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Winter warmers in Antibes

Favourite wintertime restaurants in Antibes

featured in News & reviews Author Jo Morgan, Antibes Reporter Updated

Antibes is undeniably stunning in the winter-time: sparkling wintry seas, crystal-clear views of snowy Alps, and cobbled lanes free of their summertime crowd of tourists. For diners, there are no queues for tables, or over-stressed waiters and chefs banging down plates in a huff.

However, what’s not quite so pleasing about visiting the French Riviera in the cooler months is turning up to a well-reviewed restaurant with a raging hunger…only to find the restaurant shutters pulled closed for the winter.

To avoid such culinary tragedies, we’ve put together a list of the best Antibes restaurants that stay open in winter and promise that gorgeous cosy ambience, delicious hearty food, and warm fug of happy diners that makes cold-weather dining so special. A word of warning to the fashionably late though: Antibes restaurants tend to shut fairly early in the off-season, so don’t plan to arrive at the restaurant any later than 8:30pm.

a plate of provencal style mushrooms

Le Brulot: Rustic Provencal deliciousness

When it comes to warm ambience in the winter-time, it is simply impossible to beat Le Brulot Restaurant (not to be confused with Le Brulot Pasta a few doors along). Downstairs you’ll find tables crowded between exposed stone walls and vaulted ceilings, a happy clamour of diners, and the whole place gently warmed by the wood-fired oven which cooks the famous crispy skin duck fillets, roast lamb, and delicious whole fish baked with lemons and olives. This is authentic Provencal food to warm your belly and your heart, and is best washed down with a bottle of good local red. A top spot that cannot be beaten for a rustic, delicious wintry meal.

Cafe Royal Restaurant, Antibes interior

Royal Hotel: Seafront glamour and modern Italian

Just because the weather is cool, doesn’t mean that you don’t want a view of the water while you eat. The Royal Antibes Hotel down on the seafront has a stylish café/restaurant serving excellent modern Italian food, with a huge open-air terrace for warmer winter days, and big glass windows in their restaurant so you can look out on the Mediterranean if the weather pushes you inside. On a sunny day you’ll see a few sailboats out skimming the water, but it’s also the perfect place to be on a wild and windy day when the palm trees whip their fronds in a fury and kiteboarders streak across the bay on the howling winds. No matter what the weather, the food coming out of the Cafe Royal restaurant kitchen is excellent and there’s a sense of Riviera glamour to this place that can be difficult to find in Antibes during the quieter months.

Cesar Caffe, Antibes style of cuisine

Cesars Caffe: Tasty French crepes and people-watching

The cosy, family-run creperie, Cesar Caffe, is the ideal place to hunker down in winter, with French windows looking out over the street and terrace tables for the sunny days. Take a newspaper, settle in, and eat French savoury crepes ‘galettes’ loaded with oozy fillings and cheese, accompanied by a pichet of Normandy cider. This café is on a busy stretch of street just down from the covered market, so even in winter you’ll have some great people-watching, with locals stopping to chat to each other and the sounds of the bustling market carrying on the air. With good service and an even better atmosphere, this is a good choice for lunch.

Le Taille de Guepe, Antibes starter

La Taille de Guepe Restaurant: Autumn flowers

For something a little different and to bring back those memories of springtime, La Taille de Guepe will not disappoint. Each dish is decorated with delicate flowers and petals that ensure you'll have an attractive dish in front of you as well as adding to the flavour of your meal. The setting offers a truly unique ambience with a pretty neon glow and birdcage style seating, perfect for those cosy autumnal evenings.

Majestic Barriere Hotel & Spa, Cannes beach

Beach clubs: Rose in the sunshine

There’s nothing quite like sitting on the beach in dead of winter, feet in the sand, and looking out at the sparkling sea as you enjoy a glass of rose and a restaurant-quality meal in the warm sunshine. Unfortunately, none of the Antibes or Cap d’Antibes beach clubs remain open through the winter, but several do remain open for lunch year-round in Cannes - just two short stops away on the train. Head over to our Cannes winter restaurant guide to find out where you can take advantage of those perfect winter days that make every visitor instantly want to pack up their lives and move to the Riviera.

More inspiration...

There are plenty more good restaurants open in the winter in Antibes, and we’d love to hear your thoughts on your wintertime favourites! Get involved and let us know in the comments.