CURRENT POPULATION: 350,000
% POP GROWTH: 0.901 %
CITY AREA: 72 KM2

CITY DENSITY: 4,766 INH/KM2
GDP PER CAPITA: €24,100
DIALLING CODE: +33

WITH FRIENDS
LA PALOMA
PALOMA PLAGE, SAINT-JEAN, CAP FERRAT
TEL. 04 93 01 64 71
Midway between the commotion of the Cannes Film Festival and Monaco Grand Prix, this restaurant sits on a perfect arc of sand and offers a secluded respite from both pageants. And in spring you can still order a platter of grilled seabass and caprese salad alongside the beautiful people, who drift in from nearby Nice.  

ENTERTAINING A CLIENT
LES PÊCHEURS
18 QUAI DES DOCKS
TEL. 04 93 89 59 61
The outdoor tables at this modern Provençal restaurant bear witness to nouveau takes on beignets de courgettes, seared tuna and other local classics. Les Pêcheurs soaks up the last of the evening sun on the port’s pretty right bank.  

CLOSING THE DEAL
L’INDYANA
11 RUE GUSTAVE DELOYE
TEL. 04 93 80 67 69
A dinner in the opulent seclusion of L’Indyana verges on a religious experience. A holy alliance of Franco-Asian chefs belt out lip-smacking dishes from France, the Orient and the Far East. Diners can savour a côte de bœuf or a lamb tagine, then top it off with mouthwatering homemade marshmallows.

STYLE
LA RESERVE
60 BOULEVARD FRANCK PILATTE
TEL. 04 97 08 29 98
It seems even the nibbles have been inspired by Finnish super chef Jouni Tormanen at this seafront bar. Home-made crisps and tuna tartare offset the cocktails (ingredients range from English gin to pulped cucumber). Costing about €12, a drink is guaranteed to be memorable.

RELAX
LA CIVETTE DE COURS
1 COURS SALEYA
TEL. 04 93 80 80 59
Spring evenings on La Civette’s terrace are the Cours Saleya at its best. Warm sun, platters of free pissaladière (Niçoise onion pizza) and chilled rosé are served in equal measure.

VALUE
MERCURE MARCHÉ AUX FLEURS
91 QUAI DES ÉTATS UNIS
TEL. 04 93 85 74 19
A white mansion right on the seafront, this well-run Mercure is the pick of the bunch in Nice’s €100-150 business range. The (fortunately) soundproofed rooms look out onto the Old Town and Opera House next door. There’s no pool but the Mediterranean Sea is just 30 seconds away.

BUSINESS
RADISSON SAS NICE
223 PROMENADE DES ANGLAIS
TEL. 04 97 17 71 77
Its quiet location at the end of Le Prom’, a 10-minute taxi ride from the Old Town action, has allowed the Radisson to spread its wings. Facilities include a rooftop pool and terrace, fitness centre, bike rental, free Wi-Fi, plenty of parking, access to the private beach and an unparalleled vista of the Baie des Anges. The airport is less than a kilometre away.

BOUTIQUE
HOTEL NEGRESCO
11 RUE GUSTAVE DELOYE
TEL. 04 93 80 67 69
A dinner in the opulent seclusion of L’Indyana verges on a religious experience. A holy alliance of Franco-Asian chefs belt out lip-smacking dishes from France, the Orient and the Far East. Diners can savour a côte de bœuf or a lamb tagine, then top it off with mouthwatering homemade marshmallows.

Formula One’s most glamorous Grand Prix returns to Monaco from 21-24 May (www.acm. mc). The fact that many of the drivers walk home to their tax-haven residences after the race is one of the circuit’s many anomalies.

A-list celebrities have blessed Cap Ferrat since the days of Gianni Agnelli and Sir David Niven. But the tickly sand and clear blue water of Paloma Plage and Plage des Fosses are still only for locals until July.

Théâtre de la Photographie et de l’Image (www.. tpi-nice.org) on Boulevard Dubouchage hosts the poignant black and white images of Jean Ferrero until 31 May. Expect to see the likes of Picasso, César and Arman cropping up on celluloid.

The 60 million francs stolen from the vaults of Nice’s Société Générale bank have never been recovered. Southern French rogue Albert Spaggiari completed the heist on Bastille Day in 1976 after a two-month subterranean dig. Although later arrested at Nice airport, he jumped out of the courtroom window into a waiting car during his trial and was never to be seen again.