Pissaladiere is the Nicois flatbread of slowly cooked onions on bread dough, topped with anchovies and black olives and named for pissalat, a fish paste.

Chez Pipo explains that pissaladiere takes its name from pissalat, a purée of salted sardines or anchovies that the dough was historically brushed with before the onions went on; today whole anchovy fillets usually replace it. The City of Nice recipe tops slow-cooked onions with salted anchovies and Nice black olives and bakes the flatbread for 20 minutes in a very hot oven. Chez Pipo, Cave de la Tour, La Merenda and Lou Balico all list it.

Where to eat Pissaladiere in Nice

4 editor picks for Pissaladiere in Nice, ranked by editorial score. All Nice signature dishes · Pissaladiere across every city.

  • La Merenda

    Order Stockfish, tripe à la niçoise or chard pie, among Le Stanc's nostalgic local dishes.

    La Merenda is a small restaurant in Vieux Nice on Rue Raoul Bosio, taken over by chef Dominique Le Stanc, a former two-star chef at the Negresco.

    DetailsDirections

  • Chez Pipo

    Order Socca, the chickpea flour galette, and the pissaladiere of caramelised onions on bread dough.

    Chez Pipo serves socca and Nicois specialties at 13 Rue Bavastro in Nice; locals have eaten its socca for generations, a tradition of nearly 100 years.

    DetailsDirections

  • Cave de la Tour

    Order Stockfish, dried cod slow-cooked with tomatoes, olives, potatoes and Provençal herbs.

    Cave de la Tour is a wine bar at 3 rue de la Tour in Vieux Nice, open since 1947 and run by the fourth generation of the Gazan family, with a granito counter.

    DetailsDirections

  • Lou Balico

    Order Raviolis à la daube, then the sweet chard pie for dessert.

    Lou Balico is a family restaurant at 20 Avenue Saint Jean Baptiste in Nice, open since 1979, labelled Niçoise cuisine and run by three generations.

    DetailsReserveDirections

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Make it at home

Serves 42 hr 30 minIntermediate

Ingredients

  • 250g plain flour
  • 5g salt
  • 8g fresh yeast
  • 8ml olive oil
  • Warm water as needed
  • 1kg onions, thinly sliced
  • 50ml olive oil for the onions
  • 1 garlic clove
  • 1 bouquet garni (thyme, bay, rosemary)
  • 4 salted anchovies, filleted
  • A handful of small black olives from Nice
  • Salt and pepper

Method

  1. Cook the onions gently, covered, with the olive oil, garlic, bouquet garni, salt and pepper for about 45 minutes, letting the water evaporate. Remove the garlic and herbs.
  2. Mix the flour, yeast, water, oil and salt into a dough, knead it and leave it covered for about an hour until it has risen.
  3. Spread the dough about 5mm thick on an oiled tray, cover with the onions and decorate with the anchovy fillets and olives.
  4. Bake in a preheated very hot oven (the City of Nice recipe gives 275C) for 20 minutes, add pepper on leaving the oven and serve lukewarm.

Editor tip. If you can find pissalat, spread a little on the dough before the onions go on, as the City of Nice recipe suggests.

Common allergens: Gluten, Fish.