Shopping in Nice (France)

As expected, the French Riviera isn't a bad place to do a little shopping, but in my quest to find any local brands (or preferably local independent designers), I soon realized that the majority of the boutiques belonged either to the usual suspects in designer fashion (Chanel, Hermes, Louis Vuitton etc.), the typical high street chains (Zara, Mango and a slew of French retailers you'll also find in any other city such as Paris) or multi-brand stores which offered a mix of the above brands. It's great if you're searching for a particular item from your favorite label which might be sold out elsewhere, but if you're hoping to find something typical of the French Riviera, a Dior scarf or a Zadig & Voltaire tee probably isn't going to cut it.

Cannes, Nice and Monaco offer basically the same mix of high street and designer stores. Luxury labels are more prominent in Cannes and Monaco... the latter is also a great place to get a Ferrari, Maserati or Aston Martin if you ever win too much money in a casino. Nice, being the biggest city of the three, offers a lot more affordable fashion and foodie fare. It's also the only area that has a distinctly unique cuisine and because it's a source of some of the best olive oils, checking out a few of the gourmet places is a a must.

Some local foods... starting top left: farcis, socca, pissaladière, beignets de fleurs de courgettes.

Cheap and good food that shouldn't be missed includes socca (a crepe made of chickpea flour), pissaladière (an onion tart with olives and sometimes anchovies), farcis (vegetables stuffed with breadcrumbs and/or meat), beignets de fleurs de courgettes and the more famous salad niçoise. All of this is available in the old part of Nice and can be found in cheaper cafes or kiosk-like eateries. Of course the entire Riviera area is also a great place to get some seafood.

Alziari

In prepping for my trip, I was told that no visit was complete without stopping by legendary olive oil makers Alziari, who opened shop in 1868. The small store located near the seafront promenade is quaint and filled with an incredible selection of different olives, old-fashioned canisters and jars, various oils as well as olive oil aromas (lemon, garlic, basil etc.), skincare products, countless nibbles ranging from honey to foie gras and an assortment of herbs. If like me, you only have a carry-on bag with you and can't check in liquids, no worries... they have an online shop that delivers worldwide! So guess what I'll be ordering in the near future...

Alziari's charming interior (left) and barrels of olives (right).

Giant canisters filled with olive oils (left). Ceramic jugs and pots on display (right).

Address: 14 rue Saint François de Paule, 06300 Nice

A l'Olivier

Another olive oil expert, this company was founded in 1822, though the decor is a lot more modern and sophisticated. I don't actually know if they started out in Nice, but they have stores all over France and their products are easily available throughout the world (I believe even Amazon sells their items). They do have an online-shop as well. We stayed here for the longest time, because the selection was just huge. The girl working there let us try different olive oils, balsamic vinegars and mustards. The range pretty much covers what Alziari has, but they offered more flavors and also had a great range of sea salts, jams and other preserves, as well as an extensive selection of olive-based bath, skincare and beauty items (from various brands). I've never bothered checking out the Paris location, but something tells me I'll be heading there very soon.

Top: olive oils behind the counter. More olive oils in cans (left) and a range of other products, such as herbs and salts (right).

Overview of the store's sleek decor (left) and some of the bath products (right).

Address: 7 rue Saint François de Paule, 06300 Nice

So enough with the food... let's get to the fashion!

Aratto

I'm going to start of with the cheapest of the cheap. Someone told me this place is something of an institution in Nice and if you're ever in need of some trendy inexpensive bling, this is probably going to be your ultimate destination. What fascinated me the most though, was the deli-style concept of the store: you first choose what you want from the window displays, then take a number. Once it's your turn, you show the staff member the item you want and she'll pull it out from one of the many shelves behind her. Earrings start off at 1 EUR, cuffs around 3 EUR and necklace prices range between 5-13 EUR. The more elaborate pieces will go up to 35 EUR, but that's about as expensive as it will get. They also sell bags (10-35 EUR), wallets and umbrellas. The products aren't necessarily well-made or meant to last, but for that price you'll probably end up buying more than one piece anyway.

Top: Aratto storefront where items are displayed. Once you've found what you want, take a ticket (left) and proceed to the counter (right).

Some of the jewelry on display ranging from overly bling and borderline tacky, to somewhat more toned down.

Address: 18 rue Masséna, 06300 Nice

Façonnable

The only local brand I could find in Nice, was Façonnable, the classic sportswear chic brand with items suitable for any member of a country club or anyone who needs an outfit for a polo match (i.e. it's a more conservative Ralph Lauren). The store opened it's doors in Nice, back in 1950 and gained popularity among Hollywood stars visiting the Cannes Film Festival. The label now has two additional boutiques in the same street catering to women's wear and more formal looks. I can't say that I've ever been drawn to their range which I deemed a little too preppy, but considering how many well-made basics they stock, I can imagine the classic coats or argyle sweaters to be something you could pair with edgier pieces to create a cool country look. Their items are stocked throughout the world and US residents can also order online via their homepage.

One of the storefronts in Nice (above) and some of the current season looks (images: Façonnable).

Address: 7-9 rue Paradis, 06300 Nice

Espace Harroch

Finally, I also browsed this four-storey multi-brand boutique, which some claimed was a concept store (it isn't) and stocks designer brands that don't happen to have their own boutique in the city. I found a decent selection of Balenciaga, Marni, Chloé, Miu Miu and Yohji Yamamoto to name a few, while the menswear section was dominated by Paul Smith, Missoni and Helmut Lang. The top floor had a great range of beauty and skincare products from the Provence, home decor items, as well as linen, towels and bedsheets. There was also a perfume counter and a small range of Diptyque candles. For other luxury designer fixes, you'll of course have a range of flagship boutiques to choose from and Galeries Lafayette has a branch in Nice as well.

Part of the women's wear (left) and menswear (right) section.

A selection of the beautifully displayed beauty and skincare products. For some relaxation, head to the outdoor terrace (right).

Addres: 7 rue Paradis, 06300 Nice

Lastly, I would definitely urge anyone to check out the many markets in this area. I forgot to take pictures of them, but Nice has a lovely flower market, while Forville in Cannes is a great covered market which sells everything from flowers, herbs and seafood to wild mushrooms and (of course) olives. Provence specialities, such as lavender can easily be found in these areas as well.

Lavender and other dried flowers on display at a crafts market in Cannes (top) and more dried petals at Forville (bottom).