Let's Go Europe 2019. Harvard Student Agencies

prepare your next course once you’ve finished the one in front of you, so take your time. They’re in no rush and you shouldn’t be either. When you finally make it to dessert after savoring pork sausages in red wine sauce, and your server asks you if you want your fromage blanc with fruit sauce, say oui without hesitation. It’s truly a treat.

       i Entrées from €14, prix-fixe menu from €16; card minimum €20; vegetarian options available; wheelchair accessible

       CAFÉ 203 ($$)

      9 Rue de Garet; 04 78 28 65 66; www.moncafe203.com; open noon-1am daily

      If you’re looking for a place for the perfect rendez-vous, look no further than Café 203. This bustling restaurant, although not an official bouchon, serves up traditional Lyonnaise dishes and then some. If you’ve had one too many sausages on your trip thus far, don’t shy away from ordering one of Café 203’s burgers or risottos for a good dose of familiarity. While you munch on your meal, in either the non-smoking or smoking area of the restaurant, look around at the tavern-like décor and listen to the friendly conversations of the locals and fellow tourists dining around you. And while the beer and wine are cheaper than the water on the menu, Café 203 will give you complimentary tap water with your meal (a rare occasion in Europe). Drink up!

       i Entrées from €13, burgers from €12, beer and wine from €2.50; vegetarian options available; wheelchair accessible

       A CHACUN SA TASSE ($)

      2 Rue du Griffon; open M-Sa 8am-7pm

      For a quick bite or petit déjeuner, swing by this tea shop, located a few blocks away from Place des Terreaux. Decorated in a warm orange with framed paintings hung on the walls, this café offers a wide array of teas, including green teas, black teas, and rooibos. The teas are steeped to perfection before being served. While you wait for your flavorful brew, pick up a French magazine on the café’s bookshelves to brush up on your language skills or look smart as you attempt to read a piece on the EU’s economic policy. For just €5.50, we were able to get a pot of delectable rose black tea and a plain croissant to start our day off on the right note.

       i Pots of tea from €3.50, pastries from €2; vegetarian options available; wheelchair accessible

       DIPLOID ($)

      18 Rue de la Platière; 04 69 67 58 93; open M-F 9am-7pm, Sa 10am-7pm, Su 11am-7pm

      An open space just a few blocks away from Place des Terreaux, Diploid is the perfect place to catch your breath with a cup of perfectly roasted coffee or freshly brewed tea. Diploid boasts a bright and welcoming atmosphere complete with calming teal blue walls, lights hanging from the ceiling, and wooden floors. Take your cappuccino with the locals as they work on their laptops using the café’s free Wi-Fi, or converse with friends as upbeat English indie tunes play in the background. Diploid also offers a lunch menu that changes every now and then. Choose from a sandwich, entrée, or salad of the day and take a seat in the back room to enjoy your meal.

       i Lunch from €10.50, coffee and tea from €3; vegetarian options available; wheelchair accessible

       NIGHTLIFE

       THE MONKEY CLUB ($$)

      19 Pl. Tolozan; 04 78 27 99 29; www.themonkeyclub.fr; open M noon-2pm, Tu-W noon-2pm and 6:30pm-1am, Th-F noon-2pm and 6:30pm-3am, Sa 6:30pm-3am, Su 11am-4pm

      This is the kind of place Don Draper would go for after-work drinks on a particularly stressful day. Or perhaps any day he can find an excuse for a drink, which means every day. Straight out of the set of Mad Men, The Monkey Club features a deep red interior with armchairs and dim lighting to set the mood for recovering from a long day of work. The bar is mostly frequented by locals, who order quality wines or shots that the bar aptly names prescriptions. Sadly, the drinks are relatively pricey, so save this venue for a planned splurge on the town or if you somehow find yourself a job to whine—we mean wine—about.

       i Cocktails from €11, shots from €5, beers from €5: BGLTQ+ friendly; wheelchair accessible

       BOMP! ($)

      1 Pl. Croix-Paquet; 09 73 18 78 43; open M-W 10am-1am, Th-F 10am-3am, Sa 4pm-3am

      Café by day, restaurant in the afternoon, and bar by night, you could probably spend the whole day at Bomp! and never leave. Like most French shops and restaurants, the kitchen does close in the middle of the day though, so that’s probably not the best idea. Bomp! has a space for every occasion: tables that spill onto the narrow sidewalk, an open, well-lit café area with round tables to chill with old friends and new, and an upstairs bar area complete with foosball tables. With happy hour deals selling drinks for just three or four euros, swing by for a lively night to meet locals (who are probably smoking outside) late into the night.

       i Entrées from €10, beer and wine from €3, mixed drinks from €5; limited wheelchair accessibility

       GROOM ($$)

      6 Rue Roger Violi; www.groomlyon.com; open Tu-W 7:30pm-1am, Th 7:30pm-2am, F-Sa 7:30pm-4am

      Tucked away under Away Hostel and Coffee Shop lies the new, hip kid on the block: Groom. With a dark interior and bright, popping lights—mostly the pink and white variety—Groom boasts a menu full of out-of-the-box cocktails intended to spice up your night. The cocktails, which start at around €12, are pricey, so if you’re looking for something more budget-friendly, choose from their selection of beer and wine. Groom also has mocktails for those who want to stay sober, making it a perfect place for all kinds of party animals. And to make sure you party safe, there are empanadas on the menu to make sure those cocktails don’t go down alone. Check out their online schedule of events before selecting a night to go—the club frequently hosts live concerts, often with no cover.

       i Beer and wine from €5, cocktails from €12, empanadas from €4; vegetarian options available; wheelchair accessible

NICE

      Coverage by Kristine Guillaume

      Let’s be honest. You came to Nice for the sunny beach days on the unfathomably blue waters of the French Riviera. And that’s not such a bad idea. Nice is one of the most affordable cities along the Côte d’Azur, which may sound strange because it’s hard on the budget-conscious backpacker wallet. But compare the city to its more bougie neighbors like Cannes and Monaco and you’ll see what we mean. Nice boasts the picturesque Promenade des Anglais lined with many public beaches for you to perfect your tan. It’s also centrally located among the other cities in the area, making it the ideal home base for daytrips to places such as the aforementioned Cannes and Monaco as well as Antibes, Menton, and Eze. Some backpackers even claim that those cities are nicer than Nice itself. But let’s not make the mistake of thinking Nice is just for the coast and sun. The city has boatloads of culture for you to discover, including the works of Henri Matisse, Marc Chagall, and Russian orthodox aristocrats. When you’ve had enough sun, take a moment to discover the more artsy side of the city. It’s nice, we promise.

       ORIENTATION

      Nice is one of many cities on the renowned Côte d’Azur, otherwise known as the French Riviera. The city center is located on the Bay of Angels, a long stretch of beach that starts at the airport and culminates in Colline du Château (Castle Hill), which is obviously a hill just in front of Vieux Nice, the old part of the city located southeast of the city center. To get to the city center from Gare Nice Ville,