Elaïo — Rooftop Le Méridien

The Elaïo is the rooftop table of Le Méridien Nice, atop the hotel, facing the Promenade des Anglais. The restaurant celebrates the Mediterranean around an emblematic product: the olive. Chef Marc Salichon, several years with the house, explores all its forms, partnering a local mill for the oils.

The menu, creative and seasonal, marries land and sea: sea bream ceviche, lobster risotto, veal piccata with taggiasche olives. At lunch, the chef's suggestions take the stage. Through the day, the bar welcomes guests for a drink or Mediterranean tapas, facing the Baie des Anges.

Good to know

Bar open daily, roughly 11am-10pm. Restaurant at lunch year-round, dinner in the warm season. Private hire available.

Visitor reviews

Highlights: The sweeping view over the Baie des Anges, from Le Meridien's rooftop, is the number-one asset. The olive-themed cuisine, by chef Marc Salichon, appeals: tapenade, fish, desserts such as the olive-oil yoghurt ice cream with candied lemon. The signature cocktails and the tapas are appreciated, and service is attentive and well-advised when the team is at full strength, Belka and Jeremy often cited.

Areas for improvement: Service is uneven depending on the crowd: a server seldom present, food brought before you could order a drink, a sense of understaffing. Cocktails are sometimes judged light for the price. The vegan offering stays limited, and a few cold welcomes or strict, poorly signposted closing times are reported.

Overall impression: A rooftop to choose for the view and the olive-centred Mediterranean identity. The cooking delivers; the service still needs to be made reliable day to day. Best at lunch or for a drink on the terrace.