette’s January sale in minutes. Also in town this month is Place Masséna’s giant Ferris wheel. With the sun shining and hotel prices halved, there’s no better time to visit the beautiful capital of the Côte d’Azur. Tristan Rutherford reports

Getting around

Nice Côte d’Azur Airport is 7km west of the city centre.

Bus: The No.99 departs for Gare Routière, the central bus station just outside the old town, every 20 minutes. Tickets cost €4 and the journey takes about 30 minutes.
Taxi: The journey from the airport to the city centre takes 20 minutes and costs around €30.
Tourist information: The main office is at 5 Promenade des Anglais (tel. , nicetourisme.biz).

OLD TOWN

Enjoy a continental breakfast on the picturesque Cours Saleya, then explore the Old Town’s winding Italian streets.

Sleep soundly – For sea views and sunny balconies, head for the Hotel Suisse (15 Quai Rauba Capéu, tel. , rooms from €90), which has very reasonable winter rates.

Must eat – Foodies flock to ex-Negresco chef Dominic Le Stanc’s La Merenda (4 Rue de la Terrasse, no reservations) for pâtes au pistou (spaghetti in pesto sauce) and panisse (chickpea ‘chips’). Next door to the rococo opera house, Le Grand Balcon (10 Rue Saint-Françoisde-Paul, tel. ) serves up mouthwatering scallops with truffles.

Must drink – Brand-new wine bar Bliss (12 Rue de l’Abbaye) pulls in an achingly hip crowd until midnight.

Dance the night away – Knock on the door to gain entrance to Shadow (12 Rue Benoît Bunico), where you can sip stiff gin and tonics until the early hours.

Shop til you drop – Umbrella and cane specialist Bestagno Enrico (17 Rue de la Préfecture) sells a fine selection of gentleman’s products from around Europe.

PLACE MASSENA

Asian-inspired modern art will be hovering above Place Masséna’s pavement cafés this January; visit at night to watch these eye-catching installations change colour!

Sleep soundly – The renowned Grand Hotel Aston (12 Avenue Félix Faure, tel. , www.hotel-aston.com, rooms from €165) is as central as they come, and boasts a panoramic rooftop bar and 24-hour room service.

Culture vultures – Galerie Soardi (8 Rue Désiré Niel) finishes its winter collection of Combas, Warhol and local artist Ben on January 7th, in time for an urban spaces photography exhibition from the 12th onwards.

Must eat – Emile’s Cookies (9 Rue Alberti, tel. ) sells delicious homemade muffins alongside brimming bagels. For a more formal meal try the fantastic grilled steak for two at L’Indyana (11 Rue Gustave Deloye, tel. ).

Must drink – Situated by the Bellagio-style fountain, pavement café Bay (56 Boulevard Jean Jaurès) serves a good selection of whites and rosés.

MUSICIENS

More refined than the ‘Prom’, this bourgeois quartier is a little piece of Paris five minutes’ stroll from the beach.

Sleep soundly – The best-kept secret of the charming Hotel Gounod (3 Rue Gounod, tel. , gounodnice.com, rooms from €105) is its rooftop swimming pool and jacuzzi.

Culture vultures – Catch director Antonio Sapone’s revolving collection of 20th-century art at Galerie Sapone (25 Boulevard Victor Hugo), a 45-year-old landmark. Open Tuesday to Saturday.

Shop til you drop – Newly opened Amour Vinum (24 Rue Alphonse Karr) has a selection of more than 100 Champagne marques stacked up high, plus a knowledgeable sommelier on hand to help you decide between them.

PLACE GARIBALDI

Watch Nice’s gleaming new tram meander through the square from one of ten cheap-and-cheerful cafés.

Must eat – Brasserie la Nation (14 Place Garibaldi, tel. ) has plat du jour lunches for €7, before being overrun by chess players until closing time. Specialising in fruits de mer, Chez Pistol (5 Place Garibaldi, ) serves great langoustine and oysters, and white wine by the jug.

Must drink – Anglo-Japanese tea bar Moshi Moshi (4 Rue Défly) also does lunchtime tasting platters for around €10.

Dance the night away – New on the scene, Chantier (4 Rue Céntrale) is as hot and sweaty as house clubs come. Its DJs hit the decks until 6am each weekend.

Shop til you drop – For ancient maps, collectable books and fine art, hit the antiques stores of Hellenbeck, Michel Meyer and Librairie Rabelais on the venerable Rue Défly.

Compiled by Kathryn Tomasetti