Nice is considered an exception on the Côte d'Azur. With its almost 350,000 inhabitants, the university and the lively economic and cultural life, the capital of the Alpes-Maritimes department offers all the advantages of a small metropolis and also scores with a beach right on its doorstep. In addition, there is the cuisine with its unique specialities, which are a little French, a little Italian and a little Provençal, but above all depend on what is available on the market and the chef's creativity.
Some specialities are really only available in Nice and the surrounding area: Socca, Pissaladière or Pan Bagnat are already considered exotic in Cannes and are hard to find in Saint-Tropez. On the other hand, you can find them on every street corner in Nice, but they don't taste the same everywhere. It is worth looking for the really good addresses - even if they are not always in the picturesque old town.
The "couhina nissarda" is a poor people's cuisine without chichi and has been part of France's intangible cultural heritage since 2019.
Patricia Engelhorn
Journalist
The special ones
Enough of Socca? Nice offers the whole range of culinary possibilities, from exotic dishes from Asia to pizza and pasta places to the finest star gastronomy. Among them are a few exceptional places that both gourmets and people who enjoy great locations should know about.
The market on Cours Saleya and the completely untouristy and much better Marché de la Liberation sell everything that is fresh and delicious: fruit and vegetables, fish and cheese, olives and herbs.
It doesn't always have to be beachfront. Although people prefer to live directly on the beach, Nice's old town is also very nice. For discerning holidaymakers, there has been a magnificent new hotel there since December 2022: it occupies a Belle Epoque palace, where the city's first luxury hotel was built in 1848.
