Fashion & Shopping in Nice
From olive jams to evening gowns, pearl necklaces to watercolours of Old Nice, swatches of Provençal fabric to socca boards - bring your shopping list and hit the shops and markets from the Cours Saleya to Rue Masséna via Avenue de Verdun and Rue Paradis.
From fresh Provencal produce at the markets to chic jewellery boutiques and designer neighbourhoods, the shopping in Nice diverse. With major clothing chains, some excellent food stores and markets and a growing selection of boutique gift shops offering something a little different, there is plenty to peruse in Nice.
The main shopping strip can be found on Avenue Jean Medecin which runs through the city centre. The tram line runs straight down the middle so you can easily access it from end to end and of course there are always plenty of cafes and wine bars to punctuate your walk along.
If you want something designer without leaving the city, Rue Paradis and Avenue de Verdon will be able to satiate most minor shopping urges. This is near the Place Massena and so along with the designer shops you can also find some small boutiques and great cafe's, bars and restaurants.
Nice's main outdoor market for fresh food & flowers takes place every morning (except Monday) in the Cours Saleya in Vieux Nice. Here you will find the very best of local and organic seasonal produce, fresh seafood (although the waters around Nice do not supply a lot of it) and plenty of locally produced olive oils and pistou's.
Close by is the bustling daily fish market, also in Nice's Old Town. It starts at 6am and runs all morning - or until the fish run out. You might need to battle with the seagulls for the fish though as they are very persistent!
These two markets are just the tip of the iceberg however as Nice hosts a variety of monthly and bi-weekly markets that include arts & crafts, antiques, second-hand books and clothes and even a specialist postcard market.
Depending on what you are looking for one of the best and most compact shopping areas is the Vieille Ville, the Old Town. With narrow cobbled streets and lots of local food, clothing and arty shops you could easily find yourself going round in circles or lost down an alleyway.
For a more high street shopping experience the Avenue Jean Medecin is the place to go. With the Place Massena end of the street you can find the good quality and well priced French department store, Galeries Lafayette.
Further north on the Avenue there are several small shopping malls, including Nice Etoile, and numerous high street brands such as Monoprix, Habitat and a H&M.
