Cucina nissarda on the Cote d'Azur, where Provence meets Liguria.
Nice eats with one foot in Provence and the other in Liguria. The kitchen here is its own thing, cucina nissarda, codified by the Cuisine Nissarde label and built on socca, pissaladiere, pan bagnat, salade nicoise, petits farcis and the slow daube de boeuf at lunch. The daily Cours Saleya market under the palms in Vieux Nice sets the rhythm: flowers, anchovies, candied fruits at Maison Auer since 1820, and the chickpea flour socca crackling in copper pans at Chez Pipo on Rue Bavastro and Lou Pilha Leva on Rue du Collet. The top end runs through Flaveur (two Michelin stars, the Tourteaux brothers), Le Chantecler at Le Negresco (one star, Virginie Basselot), JAN (Jan Hendrik van der Westhuizen) and L'Aromate. Bellet AOC, the tiny 50 hectare wine appellation behind the city, supplies the white you drink in the cove kitchens. Lunch is 12:00-14:00, dinner 19:30-22:30; many small rooms close Sunday and Monday.
Every restaurant, cafe, market and bar we cover in Nice, pinned. Click a pin for the page.
The plates that define eating in Nice.
Socca is the Nicois chickpea flour pancake, baked at 300C in a wood burning oven on a large copper plate, crisp on the edges and silky in the centre, salt and black pepper at the table.
Where: Chez Pipo, Lou Pilha Leva, Rene Socca, Chez Theresa
Pissaladiere is the Nicois caramelised onion flatbread, slow cooked onions on a thin yeast dough base topped with Nicoise olives and a lattice of salt anchovies.
Where: Chez Pipo, Le Safari, Cave de la Tour, Rene Socca
Pan bagnat is the Nicois tuna sandwich on a round bread soaked in olive oil, tomatoes, hard boiled egg, anchovies, olives, raw vegetables and basil, never any cooked vegetables.
Where: Lou Pilha Leva, Rene Socca, Le Safari, Chez Pipo
Salade nicoise is the Nicois raw vegetable salad with tomatoes, anchovies, hard boiled eggs, Nicoise olives, raw red onion, raw green pepper and tuna, all dressed with olive oil and never any cooked vegetable.
Where: Acchiardo, La Petite Maison, Le Safari, Felix
Petits farcis is the Nicois dish of stuffed Provencal vegetables, tomatoes, courgettes, peppers, courgette flowers and onions baked together with a meat or vegetable stuffing in one large dish.
Where: La Merenda, Acchiardo, Cave de la Tour, Lou Balico
Ratatouille is the Nicois stewed summer vegetables dish, aubergine, courgette, tomato, red pepper, onion and garlic cooked separately and combined in olive oil with basil and thyme.
Where: La Merenda, Acchiardo, Lou Balico, Le Safari
Daube de boeuf is the Nicois slow cooked beef stew in red wine with carrots, garlic, onion and a strip of orange peel, simmered for four to six hours until the meat falls apart.
Where: Acchiardo, Lou Balico, La Merenda, Le Safari
Tarte de blettes is the Nicois sweet Swiss chard tart with raisins, pine nuts and a dusting of sugar, the regional dessert that surprises visitors with its vegetable filling.
Where: Lou Balico, Acchiardo, La Merenda, Cave de la Tour
Estocaficada is the Nicois stockfish stew, dried cod rehydrated and slow cooked with tomato, olives, garlic, potatoes and herbs, the slow country dish of the Vieux Nice winter table.
Where: La Merenda, Lou Balico, Acchiardo, Le Safari
Fougasse de Menton is the Nicois sweet bread baked with orange blossom water, sugar, and either fennel seeds or candied citrus, the Riviera answer to brioche.
Where: Maison Auer, Patisseries LAC, Mama Baker, Lou Pilha Leva
Ganses are the Nicois Carnaval pastry, fried strips of citrus scented dough dusted with sugar that appear at bakeries across Nice through February for the Carnaval de Nice.
Where: Maison Auer, Patisseries LAC, Boulangerie Jeannot, Mama Baker
Gnocchi a la nicoise is the Nicois potato gnocchi tossed in daube sauce or tomato basil, the small dumpling that comes from the Italian Savoyard heritage of the city.
Where: Lou Balico, La Merenda, Acchiardo, Le Safari
A handful of the places we send friends to when they are in Nice.
Flaveur in Nice's Carre d'Or holds two Michelin stars under brothers Mickael and Gael Tourteaux, the only two star room in the city and a contemporary.
Signature: San Remo caramote prawn, Nicoise peach bouillon
Le Chantecler at Hotel Le Negresco on the Promenade des Anglais in Nice holds one Michelin star under Virginie Basselot, Meilleur Ouvrier de France 2015.
Signature: Local sea bream, Souffle au Grand Marnier
JAN in Nice's Port district holds one Michelin star under South African chef Jan Hendrik van der Westhuizen, the first South African chef to earn the award.
Signature: Single tasting menu, Cheese course at Maria
Pure et V par Maison Joia in Nice's Musiciens quarter holds one Michelin star under chef Julien Pilati and Laetitia Pilati, the farm to table Riviera kitchen.
Signature: Seasonal tasting menu, Organic produce gastronomic plates
L'Aromate in Nice's Carre d'Or near Place Massena holds one Michelin star under Mickael Gracieux and Elise Morselli Lourtet, the husband and wife room they.
Signature: Seasonal tasting menu, Local fish course
Keisuke Matsushima on Nice's Rue de France runs Kei Matsushima's modern French Japanese kitchen, the room awarded a Michelin star in 2006 and known.
Signature: Tasting menu, Riviera fish with Japanese accents
The old town of Nice between the Promenade des Anglais and the Castle Hill, all narrow lanes and ochre facades. The Cours Saleya market runs every morning bar Mondays.
Best for: Socca, Pissaladiere, Bistros
The harbour quarter east of Place Garibaldi with ochre facades around the boat basin. The Petit Marais runs around Place du Pin, with seafood at Cafe de Turin and JAN nearby.
Best for: Seafood, Wine bars, Cocktails
The smart pedestrian quarter between Avenue Jean Medecin and the Promenade. Hotel restaurants, La Petite Maison on Rue Saint Francois de Paule and the city's fine dining anchor.
Best for: Fine dining, Hotel restaurants, Brasseries
The waterfront boulevard that lines the Baie des Anges from the airport to the Castle Hill. Le Negresco hotel and its Chantecler are the historic centrepiece.
Best for: Hotel restaurants, Brasseries, Beach clubs
The hillside residential quarter above the city with Roman ruins, the Matisse Museum and a Russian Orthodox cathedral. Quiet bistros and a slower food rhythm.
Best for: Brasseries, Bistros, Brunch
The hilly residential headland east of the port with view restaurants over the Baie des Anges. Le Plongeoir is the landmark perched above the rocks at Cap de Nice.
Best for: View restaurants, Seafood, Sunset
Peak food season: April to June for asparagus, courgette flowers and the first sardines, then September to October for figs and game. July to August is peak market season but many small rooms shut for two weeks in August.
Local dining hours: Lunch 12:00-14:00, dinner 19:30-22:30. Cafes serve all day, brasseries run continuous service. Sunday and Monday are the quiet nights; small bistros close.
Tipping: Service is included by French law. A few coins or rounding up the bill for genuinely good service is welcome, never expected. Cash tips go directly to the staff.
Nice's signature dishes include Socca, Pissaladiere, Pan Bagnat, Salade Nicoise, Petits Farcis. See our signature dishes chapter for where to eat each.
TableJourney editors map Nice by district. Vieux Nice, Port Lympia, Le Carre d'Or, Promenade des Anglais are among the strongest for food, each with its own guide.
Editor picks in Nice include Flaveur, Le Chantecler, JAN, plus the full fine dining chapter on TableJourney.
TableJourney covers 5 editor-picked food tours in Nice, with what each shows you and how much to budget.
TableJourney's Nice dietary chapter covers vegan, vegetarian, gluten_free, halal, kosher venues, each editor-picked with what to order and how to ask.