Racines - Bruno Cirino

Who Should Book Racines

Racines is the right table for a couple or small group who want a genuinely considered special-occasion dinner in Nice without paying fine-dining prices. If your idea of a celebration meal involves technical cooking, local organic produce, and a room where service is warm rather than theatrical, this is where to go. It is not the place for meat-focused celebratory feasts or anyone who needs à la carte flexibility — the format here is a single set menu, vegetables only, and the kitchen decides what is on it.

The Verdict

Bruno Cirino and José Vidal run one of the most credibly focused restaurants in Nice. The concept is direct by design: one set menu, entirely vegetarian, built around seasonal Mediterranean produce picked at peak ripeness. The Michelin recognition this has earned is a genuine signal of quality, not a marketing badge. For the price tier, this is among the most compelling value propositions in the city — comparable kitchens with similar recognition, like Flaveur or L'Aromate, operate at €€€€ price points. Racines sits at €€€, which means you are getting Michelin-level craft at a tier below what most of its peers charge.

What the Experience Is Like

The room is small , this is a genuinely intimate setting, and the atmosphere runs closer to a quiet neighbourhood dinner than a formal tasting. Noise levels are low, which makes it a good choice for conversation-heavy occasions: a birthday dinner for two, an anniversary, or a business meal where you actually need to hear each other. The energy is calm rather than buzzy, and that suits the food's philosophy. This is not a place that performs hospitality; it delivers it without fuss.

The service deserves specific attention because it is one of the reasons this restaurant holds its reputation. Smiling, unpretentious, and clearly proud of what comes out of the kitchen , the team here do not make you feel like you are being processed through a luxury experience. For a special occasion, that human quality in the room matters. At restaurants like Le Chantecler or ONICE, service is more formal and the room carries more ceremony. Racines is warmer and less studied, which for many guests will be the more enjoyable evening.

Kitchen focuses on what Cirino calls "kitchen garden cuisine" , ingredients sourced locally, organically, or sustainably, used only when fully ripe. The Michelin description references dishes such as a soup of red spring onions and basil, purple artichoke with a cheesy emulsion, compressed root vegetables in the style of sculptor César Baldaccini, and baked miniature apple with burnt barley ice cream. These are not details you need to commit to before booking , the menu changes with the season , but they illustrate the level of invention applied to an entirely plant-based format. For context, this kind of rigour around vegetable-forward tasting menus is rare outside a small group of French restaurants: Arpège in Paris is the obvious benchmark at a far higher price point and formality level. Racines operates with similar conviction in a considerably more accessible format.

Wine list is described as a fine, reasonably priced selection of vintages. For a vegetarian tasting menu in this style, pairing choices matter, and the pricing appears to stay consistent with the kitchen's value positioning rather than marking up aggressively.

For readers interested in how Nice's dining scene fits into broader French cooking, see our full Nice restaurants guide, or explore where to stay, where to drink, and what to do in the city.

Practical Details

Reservations: Booking recommended , the room is small and fills quickly, especially Thursday through Saturday. Easy to book when you plan ahead, but do not rely on walk-ins. Hours: Dinner only, Tuesday through Saturday, 7 PM to 9 PM. Closed Sunday and Monday , plan your trip accordingly. Format: Single set menu, vegetarian, no à la carte. Price tier: €€€ , below most comparable Michelin-recognised tables in Nice. Dress: No formal dress code specified, but the room's calm atmosphere suits smart casual. Address: 3 Rue Clément Roassal, 06100 Nice.

How It Compares

Explore More in Nice

• Flaveur , Modern French, Creative, €€€€
• L'Aromate , Modern Cuisine, €€€€
• Les Agitateurs , Creative, Nice
• ONICE , Modern Cuisine, Nice
• Le Chantecler , Modern Cuisine, Nice
• Mirazur in Menton , for a longer trip along the Riviera
• Our full Nice restaurants guide