Rooftop Bars in Nice: 10 Places to Drink with a View

If you arrived in Nice, saw the strip of thin, pebbly beach running along the Promenade des Anglais and were disappointed, don't be. The beach in Nice might not have the Mediterranean ooh la la you'd hoped for, but the rooftop bars in this French resort on the Côte d'Azur will more than compensate.

There are rooftop bars and terraces in Nice that are great for a soiree under the stars. Surprisingly, there are also rooftop bars with superb swimming pools too. They're the ideal ones to drop by while you're out touring the best shopping in Nice in the daytime and need a refreshing drink and dip to cool off.

On the ground level, Nice is no longer the flashy place attracting the rich and famous holidaymakers it used to be in the 1960s and 70s. Go up to the level of the city's rooftop bars, though, and you'll discover a new sort of sophistication that's trendy and modern, plus lets you enjoy incredible views of the Mediterranean coast while you sip a cocktail. In all fairness, it's not a bad exchange.

When you need a place to store your luggage in Nice, or even your purchases after you've been shopping, look for a Bounce luggage storage facility. You'll find Bounce luggage lockers in convenient to access locations throughout the city center and in Nice Old Town. All Bounce lockers are economical to hire, security tagged, and fully insured. Once you've stored your stuff, you'll be able to swan into any rooftop bar as smooth as any A-list star.

Best Rooftop Bars In Nice

In the following sections, you'll discover the best rooftop bars to go to at night and which are the best rooftop bars to go to in the daytime. You'll also discover which rooftop bar serves the best cocktails, which has live music, which has a rooftop swimming pool, and which has views of the Mediterranean Sea.

Best Rooftop Bars For The Daytime

Le B Club Terrasse

What's it like:

The Le B Club Terrasse at the Boscolo Nice Hotel and Spa is a rooftop bar with a real Ibiza vibe. Decked out with white wicker furniture adorned with blue and white striped cushions, this rooftop terrace is about as fresh looking as rooftop bars get. If you like trendy lounge vibes, you'll love this place.

If the décor and a chilled glass of Provence rosé wine aren't enough to keep you cool, a swim in the upper-level rooftop pool should do the trick. The food and drinks served here are on as high a level as the rooftop bar is. Think Michelin starred-style barbecued seafood, mixed salads, and plates of fruit that are works of art and cocktails served in coconuts.

Our recommendation:

Wear your best beach gear, preferably something with a designer label, as you'll need to walk through the very swanky hotel lobby to get to the elevator. Dress down, and you may well feel out of place.

Location:

Boulevard Victor Hugo, 12

Le Moon Bar

What's it like:

Head up to the rooftop bar and restaurant of the Aston La Scala Hotel in Nice, and you'll have a real Mediterranean experience. Alongside the sun loungers around the rooftop pool of the Moon Bar, there are olive trees and mini palm trees, and it doesn't get more Mediterranean than that.

The rooftop pool at the Moon Bar isn't the biggest by any means, but the impressive views of the city skyline totally make up for that. The hotel is four star and so is the food they serve in the restaurant. Here you can indulge in authentic Mediterranean cuisine taken to a whole new level, accompanied by fine wines from the Provence region.

Our recommendation:

Go back at night for a cocktail during the peak summer season as that's when the Moon Bar has live music every night, and the views of Massena Square after dark are fantastic.

Location:

Avenue Felix Faure, 12

Le Plongeoir

What's it like:

Le Plongeoir isn't a rooftop bar but a rock-top restaurant that has to be seen to be believed. The restaurant is called Le Plongeoir because it sits above diving boards on top of a column of rock out in the Mediterranean Sea.

The iconic Le Plongeoir has been serving tasty Mediterranean cuisine since it opened at the end of the 19th century. Like the original structure, which was a boat, the menu has been modernized to keep up with the times. It's probably the most stunning setting you could find for a luxurious lunch in Nice.

Our recommendation:

Sip a The One cocktail, one of the restaurant's signature cocktails, made from Aperol, peach juice, and prosecco while reading the menu if you can take your eyes off the uninterrupted views of the Mediterranean Sea. Follow that with oven-roasted sea bream, and you may well feel as if you've been transported to a Mediterranean heaven.

Location:

Boulevard Frank Pilatte, 60

The Skylounge

What's it like:

The Skylounge is the super modern rooftop bar of the Mercure Nice Centre Notre Dame Hotel. Its contemporary basic design isn't exactly eye-catching unless you're into minimalistic décor consisting of bare wood flooring, high bar-style tables with stools, and a rooftop swimming pool with no sun loungers.

The Skylounge is on the eighth floor, so it does have great views of the Nice Cathedral and the surrounding streets, plus its central location is ideal if you want somewhere for a quick drink or light lunch while sightseeing or shopping.

Our recommendation:

If you want somewhere to go for a coffee that has a great view, then this will probably suit, but it's not somewhere you'd want to chill all afternoon.

Location:

Avenue Notre Dame, 28

Best Rooftop Bars For The Nighttime

Farago on the Roof

What's it like:

Farago on the Roof, the rooftop bar at the AC Hotel Nice on the Promenade des Anglais, is one of the best rooftop bars in Nice to go to in the early evening if you want to watch the sun setting over the Mediterranean Sea. Decked out in a chic boho style with wicker loungers and high-backed peacock chairs, this is the spot to lounge at dusk with a cocktail in hand in a relaxed atmosphere.

The uninterrupted panoramic views of the sea and city make the exorbitant price of the drinks almost worth it. The Farago also serves a tapas-style menu that's more likely to leave your pocket empty than satisfy your pre-dinner appetite. To their credit, there are non-alcoholic cocktails and vegetarian food on the menu as well.

Our recommendation:

Get there just before sundown, splash out on one craft cocktail, then move on.

Location:

Promenade des Anglais, 59

La Terrasse - Hotel Le Méridien Nice

What's it like:

The restaurant called La Terrasse, the rooftop restaurant of the Hotel Le Méridien Nice, is the perfect spot for a wintertime lunch or dinner. The main part of La Terrasse has glass walls, so you still get great views even when the weather isn't doing its typical Mediterranean thing. When it is sunny and warm outside, there's a large terrace with lots of outdoor seating with views straight onto the Med where you can partake of meals or just drinks.

La Terrasse serves an a la carte menu, so don't expect bargain prices. It's not typical French food either, but rather a mix of Italian pasta, salads, and Irish steaks with all the usual trimmings. They don't offer any vegetarian options other than a tomato salad, so if you're vegan, you may want to skip dining here.

Our recommendation:

If you don't go for anything else, go for the raspberry tart with caramelized pecan slivers and a coffee. It'll be an unforgettable treat.

Location:

Promenade des Anglais, 1

Calade Rooftop Restaurant

What's it like:

The Calade Rooftop Restaurant of the Radisson Blu Nice isn't just for the hotel guests. The restaurant and terrace welcome clients who aren't staying there too. This is the place to go when you want to make a special occasion memorable for more than the bill at the end of the meal.

At the Calade, the menu has been created by the youngest Michelin-starred female chef in France, and yes, it's exceptional. If the menu proves to be out of your price range, then you can take a chair on the outdoor seating area, order a cocktail, and drool over everyone else's dinner.

Our recommendation:

All of it if you can afford it.

Location:

Promenade des Anglais, 223

Monsigny Rooftop

What's it like:

The rooftop bar at the Monsigny Hotel in the city center isn't a pool bar, but they do have a jacuzzi guests are welcome to use. In all honesty, this rooftop bar is one you'd go to if you wanted a comfortable and relaxed evening of drinking with friends in an intimate atmosphere.

With a decking floor and lots of sofas to lounge on, it's one of the terrace bars in Nice that's super for chilling out after a full day of sightseeing. The food offered here is small plates and bar bites which go perfectly with a few drinks while you enjoy the magical panoramic view of the city. They have a very reasonably priced cocktail menu here with some very original cocktails. Sadly there's no happy hour, but you can still make the most of it and have two.

Our recommendation:

One of their delicious cocktails with a plate of fritto misto, mixed fried seafood, and some hummus dip with focaccia on the side.

Location:

Avenue Malaussena, 17

L'EssenCiel

What's it like:

L'EssenCiel is the rooftop bar of the Splendid Hotel and Spa. It's one of the more popular bars in Nice with the trendy in-crowd, and as it's way up on the eighth floor, it's the highest rooftop bar in Nice.

In truth, this rooftop bar is open from morning to night, and you wouldn't be the first to have spent the day by the swimming pool there and remained until well after dark. It's the sort of place you want to hang out for hours, and the panoramic views mean you won't be bored for a moment.

If you're an early bird, you're in luck here. The bar opens for business at 7 am and mostly doesn't close until well after midnight. This bar is more about drinks than food, but it does have a snack menu.

Our recommendation:

If you head here in the morning, take a change of clothes, and you'll be fully prepared for the evening too.

Location:

Boulevard Victor Hugo

Movida

What's it like:

If you're hoping to find a rooftop bar with a party atmosphere in Nice, then you need to look for Movida. While Movida isn't strictly speaking a rooftop bar, it does have two large terraces, and it's where it's all happening as far as the party scene goes.

Movida occupies a building with two floors, both of which have outdoor terraces. It's open all day but really comes to life after dark when there are DJs playing sets. At Movida, they serve tapas-style food, but the emphasis is mostly on the drinks, which are right across the range from beer to champagne cocktails.

Our recommendation:

Get ready for a big night out if you head here.

Location:

Quai des Etats Unis, 41

Conclusion

There are some truly great rooftop bars in Nice, so you won't find it hard to come across one with the right atmosphere for you. You may need to try two or three until you find the right one, but that won't be too much of a hardship. Whether you prefer a trendy musical atmosphere with live DJ nights, a sunny lunch overlooking the old town, or somewhere to sip sparkling cocktails as the sun goes down, the right rooftop bar is waiting for you in Nice.