Best-of list · France Bars
The 6 best bars in Nice for 2026, from Movida's seafront terrace to Le Shapko's live music. Vieux Nice cocktail rooms and pubs, picked by Tom Callahan.
The short answer
7 ranked rooms follow. How we picked is at the end of this guide.
Nice drinks the Cote d'Azur way, slow and seafront, with the best of it tucked into the lanes of Vieux Nice. The six below are the ones worth your evening, from a seafront cocktail terrace to a nightly live-music room. We cut four we could not stand behind as currently-open Nice bars.
Movida sits on the Quai des Etats-Unis at the edge of Vieux Nice, and the sea-view terrace is the whole pitch. Cocktails run about 16 euros and a pint nearer nine, which is the going rate for a seafront seat in Nice rather than a bargain. Tapas keep you there. Come at sunset, take the terrace, and accept you are paying for the view.
Full listing & hours →Le Snug runs an Irish-pub line on rue Droite in Vieux Nice, pints and cocktails with the sport on downstairs. Happy hour from 8 to 10 each night keeps it honest on price, which is more than most of the old town manages. It draws expats and a casual group crowd. Best on a match night, when the cellar room fills up.
Full listing & hours →Le Bar des Oiseaux on rue Saint-Vincent is more bistro than bar these days, with a Michelin toque for its Nicois cooking, but the bar counter is still a fine perch for a glass before dinner. Lunch menus start around 20 euros. It closes Sunday and Monday. Go for an aperitif and stay for the food, in that order.
Full listing & hours →El Merkado sits near the Opera and Cours Saleya and does tapas from under four euros alongside cocktails and late DJs. It is the rare Vieux Nice spot where you can eat cheap and drink late, with the kitchen and the bar both running past midnight. The room gets loud at weekends. Go for an aperitif that turns into a night.
Le Shapko on rue Rossetti runs live music every night, jazz, soul and funk in a small Vieux Nice room, and the drinks stay fair for a bar with a band on. It fills fast once the music starts, so a seat means turning up early. No cover at the door most nights. One for anyone who would rather hear a band than a playlist.
Full listing & hours →Le Comptoir du Marche on rue du Marche is a market bistro with a proper bar counter, Michelin Guide listed under chef Frederic Krauer since 2024. It leans toward dinner rather than drinking, but the counter is a good seat for a glass of something local. It runs Tuesday to Saturday. Book if you want the table; walk in if you only want the bar.