The Top 10 Best Vegetarian Restaurants in Nice
An estimated 10% of the world’s population is vegetarian — that’s 375 million hungry vegetarians! And Nice has everything they could ever wish for when it comes to vegetarian food. Before booking your stay, read through our Top 10 favourite Vegetarian Restaurants in Nice so you know just where to go for some Grade-A plant-based grub! Many of the restaurants on this list offer both omnivore and vegetarian fare, so you can easily plan your trip to Nice with friends.
And if you’re vegan, be sure to check out our Top 10 Best Vegan Restaurants in Nice.
Le Country Store – A west-coast cafe transplant in Nice
Le Country Store is located right around the corner from the Villa Saint Exupery hostel, and is the culinary creation of French father-son duo Fabien and Thomas Pruvot and Seattle native Allison Smith. All three have a love of the West Coast, and have translated that into yummy, organic, healthy fare on the French Riviera. With a focus on gut-friendly, simple and nutritious food, you’ll find a rotating menu of homemade and organic bread, scones, cakes and cookies. A mix of healthy and hearty lunch options are available, with a rustic American flair. For your caffeine fix, Le Country Store has paired up with Moxka, a fair-trade, sustainable coffee from Lyon. With just a few seats inside and out front, Le Country Store is cute and cozy — but if there’s no space to sit down, don’t worry! Take one of the hearty salads to go and head to the beach or the park for a gourmet vegetarian picnic with world-class sustainable coffee.
Paper Plane: the best ‘plane food’ you’ve ever had
Ready to fly high? Paper Plane is a vegetarian classic in Nice. Most of their dishes are vegan, but they also use eggs and cheese in a few recipes. Regardless of your culinary proclivities, you’ll leave Paper Plane with your head in the clouds. The food is all made fresh, and you’ll find your dishes satisfy both visually and in taste. No stranger to vibrant colours and strong flavours, Paper Plane serves up hearty mains like chickpea frittata with mint and avocado, fully loaded smoothie bowls, and a mean iced latte to keep cool in the summer. The interior is cozy and inviting, a great spot for late lunch — be sure to take advantage of their lunch deal, 20€ for starter, main, dessert and drink.
Joya: a (licensed!) coworking space with vegetarian food
Need to get some work done while on holiday? Joya’s got you covered — on top of being a great place for vegetarian lunch, they offer coworking spaces with internet access, printers and photocopiers, and lots of desk space — everything you need to convince your boss you’re not just lounging on the beach and partying in the old town. Joya’s also a lifestore: almost everything you see in the cafe is for sale. Like that lamp? Buy it. Comfy rug? It’s yours. Cute mug? Take it home with you. Joya caters to omnivores, but has lots of vegetarian and vegan options on the menu.
Try the roasted seasonal vegetables with tzatziki for something fresh and local, or go for some quality comfort food with the grilled cheese sandwich with emmental, roasted tomatoes and avocado or — our personal fav — Ricotta tortellini au gratin. Oh yeah, and they’re licenced, so… you know … your “work day” will just fly by.
Brew Dog: Craft Beers and Loads of Veggie Options
Brew Dog is just about everywhere these days. Hey, we’re not complaining — craft beer, vegetarian and vegan food options, fun pub atmosphere, what’s not to like? Located just off Place Massena near our downtown hostel, Brew Dog’s vegetarian menu includes a wide range of meat substitutes, like their Hail Seitan sandwich, with BBQ seitan, kale, chutney and hummus in brioche; Buffalo cauliflower; or Veggie Loaded Fries with vegan parmesan. If you’re not sure what to get, just get it all! The Veggie sharing plate has all their vegetarian starters and sides on one mouth-watering food-coma-inducing plate. Hey, not all vegetarians want to eat healthy all the time, right? Brew Dog in Nice also offers beer classes with guided tastings of their craft beers. Beer dinner is vegetarian dinner, didn’t you know?
Address: 4 Avenue des Phocéens, 06300 Nice. Phone: 06 29 16 07 01
La Belle Saison: veggies are the reason for the season
Environmental consciousness is at the forefront of everything La Belle Saison does. Their food is organic, local when possible, with zero-waste goals and all the furniture is reclaimed and refurbished. If you want to feel great about eating a good meal, check out La Belle Saison and eat to your heart’s content with a clear conscience. Each week, the owners head to the local market to pick up the freshest vegetables they can find and start concocting a new menu, full of fresh, local, vibrant flavours and colours. La Belle Saison has a 5-star rating on TripAdvisor, with reinventive creations like buckwheat-flour pizza with tomato coulis, sheep’s milk cheese and courgettes; or tomato tartar with pine-nuts and basil. The menu is mainly vegetarian, with occasional meat-dishes, and always at least one vegan option per week.
Dehli Behli: traditional vegetarian Indian Thali
Provence may be known for its French and Italian roots, but if you’re a fan of authentic and delicious Indian food, you’ll feel right at home with Dehli Behli’s traditional meal services and lots of vegetarian options. Located in the old town, the restaurant is housed in what was once the post office for all of Provence in the 18th century. They’ve converted the space into a comfortable and homey restaurant, serving up fantastic Indian fare. A family-owned restaurant, the decor and atmosphere is perfect for dinner with friends or a cozy date-night. Their vegetarian options include a traditional vegetarian Thali service, several yummy curries ranging from mild to spicy, and one of the best vegetarian Biryani we’ve tried. It’s located in the old town, so you can head to the market area for after-dinner drinks, or make your way down to the beach for an evening dip.
SAJ: France, Greece, Cyprus and Lebanon in a bowl
SAJ expertly blends French and all things Mediterannean. Their Levantine flatbreads are topped with flavours, textures and colours from Greece, Cyprus and especially Lebanon. Market-fresh salads, traditional stuffed flatbreads and grilled halloumi on gluten-free toast are on sample, not to mention what several have called “the best hummus ever.” Now that’s high praise! The decor is neat and modern, and the food rustic and original. The restaurant also does a fantastic vegetarian and vegan brunch, with a multitude of tapas-style plates for sharing (or not..). SAJ is located in the heart of the old town, just a few minutes’ walk from Castle Hill, the fruit and flower market, and the beach.
Oliviera: olive oil for all!
Located in the old town on a cobble-stone street dominated by Castle Hill, this restaurant has a unique concept we think you’ll love. Oliviera is all about (you guessed it) olive oil. Fresh, regional olive oil, selected each week by the owner to accompany a variety of dishes, many of which are vegetarian or vegan-friendly. The space is actually both a restaurant and a specialty olive-oil shop, so these people know a thing or two about grade-A huile d’olive. If you try something you love, you can pick up a bottle or sampler pack to go. Each dish is paired on the menu with a regional olive-oil, and while some of them contain meat, there’s always a few vegetarian options. We love the concept and if you’ve never paired olive oil with tiramisu, you might be surprised how adaptable is this humble condiment. Tagliatelle with pesto, courgettes and squash lasagna, and fresh buffalo Mozzarella are some favourites, but the menu changes frequently to reflect the best of the region’s olive oil.
Emilie & the Cool Kids: it’s what all the cool kids are eating…
A staple for all things breakfast & coffee and well-known by locals, Emilie’s has lots of vegetarian options for crunchy-hot bagels and colourful salads. There’s certainly plenty of healthy and filling breakfast and brunch options, but locals familiar with the restaurant’s original name know what’s really special here. Formerly Emilie’s Cookies, this is the place for ooey-gooey, chocolatey-chunky perfect chocolate chip cookies. Plus white-chocolate chip cookies, hazelnut-chocolate chip cookies, peanut-butter cookies and M&Ms cookies. Start with a healthy pasta salad of goat’s cheese, confit tomatoes, pine-nuts and house-made pesto, a hummus-and-mint vegan bagel, and finishing it off with a big chocolate-chip cookie and one of their decadent milkshakes. Or skip the salad and bagel, you’re on vacation. Just don’t skip the cookie, seriously. We mean it.
Bieau: b-e-a-utiful!
What’s in a name? Bieau combines two things we love when it comes to food: beau meaning beautiful, and bio meaning organic. You’ll find high-quality, organic, local produce here, with a menu that’s always changing. Each day, Bieau’s chefs come up with a main dish, buddha bowl, soup and sandwich of the day, based on what’s fresh and in-season. Set in a small and quiet city square, with modern decor made largely from reclaimed and recycled wood and a terrace and back patio, the relaxing ambience pairs perfectly with the restorative, healthy dishes. House-made organic pizzas, a different quiche every day, artisanal beer, and a variety of tasty sweets and treats for dessert all make Bieau a beautiful spot for breakfast, brunch and lunch.