“A good welcome, good cuisine and a fair price”: these are the keys to the success of the Bistronome in Nice Nord

Un good welcome, good food and a fair price”this is the recipe of Anthony Soler, the chef of the restaurant Le Bistronome which is a hit in Nice Nord, on avenue du Ray. And delights the taste buds of its customers.

Dishes at 15.90 euros and desserts at 5.90 euros. The menu, a mix of Nice and Mediterranean cuisine, is also open to the world. It is renewed every two weeks.

“At the beginning, my accountant told me: ''You'll never get there with such prices,'' he remembers, smiling. I answered him: ''Count and I cook''.”

Ten years later, the restaurant is still full. It even occupies 7th place out of the 1987 restaurants in Nice listed by the TripAdvisor site. Internet users have given it 5 stars and the opinions left on the platform vary between “excellent” and “very good”.

“You have to book very early, advises the restaurateur. Services are complete over several days. Some people complain about this wait, I understand them. Nor are we the Chantecler to have such an expectation.”

Barely crossing the threshold of the establishment, we are greeted by Kevin, the slightly chauvinistic Marseillais, and Clara, smiling and discreet. Both provide room service with humor and kindness.

In the kitchen, Anthony Soler has been surrounded by Cyril, for 9 years, and Thomas, for a little over 2 years.

“There is no leader or secondinsists Anthony who does not want to pull the blanket over him. We all work together, we are a team.”

From his kitchen, open to the room thanks to a glass roof, the chef can observe his customers' reactions live. And vice versa.

“Everything is made on site, we only work with fresh productshe assures. The idea is that customers enjoy a dish that they can't find at home.”

Its signature dish: beef Wellington steak which is served during the holiday season. “The beef and foie gras are surrounded by puff pastry and accompanied by a mushroom duxelle.”

Last summer, the sea parrillada “a hit”. Customers also appreciate when the chef puts offal on the menu. “I love Lyonnaise cuisine”he whispers.

Obviously, there are more classic dishes such as roast duck breast, cordon bleu escalope or even cod fillet.

As for dessert, the rum baba has its little success. Just like the chocolate fondant, which is well worth the 10 minutes of waiting to enjoy it.

“I don’t want to expand”

“We were recommended Le Bistronome and we also saw that there were always people on the terrace”admits a couple in their seventies who were trying the restaurant for the first time. It must be said that that Tuesday afternoon, the room and the terrace were, unsurprisingly, full.

Faced with this daily influx, some wonder: “Why don’t they get a bigger establishment?”

“I don't want to expandanswers Anthony Soler. I want to be able to be in my kitchen and continue to run a business on a human scale.”

He adds with a laugh: “And then, small matter, small worries”.

La Bistronome offers seven services per week: lunch from Tuesday to Saturday and Friday and Saturday evenings. “This allows you to have a quality of life and that’s important.”

Additional recognition – if one were still needed – the establishment was selected this year among the best restaurants in the world by La Liste ⁽¹⁾.

1- A ranking established to distinguish the 1,000 best restaurants and hotels in the world.