Nice Food
Cuisine Nicoise is mouth-wateringly tantalising, with the city drawing on its heritage and fusing the best of French and Italian influences. Traditional Provencal flavours mingle with a Mediterranean twist, while the city's prime position on the coast make it a real treat for seafood lovers.
Many people will be in some way familiar with the local cuisine thanks to salade nicoise, a tasty salad of boiled eggs, tuna, anchovies and olives. This blend of fishy, salty and strong flavours is in many ways typical. Other local favourites include pissaladiere - an onion tart made with anchovies and olives - pan bagnet – a roll stuffed with tuna salad and olive oil – and the local fish soup, bouillabaisse.
Other regional dishes which visitors should try include socca, a savoury pancake made with chickpea flour and a popular snack with locals. Stuffed vegetables known as farcis are also good, as is the reliable mesclum or green salad. For pudding, Nice traditionally opts for a Tarte au Citron.
French cuisine is known for delicacy, but the Italian influence has permeated the south-east region with a well-advised robustness. Good olive oil is used with abundance, while flavours such as rosemary, basil, fennel, thyme, sage and mint infuse much Nicoise fare. As with most of France, cheese is always a popular addition to the table. Despite popular misconception, only a minority of people eat horsemeat, with goose, pork, duck and similar meats featuring far more frequently on the menu. Seafood is also popular in Nice, with any fish-loving traveller foolish to pass up a dish featuring ingredients plucked straight from the deliciously clean local waters.
Nice offers an impressive choice of restaurants and bars, ranging from the budget option to the multi-Michelin starred. By law, all restaurants must display their prices in the window, useful for those that need to select a restaurant according to a budget. Service is included in the bill, but for good service it is customary to leave an additional five per cent. The French take their dining seriously and visitors should try to be reasonably well turned out. Only bars and cafes can be expected to turn a blind eye to beachwear.
As with all of France, wine drinking is popular in Nice. The city can claim to have the world's only AOC vineyard and the hills surrounding the city produce a pleasant selection of red, white and rose Bellett wines. The southern Rhone area is also known for its spicy, robust reds, with Chateau-Neuf-du-Pape being a popular choice. Drinkers should also sample the range of light, fruity whites produced further along the Mediterranean coast.
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Eating & Drinking
