Emily’s France Trip Report (The South of France) – Part 5: Where to (and Where NOT to) Eat
Emily: In the last series about my trip to France, I talked about how our family of 4 went for our own “tour de France.” With the help of miles earned from credit card rewards, we paid just ~$410 each for our family of 4 to fly round-trip to France in Business Class. And had a luxurious stay in a ~$1,600 per night suite for ~$160 TOTAL.
This series of posts will highlight our time in Nice. And will give you step-by-step instructions so that you can also go to Europe using miles and points! Plus, I’ll share my tips for the cheapest car rentals and the BEST credit cards to use when traveling internationally.
Jen Looking Excited for Her Dinner in the South of France
In addition to staying in a beautiful hotel, we enjoyed riding bikes, jet-skiing, and taking a scenic drive into Italy. I’m very grateful that miles & points made this trip possible.
Room Service With a View
One of my favorite things about Europe is the long, leisurely meals. When I am with friends and family, I treasure those hours-long conversations philosophizing about life, love, and struggles. When I am alone and trying to get work done, it seems like I can’t find anywhere that has quick food (besides the kebabs and crepe stands, lol!).
Below are some of the restaurants we visited, including our favorites and the ones to avoid.
Pro Tip: Many places in Nice fill up quickly, so make reservations! We would stop by a restaurant a day ahead to make reservations for the next evening, and this worked well.
How to Save Thousands Off a Trip to Southern France Trip Report Index: Part 1 – Introduction Part 2 – The Secrets to Saving Money on Rental Cars in Europe Part 3 – Where to Stay | Our Family Felt Like Royalty at This Hotel! Part 4 – What to Do | Jet Skis, Road Trip Along the Coast, Visit Italy, Shopping Mall Part 5 – Where to (and Where NOT to) Eat Where to Eat Chez AcchiardoAcchiardo was a Rick Steves’ recommendation, and he was on target with this one. The service was excellent and we enjoyed great food here.
Rick Steves Was Right On With This Recommendation
Food tends to be expensive in Europe. If you want to save money, head to the local supermarket and get some foods for breakfast. You can make some delicious sandwiches by visiting the local meat, cheese, and bread shops! The shopkeepers pride themselves on the freshness and selection they offer.
Goofing Off at Dinner Time
My non-alcoholic drink of choice was diablos. You can get them strawberry flavored or mint flavored. I liked both of them!
Food in France is Expensive, So We Had One “Splurge” Meal a Day
Lou Pilha Leva
This fast food eatery was also a Rick Steves recommendation, but I don’t think it should be on the list. Do NOT go here. The food was bland and definitely skippable.
If You See This Place, Run the Other Way!
It was fast, and it was cheap…but I’d rather save my money for a fresh baguette with some local cheese and meats!
When the Salad Is Tastier Than the Main Course, It’s a Problem
Le Luna Rossa
Le Luna Rossa was away from the tourist crowds on a quiet residential street.
We All LOVED Our Meals (and the Service!) at La Luna Rosa
They had several specials for the day, as well as many Italian favorites.
Another Expensive Restaurant…but at Least You Can Earn Bonus Points With the Right Credit CardYou Know What Credit Card to Earn Points With!
The seafood plates were full of fresh, flavorful food. My family and I especially enjoyed the large helpings.
Mouth. Watering. Now.
Le Lido
During our drive along the coast, we stopped in Menton. There was a cute square with lots of restaurants.
A Lively Square Usually Means Overpriced, Low-Quality Restaurants
Usually, the restaurants in a tourist square tend to be poor quality (and expensive!). But we were very hungry and there wasn’t much open. We went for a late lunch, but it was almost too late!
Le Lido was another skippable restaurant. The calzones were bigger than Alfy’s head, and not that flavorful.
Alfy Could Only Finish Half of His Lunch
Instead of calzones as big as your head, I decided to hold off for something better.
I’m glad I waited because I found Sini, an amazing pizza place behind the main square. Do yourself a favor, and get 2 to 3 slices. You WON”T regret it!
Not only was the food amazing here, but the owners were super nice. If I’m ever in Menton again, I’d love to go back!
Go to Sini for Lunch Instead
Room Service at the Hyatt Regency Nice
Normally I’m not a fan of hotel food, but sometimes you just want to relax in your room and not have to go out for food. Alfy and I decided to try the veal escalope saltimbocca. Wow, it was so good! The only complaint I had was that the portions should be larger.
A Romantic Sunset Room Service Dinner
I really enjoyed this dish and we ordered it once again before we left Nice.
Yum! This Veal Escalope “Saltimbocca” Was Worth Ordering Again
The Hyatt Regency Nice Breakfast Buffet
Our hotel had an amazing breakfast buffet. If I don’t have status, I don’t pay for the buffets. Instead, I find a local café or stock up on some food from the supermarket and store it in the minibar. If the minibar is fully stocked, you can call the Front Desk and request they empty it.
You Can Get FREE Hyatt Breakfast With Hyatt Explorist Status
There were several types of baked goods.
Breakfast Fit for a Queen
As well as yogurt and fresh fruit.
You Don’t Want to Miss a Breakfast This Good
We all really liked the fresh egg counter, where we could order eggs however we liked them, as well as made to order omelets. They also served up made to order pancakes and waffles!
Made to Order Eggs
There was also a hot buffet, including roasted potatoes, bacon, sausage, and scrambled eggs.
There Were Several Hot Foods to Choose From
The restaurant never felt too busy, and we almost always got a table next to the sea, with a view of the Mediterranean.
It Was Never Overly Crowded at This Hotel
Bottom Line
It cost ~$1,640 for the 4 of us to fly round-trip in Business Class from New York to Europe. I used a combination of miles & points from different programs to book flights for me and my family. Including AMEX Membership Rewards and Chase Ultimate Rewards points.
I’m so grateful that I could share the gift of travel with my family on this trip. I feel like I grew closer to my cousin, Jered, and his wife, mostly over the long conversations that we had over meals.
One of our favorite restaurants in Nice was La Luna Rosa. And we had amazing pizza Sini in Menton, France. If you don’t want to eat out, you can save money by shopping at supermarkets for some of your meals. And don’t forget to use the right credit card to earn bonus points for dining out!
