Riviera Pebbles Blog: La Civette du Cours, Nice

Posted on 4th Feb 2020 in Eats & Drinks

Le Cours Saleya: Nice's best strolling street hosts La Civette

The outdoor bistro chairs on Nice’s finest strolling street have been a look-at-me go-to for a century. That’s fortunate, as La Civette has curiously little to offer aside from a wondrous location and a storied history.

Yet from 8am until the early hours, the great and good (plus the white-trousered and the sideboob-topped) arrive to sip espresso, Ricard and verres de vin. Each costs €3 a pop. Something stronger, including a hefty mojito or caipirinha, will set you back €8.

Cuisine is defiantly Niçoise. Dishes like accras salt-cod fritters, petits farcis stuffed vegetables and pâtes au Pistou (the local equivalent of pasta-pesto) stud the short menu. The chefs may even deign to grill a pavé de cabillaud or a brochette de boeuf, if you’re not in a hurry.

Just don’t behave like La Civette’s legion of TripAdvisor detractors who decry the waitstaff’s eye-rolling sarcasm. The café’s execrable service is part of the ‘charm’, so expect 30-minute waits for orders while you people-watch the Cours Saleya. At least imbibers can top up their tans, as the terrace faces plain south towards the Riviera sun.

1 cours Saleya, +33 4 93 80 80 59