Eat and drink – EZE (Auberge du Cheval Blanc)

Eze is a popular medieval village perched high on a cliffside overlooking the sea.  There are numerous restaurants to dine at however we were looking for a restaurant that offered shade for our family from the hot sun and tables outside to relax after our walk up to the village.  We chose Auberge du Cheval Blanc, located just to the right of the Casino supermarket in the market square before you begin walking up the hill road to the village (Place de la Colette, 06360 Eze. Telephone:  04 93 41 03 17).

There is a large outdoor terrace with plenty of tables and the barman offered to put out a sun awning which was thoughtful.  The restaurant was busy with groups; I think it is popular for the tour buses so I would recommend you order before them if possible.  They serve fish dishes, pizza and typical French food in a casual relaxed atmosphere – we did not feel rushed to leave by the waiters at any time which can sometimes be the case in a busy tourist spot.  All of the staff were friendly.

Pizzas are large and they are happy for diners to share them amongst themselves.  The ‘formule’ menu with starter/main/dessert was 14€.  We also shared a bottle of chilled rosé and a large beer for 15€ which was reasonably cheaper than some of the other restaurants we noticed further up the hill to the village.  There was a small market in the square outside the restaurant so we relaxed with a cold drink and watched the passer-bys buying paella, fragrant Provençal soaps and souvenirs.

The restaurant has many toilets (perhaps 5 or 6?) situated on the ground-floor beside the bar area, they were clean and spacious and there was ample room for wheelchair users to access them or families with baby buggies/strollers.

I would recommend this establishment for a meal stop after exploring Eze village.

Sightseeing – EZE

My brother and sister-in-law are visiting and we decided to travel by car to Eze.  Eze is split into 2 parts – Eze-sur-Mer where the coastal train stops, and the perched village of Eze set high on the cliffside with views across to Cap Ferrat.  We drove along the Moyenne Corniche (the road that travels between Nice and Menton), the traffic was busy at Villefranche-sur-Mer but not unbearable.  This road does however get extremely busy at the height of summer so be prepared for long queues.

view from Eze to St Jean Cap Ferrat

You could also take the motorway to get to Eze village – exit off the A8 motorway at Junction 57 sign posted for La Turbie and look for the D45 road that links La Turbie and Eze Village. Coming from the direction of Italy you look for the Monaco exit and follow the signs for Eze Village on the Moyenne Corniche. All routes are signposted well and whilst there are winding roads, it is not difficult to drive.

If you prefer public transport, Ligne d’Azur runs Bus #82 between the main Nice bus station or Nice Port and Eze village, and the RCA company runs Bus #112 between Nice and Monaco, with a stop at Eze village.  The fares are 1€ per person, oneway.  The village is not directly accessible by train – the train stops at Eze-sur-Mer on the coast and you would then need to hike up the Nietzsche path for about one hour (it’s a rocky and uneven pathway, definitely not suitable for families in the hot weather, or travelers with limited mobility).  Lignes d’Azur does operate Bus #83 between this train station at Eze-sur-Mer and Eze village so you are not completely stranded if you prefer the train.  For timetables visit their website at http://www.lignesdazur.com/

the perched village of Eze

On arrival in Eze village, we secured a place to park our car at the base of the village.  I won’t lie to you, parking is a nightmare and the main carpark is small with an adjacent carpark reserved just for the tour buses.  Good luck!  There is a Casino supermarket next to the carpark, a Tourism Office and numerous restaurants and snack shops nearby.  Public toilets are located just above the main carpark area to the right (small fee payable).  If you have reduced mobility, or use a wheelchair, bypass the public toilets and buy an espresso and use the accessible ground-level toilets at Du Cheval Blanc, a restaurant to the right behind the Casino supermarket.

Exploring Eze village is not impossible if you have a baby buggy/stroller, or wheelchair however it requires a medium to high amount of effort to push everything up hill for 10 minutes.  You can follow the zig-zag road to the entrance, however there are small steps interspersed through the actual village so unless you are mobile enough to step up these then Eze is not for you.

We found it accessible with a baby stroller, however the best panoramic view from the Jardin Exotique at the top of the village is only obtained via many steps (and a 6€ entrance fee) so I bypassed that with my son and let my family members proceed to the top.  The streets were busy with tourists but no one was inconvenienced by a baby stroller in their way occasionally.  Eze is small and compact with cobbled alleyways filled with souvenir shops, jewellery stores, art galleries and high-end hotels.  The Chapelle de la Sainte-Croix is lovely.

local donkey on the walk up to the village

I would recommend Eze if you can imagine how life would have been in a medieval village that has stunning views of the coastline.  I wouldn’t recommend Eze if you are not a fan of souvenir shops, tourist traps or traffic jams.

Traveler tip:  The Fragonard perfume shop is located on the left up the road to the village.  The Galimard shop is across from the main carpark.  If you are interested in perfumes, both perfumeries offer a 10% discount if you have the Eze map, obtained from the Tourist Office near the carpark.

perfumerie in Eze