Must-see nightlife in Provence & the Côte d'Azur

  • Waaw

    Marseille

    Marseille’s creative chameleon and the heart of the cours Julien scene, Waaw ('What an Amazing World') has everything you could possibly want for a night…

  • La Ronronnerie

    Nice

    Kitties rule the roost at this one-of-a-kind cafe, an absolute must for cat-lovers. Five free-range felines roam about the tables, seeking the right lap…

  • La Part des Anges

    Nice

    The focus at this classy wine shop–bar is organic wines – a few are sold by the glass, but the best selection is available by the bottle, served with…

  • Beer District

    Nice

    One of Nice's coolest new nightspots, Beer District pours a regularly rotating line-up of 16 draught microbrews and 50 bottled beers from all over the…

  • L'Epicurieux

    Cannes

    A cosy little spot for a glass or two of a local vintage – the wine list here is great, with hand-picked choices from local domaines including Côtes de…

  • Sénéquier

    St-Tropez

    Sartre wrote parts of Les Chemins de la Liberté (Roads to Freedom) at this portside cafe – in business since 1887 – which is popular with boaties, bikers…

  • Les Caves du Roy

    St-Tropez

    The star-studded bar at the infamous Hôtel Byblos remains the perennial champion of nightclubs in St-Tropez, if not the whole Riviera. Dress to impress if…

  • Rosalina Bar

    Nice

    Way back before Le Port-Garibaldi became so trendy, Rosalina was the neighbourhood's nightlife pioneer. A decade later, it's still an inviting, friendly…

  • La Caravelle

    Marseille

    On the 1st floor of Hôtel Bellevue, this lovely little bar is styled with rich wood and leather, with a zinc bar and yellowing murals that hint of its…

  • Les Distilleries Idéales

    Nice

    The most atmospheric spot for a tipple in the old town, whether you’re after one of the many beers on tap or a local wine by the glass. Brick-lined and…

  • Clos Sainte Magdeleine

    Cassis

    Close to central Cassis, with a regularly open cellar door and a viticultural pedigree stretching back to the 1800s, this seaward-facing winery is a good…

  • El Merkado

    Nice

    Footsteps from cours Saleya, this hip tapas bar (strapline: ‘In Sangria We Trust’) struts its vintage stuff on the ground floor of a quintessential Niçois…

  • La Movida

    Nice

    No place in Vieux Nice offers better people-watching than the beach-facing tables on La Movida's streetside deck and upstairs terrace. Snag one in time…

  • La Dame du Mont

    Marseille

    Regular DJs bring reggae, soul, funk, rock and much else besides to this friendly, bustling hang-out on place Notre Dame du Mont. Craft beers, cocktails…

  • U.percut exterior

    U.percut

    Marseille

    Happy to host anything that will get feet shuffling, U.percut puts on killer jazz bands, crooning soul stars, hip hop maestros and late-night breakbeat…

  • Baby Club exterior

    Baby Club

    Marseille

    Located in the bohemian neighborhood of La Plaine, Baby Club offers the perfect atmosphere for an abandoned after-hours party. Look for its garish zebra…

  • Le Refectoire dining room

    R2

    Marseille

    Together, Le Rooftop – a spectacular open-air cocktail bar with rotating DJs playing house, electro, disco and rock – and Reverso – the restaurant space…

  • Rosé!

    Nice

    The concept is simple and the results agreeable at this recently opened wine bar. The extensive wine list skews heavily towards the top-quality rosés for…

  • Les Deux Garçons

    Aix-en-Provence

    Cézanne and Zola once lingered in this classic brasserie-cafe, named for the eponymous two waiters who bought it from their former employer in 1880, and…

  • Workhouse Café

    Nice

    Young freelancers are the focus at this recently opened 'coworking' space at the edge of place Garibaldi, but the general public is also welcome at the…

  • Bistrot L’Horloge

    Marseille

    A local favourite with parasol-shaded table and chairs at the lion-statue end of cours Honoré d’Estienne d’Orves, this bistrot-bar rocks. In summer live…

  • Gotha Club

    Cannes

    Only open in May during the film festival and again in July and August, this club is a hot ticket in DJ land. Bringing together some of the most happening…

  • Le Café des Chineurs

    Nice

    A young, hip crowd gravitates to this strategically placed bar at the corner of place Garibaldi and rue Bonaparte – the very epicentre of Petit Marais…

  • Le Chai Cassidain

    Cassis

    This cosy cave à vin (wine cellar) offers a long wooden bar, red leather armchairs, vintage posters on the walls and a knowledgeable and affable owner –…

  • La Part des Anges

    Marseille

    This fabulously convivial wine bar is named after the alcohol that evaporates through a barrel during wine or whisky fermentation: the 'angels’ share'…

  • Bâoli

    Cannes

    This is Cannes’ coolest, trendiest and most selective nightspot – so selective, in fact, that your entire posse might not get in unless you’re dressed to…

  • Milk Shop

    Avignon

    Keen to mingle with Avignon students? Make a beeline for this salon au lait ('milk bar') where super-thick ice-cream shakes (€4.50) are slurped through…

  • Le Montmartre

    Marseille

    Le Montmartre is beautifully situated on a charming, small square with glimpses of the Vieux Port. Among several cafes here, this one perhaps best…

  • Rooftop 17

    Nice

    Panoramic 360-degree views of Nice are the big draw at the Hôtel Monsigny's rooftop bar. Glasses of rosé, mojitos and fresh fruit smoothies all go down…

  • Armani Caffè

    Cannes

    The al fresco cafe of Italian fashion design house Armani is predictably chic, stylish and full of panache. Sit beneath taupe parasols in a prettily…

  • Le Cercle Bar

    Cannes

    The bar of Le Grand Hôtel is a great place for a couple of quiet drinks. The lounge is a cosy space (there is a pianist most nights) but it’s the garden…

  • Brasserie Artisanale de Nice

    Nice

    Taste some of southern France's most interesting beers at this neighbourhood microbrewery, which opens to the public a few hours per week. Don't miss the…

  • Le Café Van Gogh

    Arles

    Immortalised in Van Gogh's 1888 Terrasse du Café le Soir, this cafe trades on its plum spot on the place du Forum and its association with the adopted…

  • Le Club 55

    Côte d'Azur

    The longest-running Pampelonne beach club dates to the 1950s and was originally the crew canteen during the filming of And God Created Woman. Now it…

  • Snug & Cellar

    Nice

    A more chilled retreat than many of the pubs in the old town, especially if you can bag one of the prime tables in the eponymous cellar. Weekly open mics,…

  • JW Grill

    Cannes

    This dazzling white lounge bar on the ground floor of the Marriott hotel is possibly the most beautiful on the Croisette, with designer sofas facing out…

  • L'Explo

    Avignon

    It's a sunny evening and your inner beer nerd is in the market for a dry rye, hoppy IPA or boozy Belgian wheat beer. Well you're in luck: this groovy…

  • Comptoir Central Électrique

    Nice

    Once a lighting factory (check out the light-bulb collection inside), now a hip-and-happening Port Lympia bar with slouchy sofas, industrial-chic decor,…

  • Balthazar

    Avignon

    This relaxed spot makes a great place for an early-evening aperitif, rolling into a no-fuss dinner of steak, tapas, salads and the like. The booth seats…

  • Absinthe Bar

    Antibes

    Flirt with the green fairy in this convivial cellar, with original 1860 zinc bar, a few round tables and all the accessories (four-tapped water fountain,…