Top 10 Culinary Specialties in Nice

What to eat in Nice? Our selection of 10 Nice specialties

Black or green olive tapenade, octopus with rouille, chard tart, Provençal pistou soup... So many examples of Nice's gastronomy that showcase the region's terroir, freshly caught Mediterranean products and authentic flavors. There's so much to taste in the county of Nice that your gourmet weekend promises to be busy.

1. Salade Niçoise

Around the world, there are multiple variants of this hearty starter. However, the traditional Salade Niçoise recipe consists of tomatoes, olives, green peppers, red onions, celery, broad beans, small artichokes, hard-boiled eggs, anchovies or tuna, and of course olive oil!

2. Pan Bagnat

The quintessential Nice snack! It's called "Pan" Bagnat and not "pain" as you might hear at lunchtime in the rest of the country. Pan bagnat is a tuna sandwich typical of Nice. Its tender crumb is moistened by the raw vegetables added to it: anchovies, tomatoes, olives, eggs... The Bagnat is an ideal snack to quickly reach satiety while consuming fresh, local products.

3. Socca

Cousin of Marseille's panisse, Socca is a chickpea and olive oil pancake typical of old Nice. Traditional wood-fired cooking gives it a texture that's both tender and crispy. It's eaten on its own while still warm, just after coming out of the oven. You'll see it on every table at aperitif time, to accompany a bottle of well-chilled rosé.

4. Fougasse

This colorful bread is a Provençal specialty originating from Italy, where it's called "foccaccia". Each corner of Provence showcases its favorite flavor. In Nice, you'll find fougasses scattered with olives, cheese and anchovies before baking. Once warmed, the fougasses have absorbed the taste of their toppings and are both soft and crispy.

5. Daube Niçoise

This is probably Nice's most popular meat dish. Daube is a casserole of beef and bacon, simmered in red wine. Carrots, tomatoes and porcini mushrooms are added to the thick broth. Once cooked, the daube is served still steaming, with a plate of Nice ravioli or gnocchi.

6. Pissaladière

Pissaladière is a sort of cold pizza typical of the Nice region and neighboring Liguria. It consists of onions, anchovies, olives and olive oil on a bed of bread dough. The recipe is said to have appeared in the 14th century in the Genoa region, and was exported through cultural influences to the neighboring Nice region.

7. Zucchini Flower Fritters

Zucchini flowers are as good as they are beautiful, as this delicate Nice specialty shows us. They can be found in most Nice markets and many restaurants feature them on their menus. First stuffed, then dipped in a fine batter, the flowers are fried like any other fritter. The delicate fragrance quickly gives way to tasting, between their melting texture and the crunch of the frying... Zucchini flower fritters are often unanimous!

8. Farcis Niçois

How beautiful and appetizing these brightly colored vegetables are, meticulously stuffed. The stuffing is often the same - typical recipe obliges - and consists of meat, breadcrumbs and naturally, olive oil. On the other hand, the vegetables chosen are quite varied! You'll come across peppers or zucchini, sometimes eggplant and tomatoes.

9. Apple and Raisin Fritters

Here's a delicious dessert to share with family or friends! Traditionally consumed during carnival time, these gourmet and soft fritters contain a runny heart of apple compote, garnished with raisins.

10. Pastis de Nice

While Marseille is known as the capital of pastis, Nice is not to be outdone with its local version of this anise-flavored aperitif. This beverage was created in 1981 as a tribute to the city by a lover of Nice gastronomy. While the original recipe is secretly guarded, we know that this pastis is the result of a skillful blend of twenty-six plants and spices. It's consumed as an aperitif or in cooking, notably with the recipe for prawns flambéed with pastis!