A Tale of Two Cafés...
Originally, and because of rave Yelp reviews, we had set our sights on Le Séjour Café. We arrived at 7:25pm, without a reservation, hoping to score an open table, but the restaurant was fully booked. Seeing our disappointment, the Owner / Hostess, Marilyn, told us there is another Café, close by, where the menu is not the same, but that the food is very good, and she knows the Chef, and that he is very accommodating. We happily agreed, and she walked us over to a neighboring restaurant, Mon Petit Café**, where she spoke with a waiter, John Pierre, and secured for us the last open table.
Turned out to be, by far, the best restaurant and the best meal we had in Nice, in five days, and in five Michelin-mentioned restaurants. And the only one to drag five stars out of me.
We were given a bruschetta and shot glass of delicious (cauliflower?) soup, finished with hazel nut oil. Excellent.
From the chalk board, we ordered two starters, Foie Gras de Canard Maison (goose liver and toast, €19) and Mi-cuit de Thon rouge au reba (tuna with onions and red peppers, €15). Delicious.
Our two mains were Duck with carrots (€27) and Snapper on squid-ink risotto (€24). My French has failed me, but the food was spectacular.
We also ordered deserts, Lemon Tart (lemon cream, lemon biscuit, meringue, lime sorbet / €9), and Pistachio (pistachio cream, pistachio biscuit, raspberry jelly / €9). Heavenly.
The restaurant was fully booked, but as crowded and chaotic as it appeared, friendly and accommodating service from our Waiter, John Pierre, and the Host, Robin, never wavered. The restaurant itself was clean, comfortable and beautifully decorated.
What's left to be said? Five Stars. And Thank You, Marilyn, Robin and John Pierre.
** Le Petit Café ... or Mon Petit Café? (The Little Café, or My Little Café?) The canopy shows both. I am sure there is a story there, but what is important to Yelpers is Five Stars, and I wish I could make it Eight. read more