The best tastes of Nice for a budget foodie
Any trip to France isn’t complete without a veritable culinary experience, preferably complete with wine and dessert. While Paris and Lyon have their share of Michelin-starred restaurants and world-famous patisseries, Nice is the perfect destination for the budget foodie.
Street food: France is known more for its upscale, impossible-to-get-a-reservation-seven-months-in-advance, Michelin-starred restaurants than for its budget options. Foie gras and gigot d’agneau just aren’t things you can sell out of a taco truck. However, Nice is the exception to France’s snooty food scene. Don’t miss socca, a pancake-like local specialty that is made out of chickpea flour, with a glass of rose wine. Other popular options include petit farcis, which are tiny stuffed vegetables, tian, a zucchini dish that’s similar to quiche, and fried zucchini flowers.
Fresh pasta: Nice’s proximity to Italy makes it a haven for Italian food lovers. Fresh pasta shops and Italian specialty stores dot the streets of Old Nice, making it easy to have a delicious Italian feast at home. I’ve never tasted better ravioli or mozzarella—and it’s all ridiculously cheap. If you don’t have a stovetop to boil water, head to Casa Mia. The Old Nice restaurant is run by an extremely friendly Italian couple, and the white truffle linguine is delicious and every bit as calorie-laden as it sounds.
Sweet tooth: Torte de blette is a regional specialty, a pastry filled with swiss chard. There are both sucree and salee options—each have an equally interesting taste. Once you’ve tried the real deal, go to Fennochio to try the ice cream version—along with plenty of other interesting flavors, like lychee, gingerbread and tiramisu.
Les Petits Farcis: If you love to see what goes into your gorgeous plate, you can’t beat a cooking class with Les Petit Farcis. Rosa Jackson gives extremely informative tours of the famous Cours Saleya daily market before taking you back to cook (and eat!) a delicious four-course meal in her gorgeous Vieux Nice home. Expect to learn plenty about traditional Niçoise dishes and food traditions, as well as handy little kitchen tips from an excellent chef. The best part? The recipes are yours to take home and impress your friends. (Sure, I’m a little biased as her assistant, but I can assure you that I finish every single bite on my plate—and I learn some new kitchen trick—every single time!)
What’s your favorite Niçoise culinary experience?
