Le Plongeoir, the Restaurant on a Rock at the Harbour Mouth

A diving board over the sea

Le Plongeoir stands on two crags that rise out of the water at the exit of Nice port, on boulevard Franck Pilatte, which skirts the coast towards the cape. In the late 19th century, a fishing boat converted into a tea room was installed on the rock, joined by a gangway to a kiosk: in the Belle Époque people came up for cocktails and tea a little over six metres above the water. In 1941, with the boat damaged, the architect René Livieri built in place of the kiosk the diving board that gives the place its name. Today it is a restaurant with a terrace over the water, where many people go to watch the sunset.

The menu

Seasonal Mediterranean cooking, signed by chef Loïc Buisson, with produce from local suppliers. Starters are around €26 to €32: courgette flower fritters with spiced tomato, tuna tataki, grilled octopus with aubergine caviar and artichoke, crab in celeriac rémoulade, burratina with orange pesto. Mains, €45 to €55: roast sea bass with sauce vierge, baked sea bream with bulgur, rigatoni with seasonal truffle, chicken with Sardinian fregola or veal fillet. Desserts at €16. Vegan and vegetarian dishes on request. At menu prices, starter, main and dessert come to between €87 and €103 per person without drinks: it is the place for an occasion, not for everyday eating.

How to go and book

Book on their website, with a calendar for 2026 and another for 2027; if you do not see a slot or want a table for the next three days, call the restaurant. Tram 2 stops at Port Lympia, and from there it is a few minutes on foot along the port. By car, there are spaces on the boulevard itself. The terrace has a lift at the entrance, so it is wheelchair accessible. The lounge bar Le Vivier, in the same place, is closed in winter and reopens in May 2027.