Michelin Guide 2023: Riviera Restaurant Overview

The French Riviera is home to numerous Michelin-starred restaurants, spanning from Cannes to Monaco and Menton. With such a wide range of options available, choosing where to dine can be a daunting task. To help you navigate the culinary scene of the Riviera in 2023, we have curated a selection of our top choices. Whether you’re looking for a sumptuous 18th century decor or an elegant seaside setting with breathtaking views, we have narrowed down the Michelin Guide’s list to make it easier for you to select the finest restaurants not to be missed while vacationing in the various towns of the French Riviera.

Cannes: La Palme d’Or and La Villa Archange

La Palme d’Or **, located in the Hotel Martinez, offers excellent cuisine as well as stunning views of the Bay of Cannes and La Croisette. Chef Christian Sinicropi has created a set menu that showcases the flavors of each ingredient and its ecosystem, resulting in a coherent and sophisticated meal. The precise and delicious desserts by pastry chef Julien Ochando complete the unforgettable dining experience.

La Villa Archange ** is a charming restaurant in Le Cannet, just a short drive from the center of Cannes. There, the official chef of the Cannes Film Festival, Bruno Oger, presents his culinary creations. Originally from Brittany, he now draws inspiration from two regions – his homeland and the Mediterranean. Guests who would like to observe the culinary process can choose to dine at the table d’hôte in the kitchen.

Cap d’Antibes: Les Pêcheurs, La Passagère and Louroc

With its beautiful waterside location, Les Pêcheurs * at the Cap d’Antibes Beach Hotel offers breathtaking views of the Lérins islands. Chef Nicolas Rondelli’s cuisine is inspired by Southern France and the Mediterranean. The menu showcases various fish options as well as excellent meat dishes.

La Passagère * is located in the Hôtel Belles Rives, where the famous couple Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald stayed in the 1920s. Chef Aurélien Véquaud offers elegant cuisine that highlights many of the Mediterranean’s culinary treasures. Furthermore, the restaurant’s terrace provides some of the best views of the sea and the Esterel mountains.

Louroc * at the iconic Cap-Eden-Roc Hotel impresses its guests with excellent service, spectacular views of the Mediterranean, and, of course, chef Sébastien Broda’s gastronomic creations. The menu focuses on Mediterranean cuisine that features vegetables from the hotel’s own garden and local markets.

Antibes: Le Figuier de Saint-Esprit

Le Figuier de Saint-Esprit * is a family-run restaurant located in the old town of Antibes, between the Picasso Museum and the Provençal Market. The restaurant embodies the essence of Provence, from the fig tree on its patio to the culinary creations of chef Christian Morisset. With his wife managing the front of the house and his sons assisting in the kitchen, chef Morisset uses fresh, locally-sourced ingredients from the markets to prepare his delicious dishes.

Nice: Le Chantecler and Jan

Situated on the famous Promenade des Anglais, the stunning Negresco hotel houses Le Chantecler *, a fine dining restaurant led by Virginie Basselot. Le Chantecler offers a luxurious dining experience in an 18th-century decor, complete with sumptuous woodwork dating back to 1751. The talented Normandy chef creates contemporary dishes using the finest ingredients.

Jan Hendrik van der Westhuizen, a South African chef with diverse experiences, including working as a chef on private yachts in Monaco and as a reporter and photographer for a magazine, runs Jan *, an intimate and charming restaurant near the port of Nice. Jan’s cuisine is creative and personal. A mix of French and South African cuisine, it is presented as a set menu of either five or seven courses.

Eze: La Chèvre d’Or

Upon arriving at La Chèvre d’Or **, located in the Château de la Chèvre d’Or Hotel in Eze, one is immediately struck by its exceptional location, which provides breathtaking views of the Mediterranean. The château, perched high on a rocky hillside in a medieval village, commands an awe-inspiring sight. As for the food, Chef Arnaud Faye uses locally-sourced, high-quality ingredients to create delectable dishes that are both harmonious and precise.

St-Jean-Cap-Ferrat: Le Cap

The iconic Grand-Hôtel du Cap Ferrat is situated at the tip of the peninsula, overlooking the Mediterranean Sea. Its restaurant, Le Cap *, offers guests the choice of dining in a stunning indoor area or on a charming terrace shaded by large Aleppo pines. Chef Yoric Tièche, originally from Aix-en-Provence, leads the kitchen and draws inspiration from the culinary heritage of Provence, using Mediterranean ingredients to craft his exceptional dishes.

Monaco: Le Blue Bay and Le Louis XV

At Le Blue Bay ** restaurant in Monaco, chef Marcel Ravin’s unique culinary style reflects his diverse background, combining influences from Martinique, Alsace, and Belgium. He draws inspiration from his grandmother’s traditional dishes and reinvents them using high-quality ingredients. The restaurant’s stunning location at the Monte-Carlo Bay Hotel and Resort, with a terrace overlooking the sea, makes for an unforgettable dining experience.

Alain Ducasse earned his first three Michelin stars at Le Louis XV ***, a restaurant at the famed Hôtel de Paris Monte-Carlo, at the young age of 33. A gifted chef and a brilliant entrepreneur, he made a significant impact in the culinary world and expanded his empire to more than 30 establishments across the globe. These days, the restaurant’s exceptional cuisine is crafted under the guidance of chef Emmanuel Pilon, who joined the Ducasse empire at a very young age in 2009.

Menton: Mirazur

Mauro Colagreco, an Argentinian chef with Italian roots, was the first non-French chef ever to earn three Michelin stars in France. He opened Mirazur *** in Menton in 2006, at the age of 29, and by that time he had already made an impressive career in cooking. He was fortunate to be trained by some of the most renowned French masters, such as Bernard Loiseau, Alain Passard, and Alain Ducasse. Today, Mirazur boasts three Michelin stars and was also specially awarded a “green” star for its eco-friendly practices and sustainable gastronomy.

If these incredible restaurants have sparked your wanderlust and inspired you to travel to the French Riviera for your next vacation, you may want to check out our selection of private luxury holiday villas to discover a definitive portfolio of the most exclusive holiday rentals in the region.