Restaurant in Nice, France
Michelin-recognised seafood, mid-range prices.
A Michelin Plate seafood restaurant in Nice's Libération quarter, Peixes Bonaparte delivers credentialled cooking under chef Peter Wirbel at the €€ price point — making it one of the more straightforward decisions in the city. Two consecutive Michelin Plates (2024, 2025) and a 4.6 Google rating across 439 reviews confirm the consistency. Book it when you want quality-assured seafood without the €€€€ commitment.
If you're choosing between Peixes Bonaparte and one of Nice's higher-ticket seafood options, here's the honest answer: Peixes Bonaparte delivers Michelin-recognised seafood cooking at a price point that makes the decision relatively easy. Two consecutive Michelin Plates (2024 and 2025) and a Google rating of 4.6 across 439 reviews tell you this isn't a one-hit wonder. At the €€ price range, it sits well below the city's €€€€ creative restaurants like Flaveur or L'Aromate, which means if seafood is your priority and you don't need the full tasting-menu theatre, this is where you should be eating in Nice.
Peixes Bonaparte sits at 5 Rue Bonaparte in the Libération quarter of Nice, a residential address that keeps it grounded rather than touristy. The name itself signals the concept clearly: peixes is the Portuguese and Galician word for fish, and the kitchen under chef Peter Wirbel keeps that focus tight. Visually, the room reads as a neighbourhood restaurant that takes its product seriously — not a splashy waterfront terrace, but a considered dining space where the plate is meant to be the focal point. If you've been before and found the setting unpretentious, that's a feature, not a bug. It's the kind of place where the cooking does the talking rather than the décor.
For returning visitors, the question is less about whether to go back and more about how to get the most from the visit. The €€ pricing means this is accessible for a mid-week dinner without the occasion-pressure of a splurge restaurant, but the Michelin recognition means you should still approach it with some intention: arrive with an appetite for seafood-led cooking, ask about what's in season, and don't rush the meal.
If you're considering Peixes Bonaparte for a group or a private occasion, the €€ price tier makes it one of the more financially sensible choices in Nice for a table of four to six. Private dining and group experiences at Michelin-recognised venues at this price point are relatively rare in the city — most restaurants with comparable recognition sit in the €€€€ bracket, where a group dinner becomes a significant financial commitment. Whether the restaurant offers a dedicated private room is not confirmed in the data available, so contact the venue directly before booking a large party to clarify capacity and any group-menu arrangements. What the pricing does confirm is that you can build a proper celebratory meal here without the bill becoming the main topic of conversation afterwards.
For a special occasion with two to four people, Peixes Bonaparte is a strong candidate precisely because the combination of Michelin recognition and accessible pricing removes the risk that typically comes with splurge dining. You're not gambling on an unknown; 439 Google reviewers averaging 4.6 stars and two years of Michelin Plates give you enough signal to commit. Compare this to booking Les Agitateurs or Le Chantecler, where the price commitment is considerably higher and the format more demanding.
Booking here is direct. With no phone or website listed in the data currently available, the most reliable approach is to check Google Maps directly or visit in person , the Rue Bonaparte address is accessible from the city centre. Given the Michelin recognition and the consistently high review volume, booking a few days in advance for weekend dinners is sensible, though this is not a venue where you'll need to plan weeks out the way you might for a starred restaurant. Midweek availability is likely to be easier. Dress code information isn't confirmed, but at the €€ level in this part of Nice, smart casual is the reliable default , you won't be underdressed in clean, put-together clothes, and you won't need a jacket.
If you're building a broader Nice itinerary around food, Peixes Bonaparte pairs well with a visit to Peixes Opéra, the sister venue, which gives you a sense of how the same kitchen approach translates to a different neighbourhood setting. For context on where Peixes Bonaparte sits within the wider Côte d'Azur seafood picture, it's worth knowing that the region has serious competition nearby: Mirazur in Menton operates at an entirely different price and ambition level, but for day-to-day quality seafood in Nice proper, Peixes Bonaparte is one of the more credentialled options available at this price.
At €€, with two Michelin Plates and a strong review base, Peixes Bonaparte represents the kind of value that's genuinely hard to find in a city where most credentialled restaurants operate at significantly higher price points. It's the right choice if you want seafood-focused cooking with some quality assurance behind it, without committing to a tasting-menu format or a €€€€ bill. It's less right for you if you want the full fine-dining production , for that, Flaveur or JAN will deliver more ceremony alongside the cooking.
If you're travelling through the south of France and building a broader picture of the region's food scene, consider how Peixes Bonaparte fits alongside other French seafood-focused destinations. For Mediterranean coastal seafood at the leading of the quality register, Alici on the Amalfi Coast and Gambero Rosso in Marina di Gioiosa Ionica offer instructive comparisons. For the full sweep of what France's restaurant scene offers beyond Nice, the Pearl Nice restaurants guide is a useful starting point, alongside guides to Nice hotels, Nice bars, and Nice experiences.
Book it. Peixes Bonaparte is one of the cleaner decisions in Nice's dining scene: Michelin-recognised seafood cooking at a price that doesn't require justification. If you've been once and enjoyed it, there's no reason not to make it a regular stop. If you're bringing a group, confirm private dining arrangements directly before you arrive. For everything else, the combination of credentials and accessibility makes this an easy yes.
Yes, with the right expectations. The Michelin Plate recognition across two consecutive years and a 4.6 Google rating give you confidence that the cooking will deliver. At the €€ price point, it's a lower-pressure special-occasion choice than Nice's €€€€ options like Flaveur or L'Aromate , meaningful enough to feel like a celebration, accessible enough that the bill won't dominate the conversation. For a birthday dinner for two or a small group, it works well. If you need a private room, confirm availability when booking.
At €€, yes. Michelin Plate recognition two years running at this price tier is a strong signal. Most restaurants with comparable credentials in Nice charge significantly more. The 4.6 rating across 439 reviews adds further confidence. If you're comparing value against L'Aromate or JAN at €€€€, Peixes Bonaparte wins on pure value-for-money terms unless you specifically want the tasting-menu format those venues provide.
A seafood-focused kitchen by definition has some natural limitations for non-fish eaters, but beyond that, specific dietary accommodation details aren't confirmed in the available data. Contact the restaurant directly before booking if you have specific requirements , at a Michelin-recognised venue operating at this level, advance notice of restrictions is standard practice and generally handled well.
Bar seating details aren't confirmed for this venue. At a neighbourhood-scale seafood restaurant in Nice at the €€ level, counter or bar seating is possible but not guaranteed. Call ahead or check Google Maps for current setup before arriving and expecting a bar option.
Smart casual is the safe call. At €€ in Nice, there's no indication of a formal dress code, but the Michelin recognition means the room will feel more considered than a casual bistro. Clean, put-together clothes , a neat shirt or blouse, no beachwear , will be right for the context. You won't need a jacket or tie.
Whether Peixes Bonaparte operates a tasting menu isn't confirmed in the available data. Given the €€ price point, a full tasting-menu format would be unusual but not impossible. If this is a priority for your visit, ask when booking. If you specifically want a tasting-menu experience in Nice, Flaveur or Les Agitateurs are more explicitly structured around that format.
For Niçoise and Provençal cooking at the same €€ price tier, La Merenda is the closest comparable in terms of accessibility and local credibility. If you want to step up in ambition and price, Flaveur and L'Aromate both operate at €€€€ with more elaborate menus. For a full overview, the Pearl Nice restaurants guide covers the full range.
A few days ahead is sufficient for midweek dinners. For weekend evenings, aim for at least a week out given the Michelin recognition and strong review volume. This is not a venue where you need to plan months in advance the way you might for a starred restaurant, but walk-in availability on a busy Friday or Saturday is not guaranteed. Booking is the low-effort option that removes the uncertainty.
| Venue | Cuisine | Awards | Booking Difficulty | Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Peixes Bonaparte | Seafood | Michelin Plate (2025); Michelin Plate (2024) | Easy | — |
| Flaveur | Modern French, Creative | Michelin 2 Star | Unknown | — |
| L'Aromate | Modern Cuisine | Michelin 1 Star | Unknown | — |
| JAN | Modern French, Modern European, Creative | Unknown | — | |
| La Merenda | Niçoise, Provençal | Unknown | — | |
| Pure & V | Neobistro - Nordic, Modern Cuisine | Unknown | — |
Side-by-side comparison to help you decide where to book.
Yes, at the right price point. Two consecutive Michelin Plates (2024 and 2025) give it the credibility for a celebratory dinner, and the €€ price tier means you won't need to budget months in advance. It works better for a relaxed birthday or anniversary meal than a full-ceremony occasion — if you want the theatre of a private room and a long tasting format, somewhere like JAN may suit better.
At €€ with two Michelin Plates, the value case is straightforward: this is Michelin-recognised seafood cooking at a price tier that is genuinely rare in Nice. You're not paying for a show or a famous room — you're paying for the food, and the recognition confirms the kitchen delivers. For the same budget spent elsewhere in the city, you'd typically be trading down on quality.
The venue data doesn't include confirmed details on dietary accommodations. As a seafood-focused restaurant at the €€ tier, the menu is likely centred on fish and shellfish, which may limit options for those avoiding seafood entirely. check the venue's official channels via Google Maps or a booking platform to confirm what they can accommodate before arriving.
No bar seating is documented in the available venue data for Peixes Bonaparte. Given its position at 5 Rue Bonaparte in a residential neighbourhood rather than a high-traffic tourist strip, this reads more as a focused dining room than a bar-and-restaurant format. Booking a table is the expected approach here.
No dress code is specified in the venue data. The Libération quarter address and €€ price range suggest a neighbourhood restaurant register rather than a formal one — neat, relaxed clothing is a reasonable read for a Michelin Plate venue at this tier. Showing up in beachwear would be out of place; a jacket is unlikely to be required.
No specific tasting menu details are confirmed in the available data, so a direct verdict isn't possible here. For a structured multi-course seafood tasting format in Nice with comparable or higher Michelin recognition, JAN is the reference point. Check directly with Peixes Bonaparte for current menu formats before assuming a tasting menu is available.
For a step up in ambition and formality, JAN (run by South African chef Jan Hendrik van der Westhuizen) is the obvious comparison in Nice. La Merenda is a strong pick if you want local, market-driven cooking at an even lower price point with no card payments and no reservations. Flaveur and L'Aromate both carry stronger Michelin credentials for diners whose priority is recognition over value.
Keep this venue in your Pearl passport, rate it after you visit, and track it alongside every other place you collect.
