The food in Nice, France, is a delightful, delicious surprise.
The fusion of traditional Provençal, Mediterranean, and Italian culinary traditions makes Nice more than simply a stunning coastal paradise—it’s also a real dining jewel store. Eating your way across the city is one of the best things to do in Nice!
In this guide, I’m sharing what to eat in Nice, France, and some of my favorite restaurants in the city! At the end of the post, you’ll find tips for dining in France.
What to Eat in Nice – 14 Foods in Nice, France You Need to Try
In this article, I discuss every regional dish and specialty you should try in Nice and suggest a fantastic restaurant where you have the food for each one. Let’s get straight into the list of reasons to visit the French Riviera, starting with the food of Nice!
1. Salade Niçoise
Salade Niçoise is one of the most well-known foods in Nice and is a popular dish. It is usually served as a starter salad (not a main dish).
This salad has many ingredients, and cooking differs slightly between people. All the ingredients work nicely together, though, and it is especially refreshing when enjoyed outdoors in the warm Mediterranean sun.
Leafy greens, hard-boiled eggs, tuna, anchovies, tomatoes, and olives are frequently included in salad Niçoise. It is typically served with a dressing made of olive oil and balsamic vinegar.
In addition, boiling potatoes, red peppers, shallots, artichokes, and raw green beans are occasionally added. (However, outside of France, it’s more typical to see boiled potatoes added to this salad).
According to my research, I suggest a restaurant Le Safari
2. Tarte de Blettes
The pastry known as Tourte de Blettes contains an unexpected ingredient: Swiss chard! The pie can be savory or sweet, though sweet is more typical.
Swiss chard, sometimes known as palettes, is a popular vegetable in Nice. It is processed and combined with pine nuts and raisins to provide a soft, sweet filling for the tart.
3. Socca
During your visit to Nice, you should definitely try the local delicacy Socca. Socca is a thin, chickpea flour-based delicacy that resembles a mildly crispy pancake.
I recommend you get a socca from one of the following places: Chez Theresa, a massively popular stand in Old Town that absolutely lives up to the hype. The Socca is hot, fresh, and has a great texture.
Chez Theresa: (open 9am-3pm)
Chez Pipo, a sit-down eatery close to the Port with some unique socca flavors, comes in second. We had the socca parmigiana, which was amazing but had very little parmigiana flavor.
Quick Pronunciation/Language Note: Chez is pronounced like “shay,” and Chez Theresa is the equivalent of saying “Theresa’s house.”
Chez Pipo: Open Wednesday-Sunday
4. Pan Bagnat
Salade Niçoise on a sandwich is essentially pan bagnat. Tuna, tomatoes, hard-boiled eggs, and peppers are stuffed inside a thin, crusty bun. These sandwiches are available at numerous bakeries throughout the city!
5. Fleur de Courgette Farcis
It sounds a little odd, but this meal is loaded with zucchini (courgette) flowers, which are then fried and served with a red sauce. The end dish is rich and savory yet still light.
Restaurant recommendation: Le Tchitchou
6. Pissaladière
Pistadière is similar to Socca in that it’s typically served as finger food and is often seen at takeout places. Like pizza, pissaladière has a larger crust, but instead of cheese, it features olives, caramelized onions, and anchovy paste on top.
Where to Eat: pissaladière at Chez Pipo
7. Olive Oil
France is the home of olive oil production, and if you take any day trips out of Nice, you might see some olive trees in the surrounding countryside. Though there are many different kinds of olive oil in and around Nice, traditional Provencal oil has a unique flavor that is nearly like a black olive.
In Nice, salads are typically accompanied by olive oil and balsamic vinegar, but businesses in Old Town, such as Alziari Olive Oil, sell olive oil.
8. Gelato
It is a little bit of a stretch because gelato isn’t a very Nice dish. But gelato is available all around the city, and this particular gelato is delicious. There are plenty of gelato options in Nice.
Azzurro: Located at Place Rossetti, just next to the cathedral, is my absolute favorite gelato shop. Taste the creme brulée!
Fenocchio: With dozens of varieties and a prime location in Place Rossetti, this gelato stand is arguably the most well-known and well-liked in all of Old Town Nice.
Glacier Marie Louise: A little, inconspicuous stand with great flavors in Old Town’s northern section.
9. Petite Farcis Niçoise
Little farces niçoise are baked vegetables stuffed with minced beef, ground pork, herbs, and spices. Typically, the vegetables used are tomatoes, peppers, onions, and zucchini (not zucchini flowers).
Although the petite farcis niçoise and the stuffed zucchini flowers share certain similarities, they are two very different dishes.
10. Daube Provencal
Daube Provencal, also known as Daube Niçoise when mushrooms are included, is a red wine stew made with braised beef, onions, carrots, and spices. It is typically served with spaghetti or polenta; however, the dish I had was presented with homemade ravioli.
Kisses the chef
The daube was the perfect comfort food with a delightful flavor.
Restaurant Recommendation: Le Safari
Other Typical French Food to Eat in Nice
11. French Cheese from Fromageries
Cheese is almost part of France, and sampling a variety of classic French cheeses while visiting the nation is a delightful experience.
Although cheese can be found in grocery stores, the best assortment is found in fromageries or cheese shops.
You can select how much of a slice you would like and ask the fromager (cheese maker) for ideas. The whole thing feels and tastes so genuine, and they’ll wrap it up in paper.
Pair it with a baguette from the nearest boulangerie, and you’ve got a simple, easy, and delicious lunch.
Fromageries in Nice & near old town that I’ve been to and recommend:
- La Ferme Fromagere: 3 Rue Maccara
- Lou Froumai: 4 Rue Sainte-Reparate
- Via Latina: 12 Boulevard Jean Jaurès
Here is a short list of cheeses to try:
- Comté (my favorite!)
- Tomme de Savoie
- Cantal
- Brie de Meaux
- Camembert
12. Pastries
The art of French pastries started with the desire to have a sweet treat following a meal. Fruits and cheese were originally served after dinner, but to quench people’s lingering sweet cravings after a meal, the doors to the art of French pastries and confectioneries were open.
13. Crêpes
Large, thin pancakes called crêpes are served in the shape of a triangle and are filled with sweet, sometimes savory ingredients. They enjoy enormous popularity both in France and elsewhere.
While crêpes are sold by several Nice street food vendors in Paris, the only Place to obtain them in Nice is at a sit-down café or restaurant.
Pronunciation Tip: In French, the first “e” in crêpes is pronounced like the ‘e’ in “fed,” and you don’t pronounce the “es” at the end.
Recommended Restaurant: Le Pass’Port Nice
14. Macarons
Macarons, the beloved French cookie, are little sandwich cookies made with almond flour in a variety of sweet and fruity flavors and are filled with buttercream, meringue, or ganache.
Angea Nice Address: 6, rue de la Poissonnerie
A Few Other Good Restaurants in Nice
While these restaurants don’t necessarily serve “traditional Niçoise cuisine,” they offer delicious food, and I’d wholeheartedly recommend them.
Piperno
Located along Cours Saleya, Piperno specializes in delicious, wood-fired pizza. I can highly recommend the pesto!
Route des Inde
In Old Town, Route des Inde is an Indian restaurant located near Place Rossetti. The Indian food served at this restaurant is the best we’ve ever experienced. Though it’s certainly not “regional meals,” this restaurant needs to be at the top of your list whether you’re in the mood for some delicious comfort food or simply a little diversity.
Marché aux Fleurs
The Marché aux Fleurs is not even a restaurant; rather, it’s just one of the French eateries in Nice, but I could not write about food and things to eat in Nice without including it. Despite being known as the Flower Market, this vibrant, bustling market offers a ton of intriguing and delectable foods, including fruit, olives, dates, jams, cheese, chocolates, and much more.
Tips for Eating in Nice
Whether you visit the French Riviera for a few days or a week, you should remember some of these suggestions for dining in the south of the country.
- A jug of water is always available upon demand and is free of charge.
- The majority of French people eat late; dinner is usually served at 8 p.m. or later, with 7 p.m. being the absolute latest.
- If you are paying with a card, the waiter or waitress will bring the card reader to the table; they will never take your card.
- They don’t check in with you regularly, so you’ll need to ask for the check and frequently have to hail the server if you need anything.
- In restaurants, you can usually grab a seat at one of the tables, especially if most of the tables are outside on the pavement.
- Many restaurants will be closed on Monday or Tuesday – always double-check hours.
- Meal times in France might involve several courses spread out over an hour or two, and people there eat deliberately and savor their food.
- In restaurants, tables are frequently very close to one another; occasionally, they are only an inch or two apart. It is especially valid for indoor furniture.
Find out more, compare costs and availability, and book your reservation here.
Foods to Eat in Nice – The Wrap-Up
Nice is full of delicious local specialties and excellent French cuisine. There are plenty of dishes to eat your way through as you spend time in one of my favorite cities in the French Riviera!