Teak rattan chairs with plaited seats, rattan suspension lamps, a backlit cocktail bar, a luxurious 250 m2 rooftop… Jean Valfort has really outdone himself! After practically monopolizing the Passage des Panoramas in Paris (Astair, Zola, Canard & Champagne) and launching the Farago on the Roof pop-up in Nice, the serial restaurateur has teamed up with Charles Drouhaut and Jean-François Monfort to open Bocca Nissa, a classy spot with a distinct hacienda feel. And the day we went for lunch, we dug into small, Mediterranean-focused plates: a flavorful salad of fennel, carrot and Granny Smith apples; crispy fried artichokes with a raita dipping sauce; impeccable wolfish carpaccio; spicy cod steak with a parsnip purée and a langoustine bisque; tender slow-roasted pork loin with potato mousseline and hibiscus powder; before a straightforward vanilla blancmange, or a chocolate tartlet with fig sorbet. Other options include the Balearic rice bowl specialties, topped with saffron langoustines and mussels, or parslied octopus, etc. // L.S.
FEELING THIRSTY? There’s nothing crazy when it comes to the wines: a Provence rosé from the Château Sainte Roseline (€9 a glass), a Beaujolais white from Olivier Depardon (€30 a bottle), a Crozes-Hermitage from Les Domaniales (€47)… Plus around 15 cocktails, including a Sangria de Cava made with prosecco, peach syrup, strawberry, apple and pear (€10).
PRICE: Small plates €7-18, specialties €19-30.
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