Petit Marais / Riquier

Tucked between the port and the railway, Riquier is the part of Nice that feels most like an ordinary southern French neighbourhood, recently nicknamed the Petit Marais for the cluster of independent bistros, natural-wine bars and small queer-friendly spots that have opened along its low streets. There is no monument to tick off; the appeal is a younger, creative crowd, fair prices and tables run by people who cook what they like. It is walkable from Place Garibaldi and the port, and best treated as a place to settle in for an evening rather than to sightsee. Days are sleepy, nights are where it comes alive.