I never write about restaurants on this blog. It’s just not something I’ve ever done. But I have a friend who eats out much more than I do and is always telling me about great little places she’s discovered in the area. She’s forever saying I should write about them. So, seeing as she is a writer, and she is the one with all the recommendations….we came up with a plan. Here it is: she has written about a selection of her recommended restaurants for lunch for this blog. Result!

recommended restaurants | Lou Messugo

Thank you Dawn for sharing with us a few delicious-sounding reasonably priced recommended restaurants that serve a good lunch in the area surrounding Roquefort les Pins. It must have been tough doing the research!

salad at a recommended restaurant

Nice

In the centre of Nice and fancy something healthy? At the Vegan Gorilla there’s a choice between summer tapas (€6), two main courses on the blackboard of the week, priced at €16 and two desserts at €7. My choice included roquette salad, sweet potatoes and lentils and was beautifully balanced. Hugely healthy and tasty food with ethical credentials – vegan, organic and gluten free. You’ll need to park in one of the big car parks nearby and walk the last bit.

vegan dish recommended restaurant

Vegan Gorilla

7 rue du Lycée, 06000 Nice

Call +33 (0)4 93 81 32 98

Open midday till 2.30 pm and 7.30-10.30 pm

Monaco

Tucked away in Monaco Ville (also known as The Rock), close to the cathedral, in a little square overlooking a fountain, is the restaurant St Nicolas. This place is a great find especially as it’s a stone’s throw from the palace. The menu has plenty to choose from. We opted for the €20 Formule Business Lunch and I can recommend the filet de loup with seasonal vegetables. My eating companions had filet mignon with a ratatouille – a drink, dessert and coffee included.

Monaco square

St Nicolas Restaurant

6 rue de l’église, 98000 Monaco-Ville

Call +377 99 90 70 93

Open every day from midday to 3 pm and again from 7-10 pm.

Vallauris

Another of my recommended restaurants is a little off the beaten track, above Antibes. Bio & Co is good for an organic vegetarian lunch – but not exclusively. We tried salads (€14) and they did not disappoint. They offer woks too. Every colour and texture was here and when we explained dietary constraints they also made a special dressing for us. Very helpful staff, with the added bonus you can pop next door and buy a few organic provisions while you’re there.

bowl of salad

Le Comptoir Vallauris – Bio & Co

1955 Chemin de Saint Bernard, 06220 Vallauris

Call +33 (0)4 97 28 80 04

Open from midday to 2.30 pm for lunch Monday to Saturday.

Cagnes sur Mer

If you are looking for a relaxing spot right next to the sea, Cagnes sur Mer ticks all the boxes. La Spiaggia Plage has cool decor and a menu to match, offering salad, a poke bowl (€20) as well as fish, meat and pasta. We tried the cheeseburger & fries, as well as the fish on a creamy risotto (€24). Both were tasty.

beach recommended restaurant

La Spiaggia Plage

Prom. de la Plage, 06800 Cagnes-sur-Mer

Call +33 (0)7 86 25 52 49

Open every day from 10 am-10 pm.

Valbonne

Sometimes if you are not very hungry, it’s nice to graze a sharing plate (€15) as you watch the world go by and Valbonne Square is a top spot for that. The Comptoir Victoria has starters including gravlax (€9/€15), Fritto Misto and soya tuna. Fish, beef and lamb (€19) all appear on the list of mains, as well as a suggestion of the day. For dessert, café gourmand is my favourite, a good way to round off a meal, as you get a selection of small desserts with your coffee, instead of having to make the difficult choice between the regular-sized ones!

I noticed they served cocktails and gins here too – which you don’t always see.

café gourmand

 Comptoir Victoria

Place des Arcades, 06560 Valbonne.

Call +33 (0)4 93 12 00 06

Open from morning till midnight every day.

Peymeinade

If you’re on route to (or on the way back from…) the Var you might drive through the small town of Peymeinade. The restaurant Le Paradisio has a shady patio or well air-conditioned indoors. They offer generous salads, (€20) we chose the Océane (prawns, smoked salmon, avocado and copious mixed leaves) (photo with prawns above) and the home-made carnivore burger – leaving just enough room to share a crémeux mascarpone cœur fruit rouge. (Photo above with text). Well it would have been rude not to!

burger with fries and salad

Restaurant Le Paradisio

70, avenue de Boutiny, 06530 Peymeinade

Call +33 (0)4 93 66 22 88

Open Tuesday to Saturday for lunch and dinner, Sunday lunch only.

Mouans-Sartoux

A town that often gets overlooked is Mouans-Sartoux. They have a pretty flower-filled old town and it’s here we found the restaurant La Pasta. We were given a (most welcome!) cucumber gazpacho amuse bouche, then chose to share the mixte starter plate of charcuterie and cheese between four (€16). It was plenty. This was followed by a choice of three fresh pasta dishes including spaghetti puttanesca (with anchovies, capers, olives, garlic and tomatoes), as well as octopus with potatoes and saffron (€18.50) – authentic food prepared simply. Tiramisu or raspberries & strawberries (€8) finished off the meal perfectly.

octopus and potatoes at recommended restaurant

Ristorante La Pasta

8 rue Pasteur, 06370 Mouans-Sartoux

Call +33 (0)4 92 99 07 32

Open Wednesday to Saturday 7 pm to 9.30 pm.

Related Reading

Nice “Gare du Sud” Food Court

Craft Beer on the French Riviera

Salade Niçoise – Nice Salad

Text and photos provided by Dawn Howard.

Why not PIN it for later!

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