Lou Pilha Leva ★ 4.2
Lou Pilha Leva on Rue du Collet runs a Vieux Nice street food counter with socca and pan bagnat under EUR 10, tiled cafeteria seating and shared tables in the heart of the old town.
Try: Pan bagnat and socca
History
Pan bagnat means soaked bread in Nissart, the old portable lunch for Nicois fishermen and market workers that combines the same components as a salade nicoise on a round bread. The Cuisine Nissarde label specifies no cooked vegetables, no mayonnaise and the use of canned tuna or anchovy and tomato as the protein base. Lou Pilha Leva is the canonical Vieux Nice address.
Common allergens: Gluten, Fish, Egg
Make it at home
Ingredients
- 2 round white bread rolls (pain bagnat or ciabatta)
- 150g tuna in olive oil, drained
- 2 ripe tomatoes, sliced
- 2 hard boiled eggs, sliced
- 6 anchovy fillets
- 1 small red onion, thinly sliced
- 1 small green pepper, thinly sliced
- 12 Nicoise olives
- Handful basil leaves
- Best quality olive oil
- Red wine vinegar, salt, pepper
Method
- Halve the bread rolls horizontally and pull out a little of the soft inner crumb to make space for the filling.
- Drizzle both cut sides generously with olive oil and a few drops of red wine vinegar, season with salt.
- Layer tomatoes, tuna, anchovies, egg slices, raw onion, green pepper, olives and basil leaves on the bottom half.
- Close the sandwich and wrap tightly in cling film. Press under a weight in the fridge for 2 hours so the bread absorbs the juices.
Tip from the editors. The fridge press is what transforms the sandwich into a proper pan bagnat; eat it within 24 hours of pressing or the bread goes soggy.
This is the TableJourney editorial recipe, modelled on the canonical bistro / counter version. The first place to try the dish in its city of origin is below.
Where to eat pan bagnat
Pan Bagnat in Nice
Rene Socca ★ 4.3
Rene Socca on Rue Miralheti in Vieux Nice runs a self service Nicois counter with socca, pissaladiere and beignets de fleurs de courgette under EUR 8 a plate on terrace tables.
Try: Socca slice and pissaladiere
Le Safari ★ 4.2
Le Safari on Cours Saleya offers the canonical Nicois lunch since 1972, the Cuisine Nissarde label and pissaladiere on the terrace facing the daily market in Vieux Nice.
Try: Pissaladiere terrace plate
Chez Pipo ★ 4.5
Chez Pipo on Rue Bavastro fires socca in wood burning ovens since 1923, the cheapest meal in Nice at EUR 3-5 a slice between Place Garibaldi and Port Lympia.
Try: Socca slice
More cities are in research. Want pan bagnat covered somewhere specific? Tell us where you want to eat.