I was brought to this restaurant by a local guide from France.She has always loved it and asked me if I trusted her with our lunch reservation.I did indeed and it was a wonderful experience!
We had many small plates of french food to die for! We ate in the gardens and we were treated with the most care! I felt like a princess.
Then after a wonderful lunch I was able to walk around the hotel and enjoy the art.Its a beautiful old world hotel with stories dating back past the impressionists.They have had many painters stay in the rooms in exchange for paintings.Just the thought that Renoir sat in the same gardens and slept here was so refreshing.I cant wait to go back and stay for awhile!
Loved it!!!!!

The disappointment!

Melon and ham for a starter? Shrimp cocktail? limp, blanched asparagus, tired old vegatables 'shaped', no sauces that didn't involve hollandaise. It really is the worst kind of old-school cooking, and not even done well. I was reminded of those cookery cards from the 70's that Robert Carrier managed to get into every home, with garish photos of dressed chicken drumsticks, and pineapple flans. Remember? They even had chocolate gateaux here, with that authentic over sweet, over rum-ed flavour.

The paintings are beautiful, as is the room, and no doubt the rest of the building, but it's so wasted by such uninspired, lazy cooking. Eat out!

Having stayed here enticed by its reputation, and romantic location I too was really disappointed with La Colombe d'Or! My husband and I stayed for 10 days in Sept 2002 and really encountered rude, unhelpful service for the duration of our stay. I see things have changed little. That being said, it was no different to the service we received in numerous restaurants, shops etc in surrounding Vence, Nice, and St Paul de Vence itself - need I say more. The restaurant was a high point in terms of cuisine, as it is pretty awful elsewhere, and with Roger Moore as a fellow diner it did have a buzzy. exclusive atmosphere. However breakfast was largely a non entitiy and no one once offered us anything tea, coffee, drinks not a bean..it was a case of if you don't ask you don't get. Our suite was up a flight of iron stairs and was larger than average and just about on the pleasant side of rustic, with a rather drab bathroom. At the end of our 10 night stay we went to settle our bill, and had to wait half an hour for the woman on the front desk to finish her phone conversation...she then asked us if we were actually guests! My husband had to carry our luggage down the afore mentioned stairs with absolutely NO mention of help..I would have complained however we had to race with breakneck speed to make a train in Nice..and there would have been absolutlely no point, they would not care. In short its artistic heritage is keeping this place alive, as well as the countless celebrities who are snapped here eating lunch on the terrace etc..they will still be full regardless. If you are looking for a higher-end experience, may I recommend the newly (stunningly) renovated Le Cap Estel in Eze not so very far away in distance but a world away in a HOLIDAY experience.

I had lived In St Paul as an au pair many years ago and used to look through the heavy wooden door into the garden restaurant and imagine what it might be like to stay there.
Well it took a while to find out but I booked for 3 days for my husband's birthday and flew our teenage children in the midddle of exams down for lunch on the Sunday.Nice is so accessible from London .It was perfect in every way.
The setting is fabulous ,we had a memorable lunch on the terrace, were able to relax by the pool which is reserved for residents and wander into St Paul in the evening when the crowds had all but disappeared.Yes it's quirky - the minibar was empty - and not at all grand but it's charming , so French and where else can you stay surrounded by such great art. Room 25 has a small terrace and looks out directly on St Paul.
I can't think of anywhere I'd rather stay in the South of France.