Though gays cannot get married in France, (they having something called PACS which is like domestic partnership), the GLBT community is quite alive in the main cities throughout the country, and Nice is no exception. Though there are gay friendly and gay owned locations throughout all of Nice, the majority of them reside within Vieux Nice. However, one of my favorite bars so far, maybe because of its relatively close proximity to my house is Le Fard.

Located at 25 Promenade des Anglais, it is a small little bar over looking the Mediterranean Sea. Though small in size, it is a very popular before-bar, where on a Friday, Saturday and Sunday night between 10PM and 1AM there are no more places to sit! The owner is Christophe, a real sweet-heart who works tirelessly to keep the bar going, and is joined by bartenders Sylvan and Pascale (both of whom are quite cute).

Drinks are no more expensive than at other bars (meaning: all bars are expensive) but it’s a great place to relax with friends in a cool environment. However, because of Nice’s small “everyone-knows-everyone” mentality, don’t expect the locals to come up to you and start chatting you up. It’s best to go with someone, or know someone who will be there. However, they LOVE tourists, and love chatting you up if you’re a tourist. So go to Le Fard, have a drink, and remember, La Vie Est Belle!