Where To Go For Food, Drinks and Good Times in Nice

A trip to the South of France is incomplete without tasting some of the delicious food and drinks. Thanks to it's proximity to Italy the food is amazingly diverse, with delicious Italian pasta holding court next to the traditional French dishes. Not that I'm much of a snail/frogs legs person anyway! Here are my top 5 spots to take in sights, enjoy great food and party until the morning.

For...Ice Cream

I've been to quite a few ice cream shops in my life (my secret favourite is still in Scotland). I could eat buckets of the stuff, and when it comes to doing ice cream well, it has to be France or Italy. The first time I was in Nice I found Fenocchio's, a family run shop in the middle of the old town - not to be mistaken with Pinocchio's, the rubbish alternative. There are so many flavours. If you haven't tried violet ice cream you don't know what you're missing!

For...A Party

I visited Nice during the week and not quite in peak season. At around midnight, the town begins to slow down, the streets become more quiet. Except for one street. On Rue de la Prefecture, Wayne's Bar is definitely the place to party among the quiet little streets and bars. If you're a fan of live music, dancing on tables and people from all over the world, this is definitely the place to check out. The other bars on the street don't hurt either!

 For...People Watching

It might be full of tourists, but that's kind of the point. The center piece of Nice's old town is Cours Saleya, a large square which holds markets by day and night. There's nowhere better for people watching, and the flower market during the day is a must. At night people watching from one of the restaurants is the best way to spend a few hours at night (before heading to Wayne's!)

For...Shopping

Let's face it, as great as an open air market is sometimes there's just nothing better than a long, long street full of air conditioned shops. Oh the shops. In Nice's New Town, you can find everything from Galeries Lafayette to Sephora and beyond. Compared to the cramped (yet beautiful) streets of Old Town, New Town feels exactly that. New, open and airy - it's the perfect way to spend an afternoon. Save some space in your suitcase!

For...Fun

If you've had all the food and drinks you can handle, it might be time for a walk along the Promenade des Anglais. Or you know...a cycle/skate/run/rickshaw. If none of that takes your fancy, there's always water sports. And if you don't fancy taking a parachute and a speedboat out into the deep blue Med - well - there are always the many, many beach bars. Where better to eat lunch and sip a few cocktails when the sun gets too hot than on the beach (watching everyone else do the water sports...no thanks!)

I can't wait to go back to Nice to discover more parts of the beautiful city (there's definitely too much to see in one little trip!) Next time I'll be bulk buying those peonies and finding a way to bring them home with me.