Pesca Seafood Restaurant Nice — Restaurant in Nice

A Creative Concept with Style, But Lacking Seamless Execution

Pesca offers a fresh and theatrical approach to dining—a definite talking point. The experience begins at the fish counter, where you order from a constantly changing menu displayed on a retro-style flip board (think old airport departure signs, complete with the nostalgic clicking sound). It’s a fun and novel idea, adding drama to the ordering process. There’s even a cinema-style seating area in front of the counter to take it all in.

However, this clever concept also brings some challenges. The board updates every three minutes, which makes it hard to take your time, especially with only one staff member handling orders. We felt the pressure of people waiting behind us as we tried to make decisions. Pricing wasn’t always clear, and although you’re told the total at the end and can adjust your order, doing so under time pressure isn’t ideal—especially if you’re cost-conscious.

We were seated at a round rooftop table with a beautiful view of Nice city centre, which added charm to the evening. A live DJ playing upbeat music added to the vibrant atmosphere, and she clearly enjoyed what she was doing. The vibe was definitely a strong point.

That said, service left quite a bit to be desired. Though the table was prepared for 4, we were a party of 6, and staff didn’t take initiative to adjust until prompted. Starters arrived far too quickly—before the full group was seated, before the table was properly set, and even before bread was served. We returned them, only for the same starters to be brought out again, now cold. To their credit, the team eventually cancelled and replaced the food with freshly prepared dishes, but this sequence highlighted the lack of attentiveness you’d expect from a restaurant positioning itself at the higher end.

Wine starts at around €30 per bottle, with most options priced in the €50–60 range. This is very much a place for diners who aren’t watching their budget.

The food itself had high points. Starters were beautifully executed and flavourful. Mains were served in small yakiniku-style grills—visually fun, but purely decorative. The grilled fish was fresh and well-cooked, but seasoning and flavour complexity were minimal—no more than salt and careful grilling to keep it from drying out. Technique was solid, but nothing imaginative or particularly refined in terms of taste profile.

Overall, Pesca is an ambitious concept with real potential, offering a fun and vibrant atmosphere and good ingredients. However, its creative presentation needs to be matched with better service, staffing, and attention to detail to deliver the seamless dining experience it...

Not all is great in Pesca ( highly recommended by influencers but not the locals )

On arrival you are offered a glass of Prosecco or non alcoholic sparkling wine - one of my guest do not drink fizzy drinks so I am told that nothing is on offer !

the person at the fish counter tries his best to explain the concept but get lost and trust me, loose you too - unable to answers questions on some of the fish on offer - buffet looks very empty ( 2 or 3 fishes on display / 3 gambas ….) I spend 195€ for 3 people the sommelier makes you try some wine and then tells you after what they are ( should be the other way around and introduce the wine / bottle to you and taste after ) - no mention of prices as makes you taste the wine

they take you to the table where you have to set the table yourself ( for 200€ of food spend, it is a bit harsh ) as the cutlery / napkins are in a basket on the table

the bottle of water ( still and sparkling ) are filtered water but premium price charged

bread and dip served ( no explanation of what the dip is or the bread neither )

food arrived as it is ready - UNFORTUNATELY COLD 🥶 - we had to send back some of it - as our table was inside & near the kitchen ( the waiter was explaining the situation to the cook who replied that he was alone cooking so that’s why ) / the staff was short as I could see the sommelier running food too and helping out

I made a complaint and they gave me 20% discount so that was a nice gesture of them but I would have preferred to pay all and not feel embarrassed at the front of friends

the clientele of the restaurant is 99% tourists ( not surprising as the reviews and scores are high among them but not the locals )

VERDICT :

1. concept from the Netherlands
2. no hype and shame as the food is good quality
3. the staff all imported from Eastern European lack on training and natural service ( what makes service personal and unique )
4. concept that might work in the Netherlands but very likely to fails here in Nice where plenty of locals restaurant offer seafood and fish for the same price and hot!

It is up to you as people do what they want with their money but I won’t be back and neither anyone locals from Nice that I know ( it is a shame as those are the customers they will need in the winter … but this is another...

The oddest restaurant I’ve ever experienced, but I can almost look back and laugh at the experience.

Despite the very kind staff, it couldn’t make up for a very static and kind of awkward service model. We weren’t familiar with the ‘concept’ prior but once explained to us, we thought it sounded fun. Unfortunately it was more gimmick than substance. After given complimentary proseccos (a stipulation I think given to assuage guests for what’s to come), it’s a significant wait to order from the “fish market”, then a significant wait to order wine at a different station and eventually be seated and then another significant wait to get your food. We were there for nearly 3 hours, most of it just spent waiting and moving between “stations”. Food was fine, but nothing worthwhile and there wasn’t really any table service beyond the eventual delivering of food. It became clear they were short staffed which was likely the reason for most of the delay, but I don’t think the service model enabled any efficiency either way. When we asked for the check (yes, how silly of us to expect some normalcy at this stage), the waiter told us that ‘we don’t do that here’ and that the front desk all the way back where we started will do our check. What was even more silly was that we had to wait to pay at the front desk and it was the same exact waiter who ended up ringing us up.

The ambiance was also peculiar. When we arrived were told that essentially the outdoor seating was only for those with reservations and we’d have to be seated inside - not a problem. However, the dichotomy between the inside and outdoor and seating a little funny, where outside seemed like a club (live DJ and all) and seemingly more attentive service, whereas inside was much more diluted in terms of music and service. There were only maybe 3 parties including ours sitting inside. Felt like two different restaurants happening at once but still a lot of tables...