Choosing a restaurant in Villefranche-sur-Mer, French Riviera. Go with our gut or follow reviews?

How to choose a place for fish and nice wine in Villefranche Sur Mer, one of the most beautiful villages in France? With gourmet restaurants in the charming hillside and touristic bistros along the seafront, what’s better on a sunny day? A lovely view of the sea with the chatter of full tables? Or the ultimate in fresh food cuisine?

Come with us to Villefranche, the shooting location for much of Emily in Paris Season 2, Episode 2 “Do You Know the Way to San Tropez?”

After your own lunch in Villefranche you can visit the train station where Emily arrives from Paris. Or the village’s chapel, Chapelle Saint-Pierre, decorated by Jean Cocteau, where Emily and Camille have a heart to heart. A few minutes from Villefranche is Paloma Beach of St. Jean Cap Ferrat where Emily demonstrates how to Champagne spray. She and Mindy also stay nearby and the Grand-Hotel du Cap-Ferrat, a Four Seasons gem at the tip of the peninsula.

In this video we consider the following restaurants: Les Garçons in the village, La Mere Germaine, and L’Oursin Bleu on the seafront. When the best reviewed restaurant is closed, we make the best of the situation and decide on sunny Lou Bantry with the blue chairs meant to match the blue chairs on the promenade in Nice. Aeroport de Nice is the closest airport to Villefranche — which sits on the French Riviera between Nice and Monaco, close to the Italian border.

We try the fish and chips and spaghetti with clams while the working fishermen continue to come in for the day. Both our dishes taste better than expected and we learn that sometimes the setting trumps the cuisine. A gorgeous view and convivial ambiance can pump up any meal to five stars!

The deep water bay and harbor village of Villefranche is popular with cruise ships who overnight in the bay. You might check the cruise ship schedule if you prefer less crowded days.

To conclude the video, we take you to the nearest beach in Villefranche where we test out the water.

Please Subscribe
If you have a YouTube account and you like our videos, please click the subscribe button and request notifications of our weekly postings by selecting the bell.

For a whole library of videos and our playlists please visit our channel at:

We RECOMMEND from our latest:

About Us
We’re Emre and Maia. Our videos feature local, authentic, and immersive experiences in Europe. We love to engage with people in their own language, while we spend a gap year being curious about everything! We’re passionate about travel and food and have traveled to 44 countries with five passports between us! Now we’re in Southern Europe — Italy, France, and Spain — where we dedicate a month to each stay. Longing for simplicity and freedom, we put our remaining possessions in storage, and set out with one suitcase and one carry-on each. Our slow travel mindset works whether you have a few days or a whole year. All it takes is being in the moment. We try to take in the details, be open to opportunities, and follow passions and whims. We like to keep it real. We did not receive, nor do we ask for compensation from any of the enterprises mentioned in this video.

The happygolucky YouTube channel is a production of HAPPY GO LUCKY, LLC, Washington.

[happygoluckytravel]

In this video, we implied that what made the meal so enjoyable was the sun, the sea and the overall ambiance rather than the food itself. Since then, we went back to Lou Bantry and this time, the food held its own against the still gorgeous ambiance. Check out our updated review of the restaurant here:

[Rech-ec]

love the videos and I'm going through each one of them just like a movie! 😀

[SadhuTravels]

Your videos are so peaceful and amazing. You two are enjoying it together ❤️. Love.

[marysekoskass]

La France et la côte d'azur absolument magnifique

[carolaalmendra]

Nice video and both of you so agreable. 🐾🐾

[vanessakaszanits]

Hi there! Absolutely love your videos of Nice, we’ll be going in September and can’t wait! Where about was your apartment and was it an Airbnb?

[danielfeldman]

I am unable to open this restaurant's website on my computer. Fabulous place, been there many times.

[michellemobakeng]

You were on the French Riviera in November 2021 during the pLandemic, lucky you ! Glad you enjoyed your al fresco dishes.