Café culture is strong in Nîmes. Terraces fill the squares from morning to evening, particularly Place aux Herbes by the cathedral and Place de la Maison Carrée. The Café de la Bourse opposite the Arena has the best view in town.
For evening drinking, the streets around the Halles and Place du Marché concentrate the better wine bars and small bistros. Languedoc wines — robust reds, easy whites, generous rosés — are the obvious choice; natural-wine bars like La Chouette focus on smaller producers from across the south.