Where were you born?

Wiltshire, England.



Where do you live?

Nice.



What’s best about your neighbourhood?

Having the sea on my doorstep and the mountains close by. I swim all summer, ski all winter and look out at the most beautiful view from my kitchen window every day.



If money was no object, where would you live?

In an apartment with a balcony overlooking Place Garibaldi.



What are your favourite Nice stores?

Caprice on rue Droite, Antic Boutik on rue de la Préfecture, Galeries Lafayette, Maison de la solidarité, a charity shop on 30 rue Bonaparte which sells clothes upstairs and Vanessa Bruno on 1 rue de la Poste in Saint-Tropez.



And your favourite restaurants?

Le Local on rue Rusca, du Gesù on place du Jésus, Oliviera on rue de Collet, Flaveur on rue Gubernatis and Chez Acchiardo on rue Droite.



Do you have a favourite local café?

Café Campo on Place Garibaldi. I always rendezvous here. It gets the sun for most of the day and I have had some of my most dreamy conversations looking out over my favourite square with a petit café or glass of rosé.



Any recommendations for dishes to try?

Socca, a chickpea pancake, is the Niçois dish; try Chez Pipo on rue Bavastro. Being close to Italy, the pizza here is amazing; La Tartane on boulevard Stalingrad is my local. The ice cream is delicious; my favourite scoop isn’t from the tourist heat-seeker Fenocchio but from Crema de Gelato opposite the Palais de Justice.



Where do you take out-of-town friends?

To Cap Ferrat, for a picnic on the beach and a visit to the eccentric but fabulous Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild. In the evening, it’ll be a bottle of rosé watching the sunset from the Promenade des Anglais and then to the old town, maybe for an apero at Les Distilleries Idéales on rue de la Préfecture. If they want a cheesy night, out then no trip to Nice is complete without paying Master Home a visit or dancing on a table at Wayne’s Bar, preferably with a Martini Bianco in hand.



Where do you like to celebrate?

Cocktails and dinner at the Negresco hotel feels decadent in a Tender is the Night kind of a way.



Do you have a favourite walk in Nice?

There’s nothing I like better than a stroll around the Cap Ferrat peninsular, best on a blue-skied winter day.



What’s the best city landmark?

The Chateau ruins, the park and cemetery, high above the city. Sometimes in the summer you can catch a concert here in the evening.



What do you think is the best museum in your city?

MAMAC Musée d’Art Moderne et d’Art Contemporain is my spiritual home. They have great temporary exhibitions and a unique roof terrace with amazing architecture and views of the rooftops. I am also in the throes of a love affair with the artist Niki de Saint Phalle, who left a lot of her work to the museum.



Which Niçois do you most admire?

Yves Klein.



Any secret spots you don’t want out-of-towners to know about?

Yes, but I’m not telling.



Any places you’d recommend visitors avoid?

Monaco, I just don’t get the fascination.



Any advice for visitors?

The locals in Nice can be really friendly but they can also give short shrift to tourists, who beseige them for most of the year. Always start by greeting them in French and asking if they speak English if you need them to do so. They will probably speak back to you in English anyway once they detect the accent. If you do encounter rudeness then don’t take it personally, they are actually like this with everyone, including their fellow Niçois.



What can’t you live without?

My Vélo Bleu card for the city’s public bicycle hire system.



Tell us a secret.

I never go to the beach along the Promenade des Anglais. I head around to the other side of the port to Coco beach. It’s far less crowded, mainly frequented by local people and the sea is so divine you can swim for miles and miles. There’s also a great blog, Une Americane in Nice, by a designer who lives here and writes weekly updates on all the coolest places to buy clothes and accessories in the city.