It’s not often a restaurant stops you in your tracks, but the new Grand Café des Fleurs on Nice’s iconic Cours Saleya does exactly that. From the moment you step inside, you’re swept into a space that balances grandeur and intimacy, heritage and bold reinvention. Yes, this was once the Café des Fleurs, but what’s here now is something entirely new. And truly exceptional.
This is no nostalgia act. The team behind the revival, also known for the design-forward Félix, Bocca Nissa, and Bocca Mar, have crafted something spectacular. Grand Café des Fleurs is a love letter to Niçois life, but elevated, reimagined, and utterly of-the-moment.
Design that dazzles
The interiors are breathtaking: mirrored ceilings, Parisian-style booths, and sculptural wooden columns that reach like trees to the sky, anchoring the space with theatrical elegance.
Eclectic glass domes cradle marine treasures, and floral installations echo the market outside. Photographs of old Nice and the original Café des Fleurs line the walls, a respectful nod to history in a space that feels thrillingly new.
The result is a restaurant that feels like art. That’s no accident, every detail is deliberate, from the blue-and-white colour palette to the open kitchen that turns chefs into performers.
It’s not just beautiful. It’s magnetic.
Cuisine that matches the setting
Thankfully, the food is as thoughtful and impressive as the surroundings. At lunch or dinner, the menu delivers classic Mediterranean flavours with flair: from a silky carpaccio de loup to perfectly composed petits farcis, and fregola served in a rich prawn bisque that borders on the sublime.
Pizzas are crisp, comforting, and can be elevated with truffle or chilli. Salads are bright and fresh — caprese, Caesar, octopus. For mains, the dorade is filleted tableside with care, and the duck breast is a standout. Truffle fettuccine comes rich but restrained. Portions are generous, plating elegant, and at €15–€30 per dish, pricing is refreshingly down-to-earth.
Cocktails as art
Drinks are no afterthought. Each cocktail is inspired by Côte d’Azur’s artistic greats — Matisse, Picasso, Cocteau. La Raison de Vivre, a clarified rum and amaretto blend with orange flower and almond syrup, honours Matisse’s famed optimism.
Each glass arrives like a tiny gallery piece, rich in story and crafted with precision.
Open all day, every day
Whether you’re grabbing coffee and eggs from 7am, or settling in for a late dinner, Grand Café des Fleurs is built for long, relaxed visits.
The service is smooth, warm and multilingual (French, English, Italian, Spanish), making every guest feel like a regular, and ‘Happy Flowers’ from 5.30pm to 7.30pm with €7 cocktails and €5 detox juices just feels like a steal.
It’s rare to find a restaurant that hits every note — design, cuisine, price, and atmosphere — but this one does. Grand Café des Fleurs isn’t just a comeback; it’s a culinary and creative triumph.
See more in Cassandra Tanti’s video reel below…
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See also:
Interview: Jean Valfort on the quiet revolution transforming Nice’s restaurant scene
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All photos credit: Cassandra Tanti, Monaco Life