In the hustle and bustle of Babazouk (the local nickname for Vieux-Nice), you can always rely on the steadfast Le Comptoir du Marché for a proper, old-fashioned feast. Spread across two rooms with a freshly polished vintage bistro look, this address wins first with its warm welcome (from owner Hélène Vogler-Finck, a Strasbourg native smitten with the Bay of Angels) and then with the contemporary cooking of Nancy-born chef Frédéric Krauer, who’s been at the helm since 2024. Here, the flavors of Alsace and Lorraine are joyfully swept up in a Mediterranean mistral – and the evening we visited was proof enough: Menton swordfish sashimi with ponzu and pickled red onions to start; crispy pizzetta topped with bresaola, peach, almonds, arugula pesto and burrata; a deeply satisfying bowl of fregola in bisque with grilled prawns, preserved lemon, carrots and zucchini; and perfectly grilled lamb chops served with piperade and minty lemon hummus. A flawless meal concluded with a not-too-sweet dessert: a mille-feuille layered with local strawberries and basil, coiffed with crème diplomate straight out of another era. · Alban Mont

FEELING THIRSTY? A wine list with a sunny southern accent: a mineral Picpoul-de-Pinet from Domaine Félines Jourdan in the Hérault (€6 a glass); a silky Magali rosé from Domaine Figuière in the Var (€41 a bottle); and a rare Bellet red from Domaine de Toasc in Nice (€69).

PRICE: À la carte €49-59.