Mesmerising Menton: Loopy About Lemons

They may be our nearest neighbours on the continent, but we haven’t spent a lot of time in France. A city break in Paris almost 15 years ago. A day in Marseille during our 2024 Med Cruise. And a school trip to Boulogne where I got locked in a toilet. But when I saw photos of a pastel-hued town with an obsession with lemons I was intrigued. And then I found out that Menton is the “pearl of the French Riviera”. I was sold. If it feels more Italian than French, its probably because this charming town lies close to the Italian border, and is heavily influenced by its neighbours. Which explains the draw, as you all know how I feel about Italy 😍

Located on the stunning Côte d’Azur coast, we decided to pair 2 nights in Menton with a seaside city break to Nice. In fact, most people only daytrip there but we decided to take a couple of nights to explore before returning to the city. And with Menton a quick train ride away from Monte Carlo it was perfect to add Monaco to our list of countries visited.

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Loopy about lemons 🍋

Menton’s mild winter climate and ample sunshine makes it the perfect place to grow large flavourful lemons. In fact, the town is so loopy about lemons that is has an annual lemon festival – Fête du Citron – which takes place in February.

Legend has it that Menton sprung from Eve’s discarded forbidden fruit when she was expelled from the Garden of Eden. But what was the golden fruit she plucked from the tree? Was it… a lemon?

The Menton lemon is sweet, fragrant, bursting with flavour and has a vibrant yellow peel full of essential oils. They are hand-harvested, and used in baked goods, desserts, drinks, dressings, perfumes, candles and soaps. You can’t walk far in Menton without coming across a store hawking its lemony wares.

Where we stayed for 2 nights in Menton

🏨 Hotel Princess et Richmond. Location 📍

Accommodation in Menton doesn’t come cheap, especially if you want to be close to the Old Town and all its amenities. However if you’re happy to take a 15 minute stroll along Promenade du Soleil, then Hotel Princess et Richmond is a great choice. Our room was spacious, clean and tidy – although I have to take off a mark for there being no plug socket close to a mirror (I had to straighten my hair using my reflection in the TV 🤣). We had a partial sea view balcony with a table and deckchair; if we had more than 2 nights in Menton I would definitely have spent some time on the rooftop sun terrace. Naturally, if our room has a dressing gown and slippers I’ll be donning them within minutes of checking in.

You can book your stay at the Hotel Princess et Richmond here! Or find more hotels in Menton here.

Our 2 night stay in Menton

We arrive at Menton train station, a little hot and sweaty after our plane & train journey. It had been grey and drizzly when we departed from Stansted; now we were keen to shed some of our layers and greet the sunshine properly. It’s easy to find our hotel; we just head towards the sea. We don’t relax in our hotel room too long though, we’re keen to explore. And also keen to get our first holiday drink under our belt. Plane wine doesn’t count.

Inevitably our wanderings take us into Vieille Ville, Menton’s Old Town. This is the hub of Menton life. And with the skies turning a dusky pink, we know we’re in for a spectacular twilight display. We wind our way up steps and through narrow passageways, between citrus coloured buildings glowing golden. I’m getting strong Alfama, Lisbon vibes. We walk all the way up to the viewpoint at Cimetière du Vieux Château. Which closes at 5pm so not great for a summer sunset. And definitely not at 8pm. Instead we carried on to the Boulevard du Garavan viewpoint. Open all hours.

We finish off our busy travel day with a mountain of chicken and fries from Frites City, and a delicious red wine from O’Frais before donning that dressing gown and slippers before bed.

Getting lost in Menton’s Vieille Ville

We start our next day in Menton pretty much where we ended it. No, not at O’Frais, or in a dressing gown and slippers, but in the Vieille Ville. It’s just as pretty by day as it is at night. We begin as all good French mornings do, with a strong coffee and croissant at a pretty little cafe near Place Fontana before strolling along Esplanade des Sablettes. A perfect start to my 48th birthday.

A stroll along Quai Impératrice Eugénie brings us to a little manmade stone jetty, from where there are unmatched views looking back to the town. I sensibly decide not to clamber over the rocks, enjoying the views from where I sit on the seawall. Mr Fletche and I are totally alone apart from a single gentleman with a guitar, trying to perfect the chords of something vaguely recognisable.

We resume our stroll, climbing the famed zig-zag yellow staircase Les Rampes Saint Michel to the Basilique Saint-Michel. Next door is the Chapel of the Immaculate Conception, also known as the seat of the Brotherhood of the White Penitents. If the buildings were in a golden glow last night, this morning they are pastel-hued in the soft morning light. Photos really don’t do this town justice.

New Menton

The pedestrianised Rue Saint-Michel marks the beginning of the “new town” of Menton. It is lined with boutique stores, cafes, wine bars and gift shops selling every lemon-themed souvenir your heart could desire. It even has a classic carousel 🎠 Place du Cap is a small square, perfect for sitting with a long cool drink and people watching. And of course, you’ll find plenty of vendors selling freshly squeezed lemonade.

Swapping Menton for Monaco

With Monaco so close to Menton, we decided to spend my birthday afternoon swanning around the playground of the rich and famous. It’s easy to travel by train or bus; as the #600 bus stop was right outside our hotel, we decided to take the longer but slightly cheaper method of public transport. It takes approximately 35 minutes to travel from Menton to Monaco by bus, getting off at the Monte-Carlo bus stop which is couple of minutes walk to the iconic Casino.

There’s a full blog post on its way about our half day trip to Monaco from Menton – and most importantly how to visit without breaking the bank. Definitely a trip to consider if you’re spending 2 nights in Menton.

Eating and drinking in Menton

There are plenty of cafe bars and restaurants that line the Promenade du Soleil, and we didn’t have to travel far from our hotel to find food and drink. We tended to head a little further along, with the liveliest areas being at the foot of the Old Town and along the Esplanade des Sablettes. Travelling in September we didn’t find it hard to find places to eat without a reservation. Menton’s proximity to Italy is reflected heavily in the cuisine, and we found many more Italian menus than the more traditional French.

Here’s where we ate and drank in Menton:

• 🍧 VIP: Ice cream shop and bar perfectly located on Promenade du Soleil. Aperol/campari/limoncello spritz, €8 and with plenty of alcohol – strong snack game too! Location 📍
• 🍟 Frite City: casual “fast food” joint in the Old Town, Belgian style frites and beers – huge portions! We ended up taking away our wrap for lunch the next day Location 📍
• 🍷 O’Frais: Popular wine bar and restaurant outside of the Old Town, excellent local red wine recommended by knowledgeable and welcoming staff. Location 📍
• ☕ O’Petit Corner: Cafe bar with an excellent choice of home-baked pastries. Location 📍
• 🦐 Coté Sud: Mediterranean restaurant on Quai Bonaparte. Extensive menu and a great choice for my birthday meal! Location 📍
• 🥐 A Dream: Coffee and pastries, ideal for a quick breakfast close to our hotel. Location 📍

Getting to Menton from Nice Airport

The closest airport to Menton is Nice Cote D’Azur, 40km away. We took the train from Nice Cote D’Azur all the way through to Menton (€8,60) and can confirm that it’s a great way to travel quickly along the Riviera. The train departs from Nice Saint-Augustin, a well signposted 10 minute walk from Terminal 1.

Our double-decker train terminated at Menton; if you do get a train which continues on to Ventimiglia make sure you get off at the right station. Stay on too long and you’ll be in Italy. Our journey took around 40 minutes; trains run every 20-30 minutes, and it’s easy to purchase tickets from the machine at the station. If you can, sit on the right-hand side for the best coastline views.

There were rumoured train strikes on the day we arrived – which thankfully didn’t materialise – so we had a Plan B. Bus #80 runs all the way from Nice Cote D’Azur airport to Menton in around 80 minutes.

Getting to Menton from Nice

If you’re staying in Nice then it’s easy to explore Menton on a daytrip. Trains run from Nice-Ville or Riquier stations; it will be the same train that we used from the airport. It’s a popular journey so if you’re boarding at Riquier it’s likely the train will be more crowded as many passengers will board at Nice-Ville.

The No #600 Bus runs all the way along the coast for a scenic journey from Nice to Menton. Normandy Square is the first departure point so I’d recommend making your way here if possible. We learned when travelling by bus from Nice to Eze just how busy the buses can get on this route! Tickets are €2,10 if purchased in advance (check out the Zou website) or €2,50 if purchased from the driver.

If you prefer a tour rather than travelling independently, how about this full day French Riviera tour from Nice, taking in Villefranche-sur-mer, Monaco and Menton?

Final thoughts on Menton

Many people visit Menton as a daytrip, often combining multiple destinations along the Cote d’Azur. And the highlights of Menton can easily be seen in half a day. However if you want to experience the nightlife, pay a visit to the Jean Cocteau Museum, relax on the beach or explore the showstopping gardens you’ll want to stay at least one night. 2 nights in Menton was the perfect amount of time for us. Meaning we got TWO evenings with colours like these:

Our hotel location along the Promenade du Soleil was a little away from the Old Town, meaning we put A LOT of steps on the counter. But more central accommodation tends to be a lot pricier so Hotel Princess et Richmond was a good choice for us. Plus it was reasonably located for the main train station.

Post-trip, I have found out that there is actually a FREE electric shuttle bus (La Navette) which connects Menton train station to the seafront and to the port. This might have saved us a few steps.

Menton is like the French sibling of Italy’s Cinque Terre, Portugal’s Lisbon and Cornwall’s St Ives, which probably accounts for why I fell in love. I’d never heard of Menton until about 12 months ago, so can still be counted as somewhat undiscovered by the tourist crowds, at least for now.