Jean Valfort

The local boy reinvents catering

By Raphaëlle Elkrief

His above-ground achievements are already widely renowned: rooftops where patrons go to get a breath of fresh air or a drink… or three. One such creation is Farago on the Roof on the highest floor of the AC Hotel By Mariott in Bocca Nissa, which brought new pzazz to Cours Saleya in 2018. Heading up Panorama Group, Jean Valfort, a local boy, has come down to sea level, bringing the Bocca experience to the beach with Bocca Mar. “I want the people of Nice to remember just how much they used to love the Promenade des Anglais. When I was young we never went out there. Things are changing as new players come on the scene.” 

A graduate of ESSEC, this former financial analyst and headhunter now embodies the new generation of food entrepreneurs, creators of restaurants with character and experiences to be shared. In Paris, each of his openings makes big news: Blend, with its gourmet burgers, Farago, a Barcelona-style pintxoclub, Canard et Champagne with its local fare, Astair and its bistro offerings, and Italian-inspired Zola. Rather than carbon-copying his recipe for success, he prefers to invent new concepts. 

All his venues are the outcome of a demand, a need that matches new lifestyles and consumption habits. In 2018, the entrepreneur began a dark kitchen offer, with his brand Dévor (Delivery to Your Door). What does the future look like? Jean Valfort wants to expand locally and makes no secret of it. “There is a huge appetite among the people of Nice for new experiences and extraordinary places that only exist in Paris or London. It’s a revival that is going in the right direction. Nice is hot on the heels of the biggest cities, and I’m determined to be a part of that.”

Bocca Mar

15 promenade des Anglais, Nice 

Tél. 04 83 66 08 58