JAN

JAN is one of the most personal restaurants in Nice. The South African chef Jan Hendrik van der Westhuizen opened it on Rue Lascaris, a street just back from the port, and it holds one Michelin star in the 2026 guide. The room is small, with about 20 seats, and the mood is cosy and romantic rather than formal.

The cooking draws on South African cuisine, reinterpreted in a personal and creative way. Dinner is a single set menu, so the kitchen sets the pace and the dishes arrive as a sequence. The Michelin inspectors highlight the play of sweet and sour, smoky, spicy and acidic notes, which gives the meal a character quite different from the Provençal and Niçois cooking found elsewhere in the city.

Across the street, the same team runs a cheese bar offering around twenty cheeses with drinks, preserves and dried fruit, which can be a good start or end to an evening. Next door, Le Bistrot de Jan is the more casual sibling, open for lunch and dinner with French bistro classics alongside South African dishes such as bobotie and malva pudding, which suits anyone wanting to sample the chef's style at a lower price.

JAN serves dinner only, from Tuesday to Saturday between 19:00 and 22:00, and is closed on Sundays and Mondays. With so few seats, book well ahead, and contact the restaurant directly as it manages its own reservations. Let the team know about allergies or dietary needs in advance, since there is only one menu. The restaurant is air-conditioned, has a terrace and offers wheelchair access.

It is an excellent choice for couples and for diners who like a chef-led evening with a story behind it, and for anyone curious to discover South African flavours, which are rare on the Riviera. It is less suitable for young children or anyone who prefers to choose from a menu.

Rue Lascaris runs off the port area, so JAN pairs naturally with an aperitif by the harbour. From the old town it is a pleasant walk round the foot of Castle Hill, and the quays of Port Lympia are on your doorstep when you leave.