Travel: A return to beautiful Nice, France by Alexandra Cohen

by Alexandra Cohen

The capital of the French Riviera, Nice is a perfect city for a relaxing getaway. This past summer, I returned to Nice for the first time in eight years and was able to enjoy a fantastic few days by the Mediterranean. 

For those who have not yet visited, Nice is the fifth largest city in France, with 350,000 citizens and more than 1 million people living in the surrounding areas. 

Where to Stay
During my trip, I stayed at the gorgeous Hyatt Regency Nice Palais de la Méditerranée in a spectacular king room with a full sea view. This historic and luxurious five-star hotel is located on the legendary Promenade des Anglais, directly across the street from the sea. There are 187 spacious guestrooms and suites, complimentary Wi-Fi, the option for mobile entry with your room key available through your smart phone, a beautiful indoor-outdoor pool, as well as a gym, sauna, and Turkish bath. The hotel restaurant, le 3e, includes a lovely terrace which overlooks the Mediterranean, as well as the outdoor pool, includes a large and delicious breakfast buffet, which I was able to enjoy every morning. The hotel also features a business and conference center on site. Dogs under 15 kilograms are permitted on the premises for an additional fee. 

During my stay, I was very impressed with the hotel’s customer service. Their concierge service is able to reserve seats for hotel guests at the nearby beach. They will give you a voucher and charge it to your room. Response to requests for room service and other needs was always swift. 

In terms of accessibility, six rooms (including one suite) are adapted with walk-in showers (equipped with a seat on the wall and a grab rail), a sink accessible for those in wheelchairs, height equipment (bed, mini bar, safe box, toilet) for wheelchair access, as well as a wardrobe with a telescopic rod. 

You can e-mail nice.regency@hyatt.com or call +33 4 93 27 12 34 prior to your trip with any questions. 

Dining out:
There are many fantastic dining options in Nice. During my previous trip in 2014, I dined at Le Grand Balcon (www.legrandbalcon.net), located at 10 rue St. François de Paule near the opera house. Having had such a great experience, I was looking forward to returning, and it did not disappoint. Since my last visit, their terrace seems to have more than doubled in size, and all of their tables were full. While their menu offers numerous options, I personally enjoyed their sea bream ceviche with pomelo, the scallops with truffles and homemade mashed potatoes, and the parmesan cheese risotto. For dessert, I had a tasty, restyled lemon meringue pie. Undoubtedly, should you choose to visit, you will enjoy their creative and delicious cuisine. Le Grand Balcon is wheelchair accessible.

Another excellent restaurant worth visiting is Bocca Nissa (www.boccanissa.com), a trendy restaurant and tapas bar located at 3 rue St. François de Paule. At first glance, the building resembles a beautiful Mediterranean town house. You will enter by walking down a hallway with walls lined entirely by greenery. Their rooftop terrace provides views of Vieux Nice and is also lined with plants and twinkle lights. Their menu contains a large array of tapas to share. I tried their tortilla dish, as well as their fried squid and sardines, sea bream ceviche, and beef ravioli. For dessert, their chocolate bombs were a real treat. For those less interested in tapas, their menu also boasts larger meals that one may choose to share, such as lamb chops and beef ribs. This property is also wheelchair accessible.