Where to eat in Antibes

Golden Beef is an American-style steakhouse that the finest cuts of beef, flame grilled to perfection. Positioned along the ramparts between the old town and the open beaches, this restaurant has a beautiful terrace overlooking the sea, although the interior décor is a bit red and commits the cardinal sin of having red neon lighting. Having said that, they serve very good food and if you get that terrace table you are in for a treat. Lovely ambience and you can watch the locals playing boules in the evening under the palm trees as the sun goes down.

We’re not off to a good start in France if you fancy cooked breakfasts, and you have absolutely Buckley’s chance if you were hoping for anything sophisticated on your breakfast plate like foccacia, avocado or haloumi. France does croissants and omelettes. Stick with those or, even better, head to the Provençal market and get a slice of delicious socca; a chickpea crepe cooked in a wood fired oven and sprinkled lightly with pepper. A Niçoise speciality, this rustic delicacy is an excellent reason on its own to move to France and never leave (although you’re guaranteed to miss proper bacon if you do so).

Of the French cafes, head to soak up the morning sunshine at Cesars, the restaurant at the beach club Plage Keller. Take a coffee, omelette and the paper at one of their wooden tables on the street and watch the world go by - this is also an excellent creperie.

You can of course get a good English breakfast in the Blue Lady Pub or The Hop Store. The Blue Lady has far the nicer atmosphere of the two, and also does a great range of smoothies and juices. However, they close on Sundays, which is a travesty for those of us who like a Sunday fry-up, meaning that The Hop Store is the only option. This place has a big outdoor terrace to eat on, but is just a bit "pubby" to ever feel like an eating establishment. But it serves eggs and sausages, and sometimes a hangover just won’t settle for less.

Choopy’s, a very cute café famous for their cupcakes, also do cooked breakfasts, but it’s really brunch as they don’t open until 10 (from 9am in the summer). They’re also not open on Sunday or Monday, you’ll find that many French restaurants and cafes aren’t open on these days, as they sacrifice the Sunday trade for a day of rest and Monday’s pretty quiet around town. Choopy’s is absolutely brilliant for the gluten free diet, as all their delicious cupcakes are GF as well as stocking GF bread, and this is one of the few places in town where you can get a soy coffee.

Choopy’s is a very cute café famous for their cupcakes; they also do cooked breakfasts from 9am in the summer and 10am in low season. Choopy’s is absolutely brilliant for the gluten free diet, as all their delicious cupcakes are GF as well as stocking GF bread, and this is one of the few places in town where you can get a soy coffee. The only downside is that they’re not open on Sunday or Monday.

When in France it would be a crime not to tuck into a crepe; most of the creperies are less formal than a restaurant, more like a café, and you'll often see takeaway crepe stalls. 

Le Quatre is a standout creperie located at the top of the covered market, serving traditional crepes as well as a beautiful selection of original recipes, such as creamy tarragon chicken with mushrooms, or zucchini and goats cheese with hints of chili and honey. With daily specials, exceptional service from the owners and sparkling cider served in black slate bowls, it’s easy to see why this café has a top ranking on Trip Advisor. This is the perfect place to sit under a leafy tree on the little terrace and watch the market and crowds pass by. There’s a small heated covered space in winter, or you can take one of the soft rugs provided and sit in the afternoon winter sunshine on a perfect blue sky day. They serve food non-stop throughout the afternoon, but are not open in the evenings or on Mondays.

Cesars is another favourite on the crepe scene. Their spicy chorizo crepe is a winner from their excellent and extensive list of sweet and savoury crepes, and they also serve salads and omelettes. This is a great place with wooden tables on the street and a few cozy tables inside; it’s right on a busy pavement so you feel like you’re right in the action.

French restaurants don’t come much more rustic and delicious than Le Brulo. This restaurant has a few tables on the ground level, but the real atmosphere is to be found downstairs, in a cellar room with exposed brick walls, low arches and wooden tables tucked into nooks. Le Brulo is an Antibes institution, particularly well known for its crispy duck breast or lamb dishes, both cooked in the wood-fired oven and served with crunchy potatoes. We recommend that you also try the whole baked fish with lemons and tomatoes; they will fillet it at the table for you and it is a truly divine dish. Friendly service, busy year round and you can get a really nice house bottle of wine here. This is traditional French food done very well, with no fancy frills.

Le Taille de Guepe is an extremely popular little restaurant in an Old Town side street, serving up what can only be called works of art on a plate. The plates are strewn with edible flowers and the menu is always changing to make the best of local produce, the scallops are particularly good. This restaurant gets a huge fan following on Trip Advisor, and it’s lovely to see a different concept succeeding so thoroughly.

If you ask a French local their favourite place in Antibes, there’s an excellent chance they will say "Le Vauban". One of the many restaurants in the old town, this restaurant has a strong feel of the special occasion about it, with white tablecloths, intimate lighting and silver service. You dress up to come here, but it’s reasonably priced, with a set menu for 35 euro. The décor is nothing particularly special but it has an old-fashioned, quite formal and very French feel about it. It’s the kind of restaurant where you spend a few hours, so don’t expect your meals to arrive quickly. 

Le Comptoir de la Tourraque is a cosy little restaurant on the little hill running down from the market, this charming place has a frequently changing blackboard menu with excellent French cuisine. This is clever cooking and has some surprising delights on the menu, and the food is fabulously presented. Le Comptoir is particularly nice in the wintertime.

Le Broc en Bouche is another Antibes institution, with a little entrance hidden away amongst the back streets. Serving excellent French food in a cosy ambience, the specials change regularly and it’s a locals' favourite that’s been going strong for many years.

Place Nacionale has quite a few restaurants, most of which fall into the tourist trap bracket and just aren’t worth visiting.  Yet the square is lovely and Le Rustic is one of the restaurants that make it worth dining there. It’s simple, but well-known for its fondue, and also has a good selection of mussels (try the chili version), pizzas and all the usual suspects. Cheerful service and all in all a pleasant and unpretentious place to spend an evening eating under the stars.

Les Vieux du Murs translates as "the views from the walls" and this classy French restaurant sits high on the wall of Antibes, with a splendid view across the Mediterranean. With elegant terrace tables outside and a lavishly decorated interior with big window sea views, this is a special occasion kind of place. It has wonderful degustation menus and a la carte offerings, with the best possible standard of service. Highly recommended for rich, sophisticated French cuisine.

Zinc is a fairly new addition to the Antibes scene, just opposite Le Quatre at the top of the market. This small wine bar and restaurant combines a smart modern vibe with classic French elements such as wooden farmhouse furniture, walls full of wine bottles and daily specials chalked up on a blackboard. Zinc is really making a name for itself - the wine list is excellent and reasonably priced, and the food is fresh, simple and splendid, meaning that the tables fill up fast! Try their artichoke salad, flavoursome lamb and their absolutely to die for chocolate fondant, which just oozes gooey chocolate and melts in your mouth. There’s also organic beef on the menu for the ethical eaters and a great range of cheese and charcuterie platters.

The Royal Café at the Royal Hotel is an excellent restaurant serving modern Italian food on a huge terrace overlooking the sea. The bar also serves up the best cocktails on this stretch of the Riviera and does a mean antipasto platter. Dishes such as penne arrabiata, crispy salmon, lamb cutlets and gambas are all delicious.

From mid-April (weather dependent) through to the end of September, Royal Beach across from the Royal Hotel is another great lunch or dinner option. The beach club restaurant is run by the same people and serves up a very similar menu of fresh, modern Italian cuisine. The salmon tartare with avocado and crispy toasts is just wonderful. Take a deckchair and spend the day on the pontoon, or just pop in for a quick rose lunch. One of Antibes’ best spots.

Le Moulin de l'Ilette is a pizza restaurant in a round little building called Le Moulin, with a nice little terrace near the beach. A pleasant place to spend a lazy summer’s afternoon or evening.

If you’re are willing to walk a few minutes past Place de Gaulle, Romagna Mia is a small Italian restaurant that is getting rave reviews for its delicious fresh pastas, truffles and a ‘world’s best tiramisu’. Don’t be fooled by the entrance that looks like a sandwich bar, this tiny place serves outstanding traditional Italian food and the service from the husband and wife team is fantastic. 

Michelangelo’s is the famous Italian restaurant in Antibes that the celebrities have flocked to during the Cannes Film Festival for many years. Whether it still deserves its reputation is up for debate, but it is still worth visiting this Antibes institution for very good Italian food.

For the Michelin experience, visit Le Figuier de Saint Esprit, which has been awarded one Michelin star. This is a gorgeous little restaurant by the ramparts complete with courtyard and obligatory fig tree, and of course the chef comes to talk to you at the table. This is lovely food, although it’s not cheap, normally running to about 100 euro a head.

Other Michelin starred restaurants in Antibes include Bacon, which funnily enough does not serve bacon at all but has an extensive seafood menu, and Les Pecheurs, which is much more sensibly named as Pecheur translates as "fisherman" in French. Both are recommended by the Guide Michelin for their delicious, fresh and creative seafood.

For a smart contemporary take on steak house cuisine, try Nacional Beef and Wine. Despite the tacky name, it has some seriously good steak on offer, with a mashed potato that you could weep over. Excellent food and excellent wine list, served in a light filled conservatory with a tree growing through it and a glass sliding roof. It’s not cheap, with steaks ranging from 28-42 euro and annoyingly, you have to order the excellent sides separately which really adds to the bill. They do have a lunch menu for 19 euro though, and have recently started having tapas and wine in the early evenings in their classy lounge area.

Lebanese food has only quite recently arrived in Antibes, with a lovely modern Lebanese restaurant called Le Phenicia overlooking the sea. It’s in a small row of restaurants that curve along the ramparts and its position means it's a sun-trap all year round, leading to long afternoons with wine and mezze plates beside the water. Crucially, this restaurant serves food non-stop throughout the afternoon, so keep it in mind when you’re heading out for a late lunch and the other restaurants keep shutting the door in your face!

If you are English, then you are probably going to be disappointed in Antibes's selection of Indian restaurants. Having said that, there are two Indian restaurants in Antibes if you get the curry craving and there is plenty on the menu as long you don’t obsess over it being completely authentic. Locals tend to disagree on which is the better of the two restaurants.

Chamkila, near the market, serves excellent spicy eggplant lamb curry, samosas and onion bhaji amongst other dishes. Kashmir is situated closer to the port and has an outside terrace which is lovely for summer evenings. Their curries are best described as decent, rather than spectacular. 

In Antibes proper, there are two Asian restaurants right next to each other along the front in the shadow of the ramparts, called L’Elephant Bleu and L’Ancre de Chine.

L’Elephant Bleu is an old favourite, with a huge menu that encompasses Chinese, Thai, Sushi and Vietnamese. Try the Vietnamese nems (spring rolls), the pineapple duck red curry and the Thai basil tofu. The sushi can be good but it is relatively expensive. The Blue Elephant has a lounge bar with music and cocktails, and a Buddha-themed dining room. The downside is that the food isn’t consistent - it’s always quite good, but when it was fantastic the last time you went, that can be disappointing.

Ancre de Chine is another good bet for a wide range of enjoyable Asian food. A bonus is the large street-side terrace, meaning you can tuck into noodles or a green curry and watch the street performers, buskers and tourists wander on by. 

Mai Thai in Juan Les Pins is the top tip for excellent, authentic Thai food. You will be instantly reminded just how good a green chicken curry can be.

Le Cinq Epices is a tiny Moroccan restaurant tucked into the narrow lanes of the old town, which is gaining quite a following as one of the best Moroccan restaurants on the Riviera. Delicious tagines and friendly professional service make this a great choice for something a bit different.

Thanks to Charlie’s fish and chips is finally on the menu in Antibes again after a 10 year absence. Fitted out almost like an American diner (but with Guinness on tap), Charlie's serves battered fish, delicious chips, mushy peas and great burgers. With a friendly English waiter and a French owner-chef who comes bearing shots as the night wears on, this place is very welcoming and it’s great fun eating and drinking here.

The Blue Lady is another popular spot for good pub grub and serves a range of jacket potatoes, salads, wraps and the like.

As you’d expect from a Mediterranean town with a long fishing history, Antibes has some very good seafood restaurants, although few that specialise solely in fish dishes.

L’Oursin is situated next to the carousel in the square and serves simply tremendous oysters, crabs and all manner of crustaceans. One of their platters, served on ice and with fresh crusty bread is an absolute joy to make your way through on a summer evening. 

Albert 1er is a restaurant at the end of Boulevard Albert Premier, down by the sea, that serves fantastic seafood. We recommend sitting outside as the interior feels quite stuffy and formal.

Two of Antibes finest seafood restaurants have been awarded the coveted Michelin star for their excellent fresh cuisine. For a fabulous fishy treat, give Bacon or Les Pecheurs a try.

Antibes has no dedicated tex-mex restaurants, however Le Latinos is a lively bar that serves nachos, tacos and burritos along with their normal dinner menu of local grilled fish and meat dishes. It’s not an extensive Mexican list, but it’s tasty!

Falafel is a Lebanese takeaway shop doing a roaring trade from the bars in the old town. Unsurprisingly, it serves falafel as well as kebabs and vegetarian options. It’s got a few tables and is always busy - definitely the best value meal in Antibes.

Chez Helen is without question the place for vegetarians and vegans to head to in the old town of Antibes. It's also very good for gluten-free meals and serves a good range of soups, salads and hot meals.

For quick tasty vegetarian food, give Falafel a try, a Lebanese takeaway serving a mix of meat and vegetarian options.