Red Cafe is a gay bar and restaurant in Nice, France. It was an exciting experience with many lost-in-translation moments. But it was a quirky start to my French vacation.

Every bar and restaurant in France must ask for your French Pass Sanitaire, a digital covid vaccination card they scan which tells them you’re vaccinated.

You need one if you’re heading to France. And since I heard they weren’t accepting US CDC cards, I decided I needed to get one just in case. If you’re wondering how to get one, check out this article where I go in-depth on how to do it yourself.

The Red Cafe and Immediate Service

Many restaurants in Nice are “open seating,” or what I call a free-for-all. In other words, when you walk in, the waiters or hosts never greet you. Instead, you’re left to pick your own seat. It’s just customary to do so, and if you’re from America, you’ll think it’s a bit odd. In any case, it’s not an issue.

We walked into Red Cafe and sat down. 

The waiter, who looks like he’s in high school, immediately pounced on us and asked for our Pass Sanitaire. My partner and I were so jet-lagged the waiter surprised us. He pounced quickly. We showed him, and he scanned it right away.

He handed us a menu and asked us if we wanted anything to drink. My partner, who speaks fluent French, responds and asks for a Cabernet.

I promptly went to my go-to beverage, which is a Gin and Tonic.

The waiter stares at my partner and says, in French, we don’t have that and proceeds to stare at him. But then proceeds to stare off into space, not telling him what they have or where he can find options on the menu.

It made me wonder if he lacked customer service experience or if we’re too jet-lagged to know what’s going on.

The entire night was like that. Lost in translation.

Food at the Cafe

I ordered a Croque Madame, which came with a tasty salad. There was something about their salad dressing that made the salad incredibly tasty. 

The Croque Madam had melted cheese on it, which gave it a nice crunch when you bit into it. I loved it.

My partner and I sat and chatted with half-clouded minds. Sleepy but sipping our beverages and bitting into our meals. It was chilly, but the heat lamps warmed us ever so slightly.

Even though we had a couple of lost-in-translation moments, it was nice to finally travel to this side of the world.

Inside the Red Cafe

The Red Cafe was equipped with many outdoor tables. I’m not sure if this is a covid thing or if it’s like this year around. We sat outdoors where everyone else was seated.

However, inside, it looked like a dance floor with many lights and a full bar.

It was nice to sit and eat. 

We were surrounded by a few Americans and several French guys smoking. But it was not full. There were about three or four tables, including us.

Although it didn’t seem like a gay place because the clientele was mixed, they had drag show posters on their windows with proper dates and times.

It made me wonder what this place is like on a busy summer night.

Upon paying the bill, we had another lost-in-translation moment. I asked the waiter for l’addition s’il vous plaît (the check please,) and he swiftly ran to the cash register to wait for me.

Usually, they bring the check to the table, and if you’re going to pay with a card, they bring out a wireless card reader.

Confused, I followed him and realized he expected me to pay at the register. I think he was trying his hardest to be accommodating, but we were both lost. But it gave me a chance to check out the inside of Red Kafe and try to read up on my Lesiban sex education and the gay-femme scene.

Let’s break it down:

The Red Cafe felt hit-or-miss to me. I think mainly because I was so jet-lagged and had trouble thinking. Actually, I never adjusted to European time throughout my trip. I was out of it the majority of the time.

Perhaps it was just a sign of things to come.

Do I recommend the Red Cafe? I think it’s great for a quick bite. Although I would love to know if any of you’ve been here during a night when it’s filled with gays enjoying themselves.

Here’s their FB page just in case: https://www.facebook.com/redkafenice/