When we were told there was a century-old family-owned oyster bar in Old Town Nice, we knew we had to go! Grand Café de Turin opened in 1908. It’s located on a busy square with tons of outdoor tables, so we were able to walk right in for lunch rather than making a reservation ahead of time.
If you like shellfish, you’ll enjoy this Nice institution. They have an extensive a la carte menu, as well as pre-set seafood towers of cold shellfish like oyster, shrimp, sea snails, and cockles. We tried the prawns, french fries with mayonnaise, and a dozen oysters. The prawns are enormous and it was a little too much food for two people, so we’d recommend ordering individual pieces if it’s just for two. If you like mussels, the moules frites looked amazing. I’m unfortunately allergic to them now, so we didn’t try them. We also saw a lot of plates of shellfish pasta coming out of the kitchen, so if you’re in the mood for something hot, those would be a good option.
The people watching is also key here. One of our favorites was a little older woman sitting by herself slurping back a huge tray of oysters. I can only imagine that she comes once a week for her favorite lunch.
Grand Café de Turin, 5 Place Garibaldi, 06300 Nice