Papayou Restaurant Review
Excellent food & friendly service in the heart of Nice old town
I have to admit, I didn't have high hopes for Papayou. Slap bang in the middle of the old town, packed out bars on all sides, doesn't take reservations... this had "tourist-trap" written all over it, or so I thought.
We'd heard good things though and my friends had been there before so I swallowed my reservations and gave it a try - and I'm so glad I did! I can honestly say that it was not only one of the best meals I've had in awhile, but also one of the nicest dining experiences.
On arrival we were met by a very friendly waitress who informed us that the tables were all full but one group were just finishing up and if we wanted to grab a drink at the bar opposite she would come and get us as soon as the table was free. This was a nice little arrangement and worked out well; we were called over about 5 minutes later and the barman had no problem with us taking our drinks over to the restaurant.
Once seated we were given the menu, shown the specials board and left to decide. The menu was the first surprise - so many places, especially in the old town, try to please everyone by having a bit of everything from pizza to fondue with a few Provençal "classics" chucked in for good measure. The menu at Papayou is not huge and everything sounded tempting; there were a few salads to choose from, some pasta dishes and a couple of meat/fish dishes - some with a local twist but all sounding like someone had actually put some thought into them.
Between the three of us we went for crispy spring rolls with sweet chilli dipping sauce, a bresaola salad and a burrata salad to start. The spring rolls were a big hit and, happily, they were mine! I had to keep an eagle eye on them to avoid them "disappearing" the moment my eyes were averted. Packed with fried but not greasy vegetables, they were piping hot and deliciously crispy, served with a sweet and spicy chilli sauce. The bresaola got the thumbs up, thinly sliced and strongly flavoured, served with cherry tomatoes, fat juicy olives, slivers of sharp tangy parmesan and a good slug of quality olive oil. I'd never had burrata until I came to Nice and it was a bit of a revelation - I'd always thought mozzarella to be a bit bland but slice into a burrata and you'll find a rich creamy centre that oozes over the plate, contrasting against the crunchy chunks of salt and pepper inside. This one was served with a crisp mixed salad and sundried tomatoes.
When it came to the main courses we were already quite full, but had enjoyed our starters so much that we were looking forward to the next plate. Our waitress was not only friendly but obviously also had a passion for the food that she serves - she was almost as excited about our meal as we were and seemed genuinely delighted when we told her how good it was. When it came to ordering, she was really helpful and happy to give advice. I actually thought she might cry when I decided against the risotto (it is, apparently, the best in Nice) but I wanted something a little less creamy, so I opted for the spaghetti with tomato and basil, as did my boyfriend. It can be a bit of a risk choosing something so simple, as sometimes it can be completely overlooked by the chef and turn out to be something you could have done at home with a tin of chopped tommies and some dried herbs. But, done right, there are few things more tasty and satisfying than a good old plate of spaghetti. And this one was definitely done right - fresh tomato sauce with plenty of flavour, studded with big chunks of sweet garlic and tossed in strips of torn fresh basil. It smelled amazing and tasted just as good.
Our friend was equally happy with his pasta dish - fat tubes of rigatoni smothered in a fragrant pesto and topped with a big dollop of burrata (can't get enough of the stuff) and a sprig of fresh basil leaves. We washed down this fine feast with a bottle of Grenache/Syrah red wine, organic and recommended by our waitress.
We had no space whatsoever for dessert, not even a scoop of sorbet, but if the rest of the meal was anything to go by then I would imagine that they're worth saving a little room for - maybe next time...
Our meal for three with starters, main courses, a bottle of wine, a coffee, a cappuccino and a limoncello came to just over 100€ - making it a fairly reasonable 35€ per head for an unexpectedly lovely evening.
