NEWPORT - Villefranche-sur-Mer

On a splendid sunday afternoon we managed to get a table close to the water in the sun. We ordered hamburger Nicoise, calamar a la plancha and linguini with sea food. Each had a glass of house red. The service was a bit slow the explanation being that they had just taken over the place and it was still in need of adjustment. My hamburger was well tasting and grilled as I had asked. The top bun was however too hard and the bottom too soggy. In my view a burger should be possible to consume with two hands, that is a burger. Not possible here. It was accompanied, like all dishes, with a choice of one, two or all of either potatoe gratin, polenta or fried courgettes. Not fries. The house wine was outright bad. The water was well chilled and replaced when empty without having to ask. Overall the service was really friendly and efficient. Top note for that. The coffee was ok, served with gingerbread. Our friends had tea, which was particularly nice, and chocolate mousse, light and well tasting, and a combination of another type of chocolate mousse and Apple pie, also well tasting. Seating is varied since the quality of the chairs vary, an investment is neccessary. Toilets ok but no whoaw factor. The neon sign of the restaurant is particularly misplaced in this environment, cheap and vulgar neon letters, also a thing to consider for the management of a place in one of the prettiest little ports of the Riviera.

Our first night in town and we had no real idea where to eat. There were quite a lot of restaurants on the water and too be honest the sign looked a bit too much like a nightclub or tourist trap. This couldn't be farther from the truth. We were 5 in total with two kids and the service was perfect for the children very attentive, patient, and caring. My pasta dish was great, our starter was great as well. We ate later that trip at many of the places nearby and for value and service Newport is he first one Id return to or recommend.

We were just out for a wander in Villefranche when we decided to stop off for some lunch. Not wanting pizza (which most restaurants seemed to do) we happened upon the Newport and it was a breath of fresh air. Delightful French cuisine with a distinctly individual feel about it, even the tapas I had was very French and absolutely delicious and than enough for lunch. Well worth a visit if you are in the vicinity. Oh, and don 't forget the views, dining on the harbourside is a brilliant way to while away a couple of hours...

They have a skill to prepare very good meat. It was rosy and tasty. But not for someone who can't eat just a little bit of rare meat. Worth trying!

The most disappointing thing about our trip to Newport was the complete lack of choice for vegetarians. We were in a group of nine people and there's generally something on the menu for vegetarians but sadly not in this case. The waitress tried to accommodate us by offering to remove the fish/meat elements from dishes on the menu, but these suggestions didn't inspire. The vegetarian in our party ended up having a children's pasta dish! My food was OK just not particularly memorable. The restaurant looks good and is in a great setting but the overall experience was disappointing.