Sitting between Cannes and Nice, Antibes is a charming resort town known for the old town enclosed by 16th century ramparts with the star-shaped Fort Carré. It’s a great place to explore, sightsee and relax. A highlight of our trip was walking each morning along the water circling the entire peninsula from Juan Les Pin to Old Town. It was a great way to burn calories, see the chateaus (or compounds!), and have lovely views of the sea. Many people choose Cannes or Nice over Antibes, but I would suggest spending a day or two in the beautiful town! We were even there during the Jazz Festival and the Cannes Film festival! Enjoy our travels in Antibes!
Transportation in Antibes:
Driver to Antibes: Jeremy +33 7 86 68 83 99. Part of Taxi Mario. Mercedes Van (taximario.sttropez@gmail.com)
Golf Cart to Plage Keller: (or anywhere): Gingy Groupe” (Alexandre Biscuit – tel: +33.6 37 58 76 07)
Transfer to Nice Airport: “Gingy Groupe” (Alexandre Biscuit – tel: +33.6 37 58 76 07) Porsche Cayenne
Hotel Belle Rives
Hotel Belle Rives is an historic hotel In Juan Les Pin. It was actually the main reason we selected Antibes. F Scott Fitzgerald wrote his masterpiece ‘Tender is The Night’ at the Villa Saint Louis. He then transformed this Villa into a resort for wealthy Americans discovering pleasures of the wild party and swimming in the sea. (Say no more!) While at Villa Saint Louis, now Belle Rives he wrote this famous book called ‘The Great Gatsby’. Have you heard of it? Okay, good! The Belle Rives is the first hotel on the water along the Côte d’Azur. Classic hotel with modern touches. The location of the hotel was fantastic! It was lovely eating lunch along the sea or sitting on a sun lounger for the entire afternoon. We enjoyed drinks at the Piano Bar Fitzgerald which has inside and outdoor seating. Great spot to watch the sunsets as well!
Marche Provencal
This Provençal market located in old town had a wide range of local produce, spices, cheese, flowers and fruit. It was a great end to our morning walks where we would pick up some fruit and fresh baked goods.
Plage Keller
Located at the tip of Ca d’Antibes, Plage Keller is a beautiful beach club with a lovely view of the sea and coastline. On a clear day you can see the French Alps in the background. From Hotel Belle Rives, we took a golf cart to the club – courtesy of “Gingy Groupe”. It was such a fun ride along the sea and we danced to the music as we headed to the beach club! The Gingy also picked us up to take us back to the hotel. Plage Keller was a relaxing beach club with a beach and sun loungers. We enjoyed Minuity rosé while basking in the sun and around 3pm we had lunch reservation at the restaurant – Le César. Our table was set in the sand overlooking the sea. Our order – John Dory, salad and some mini raviolis. We enjoyed our long lunch and the scenery! Gingy Please – back to Hotel Belle Rives!
La Suite Wine Bar
Located in Juan Les Pin, we stopped by La Suite Wine Bar for a glass of wine while we waited for our dinner reservations. There was live music that evening, a solo guitarist, playing outside in the patio. We just ordered drinks, but of course in Europe when you order drinks they bring complimentary snacks! The best! If we weren’t having dinner in 30 minutes we would have ordered an appetizer as their menu looked tasty! Great cozy spot!
Restaurant Le J
Restaurant Le J is located in Juan Les Pin, a short walk from Hotel Belle Rives. It’s a small French restaurant with seasonal menus with a variety of meat and fish dishes. The owners were there that night and helped us select our order. We started with fried squash blossoms and some delicious local red wine. For the main we enjoyed the fresh fish of the day and risotto. The risotto was very tasty, but our fish was very salty. Unfortunately we couldn’t even eat the entire piece. Though we loved the setting of the restaurant and the menu we would at least give it another try!
Le Bistrot de Jules (Chez Jules)
Le Bistrot de Jules is a charming, French bistro with great outdoor seating options. We stumbled upon this after we attempted to get in at Mamo down the street, but it didn’t disappoint. We enjoyed the cotton candy skies as the sunset all while taking in the people watching as groups walked by. We ordered the sampler platter that had calamari, stuffed peppers and tomatoes. It was the perfect amount of food as we were planning on getting gelato after dinner! If you are looking for a lovely place to sit outside in Old Town, I would check our Chez Jules!
Boulangerie Veziano
Boulangerie Veziano was highly recommended from many sources for the best croissant in France. So we had to try it for ourselves. Unfortunately it didn’t meet our high standards. The bakery is located on a corner in Old Town and won’t be missed as there usually is a line out the door. We ordered two croissants (regular) as they were out of the chocolate. First bite…buttery and dense. It reminded me of a Pillsbury croissant. Though tasty, it wasn’t our favorite. You might try the bread or other baked goods.
Aux Amoureux De Pains
Located in the Marche Provencal, Aux Amoureux de Pains was the BEST bakery in Antibes. We enjoyed a croissant (which was flaky and airy!) as well as a brioche slice. Heaven! Highly recommend this bakery!The bread, sandwiches and other pastries looks so good. Good thing we walked there! Yum.
Nomads Coffee
Specialty coffee in the heart of Old Town, Nomads Coffee is a charming shop served some of the best coffee we had all trip. The shop is well decorated and gives such a relaxing environment. You can take away or sit down. They offer oat and almond milk as well as a variety of pastries including gluten free! Be sure to stop in at Nomads for a caffeine break.
Other Recs:
Eden Roc – If you aren’t staying at Eden Roc, its worth a visit to see the property. Grab a drink at the bar and enjoy the beauty of this property.
La Petite Escale: small family-owned restaurant serving French food in Old Town
Restaurant Mamo: Classic Italian restaurant in a renowned rustic-chic eatery with stone walls, plus a terrace. We couldn’t get a reservation here, but wish we had booked further in advanced.
T.W.O. 