Dining Review: Cose Cosi – Nice, France

July 2024

Dining Review: Cose Cosi – Nice, France

For those that know me, the phrase “go with the flow” could not be more opposite of my personality. I make the flow, plan for the flow, control the flow – but going with the flow is not my forte. And while our travel style has evolved over the years, a structured and detailed itinerary is essential to all our trips. But sometimes, even the best plans are derailed for one reason or another and suddenly, I am forced to go with the flow whether I like it or not.

One of my top tips for traveling to a destination during peak season is to have a dinner reservation every night. Since we spent far less time in Cannes than I had allocated for the day, that sent us back to Nice early and with no dinner reservations. Nervous we were going to be stuck having a mediocre, tourist centered meal, we hopped from Google star to star of places I already vetted on my Google Map with no luck – all booked for the night. But then, around the corner a small pasta joint just had the best vibes and sat us right away. This ended up being one of our best meals – so much, we went back a second night. Cose Cosi is a small family run operation and at this point is simply a hidden gem that we would not have experienced if Cannes wasn’t so boring.

We were seated inside but with all the windows and doors open, it was as if we were dining outside. The bonus here was that we got to see how this family operation works. Two women in the kitchen, one plating and doing dishes, then two women running the front of house operations, and occasionally, a man mixing up a cocktail. Everyone is related – sisters, mothers, daughters, dads, etc. It was an impressive operation as that kitchen was quite small and there were quite a number of tables that were in need of pasta. They really make you feel welcomed and like you are in their kitchen to enjoy Sunday dinner. There is a simple menu with a chalk board of specials to choose from. 

We loved it so much the first time that we ended up returning the next time as our plans changed and we were again stuck with no dinner reservation. I think this is a hidden gem that is just waiting for the masses to discover it. And with so many Nice restaurants being consumed by the tourist market, we were happy to patronize Cose Cosi twice. Everything here is home made and there is special attention to each table.

Between our two visits, we ate the following dishes: 

• Niscoise salad – It was refreshing to have such a large salad full of vegetables which can be hard to come by on vacation.

• Ravioli Cremifunghi (borage-stuffed ravioli, creamy porchini sauce)
• La Champetre (tagliatelli, mushrooms, pancetta, creamy sauce)
• Al Tartufo (rigantoni, truffle, burrata heart, creamy sauce)
• Spaghittoni with squid ink and squid

Honestly, every pasta was our favorite – they really were all fantastic and full of the ingredients that made each dish super full with enough for each bite of pasta. I am dreaming of these dishes just writing about them, they were all so incredible.

• Creme brulee
• Chocolate Mousse
• Tiramisu

Desserts there are all homemade so you can’t go wrong here. We thoroughly enjoyed all the desserts which was not surprising given how amazing this meal was.

We cannot recommend Cose Cosi enough for your visit to Nice, especially if you are in the mood for pasta. I know we would be here all the time – it would be our local joint – if we lived here. The staff are welcoming, the service was great, the portions were perfect and the value of the dishes was spot on, there is both indoor and outdoor seating that is simple and rustic, and overall, it just feels like you are in their home having the best home cooked meal and that is hard to find.

Continue reading about our trip in Nice here!

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