5 Local Foods In Nice You Must Try
Trying local foods in Nice is a must.
When visiting a new city, tasting its food is always high on the list. It helps to understand what a new city is about.
The French Riviera is no exception, and Nice has such simple and unique tastes.
So get ready to try some of the delicious local foods in Nice!
You may even want to try cooking some local recipes.
Socca
Socca has many variations and different names, depending on where you go on the Mediterranean.
It definitely makes the list of local foods in Nice and yes, it’s worth queuing up at least once, so you know if you like it or not.
Socca is made with chickpea flour, yet doesn’t really taste like a chickpea.
It looks like a flat crepe, but a little grainier. The large round flat pan cooks in a wood oven at extremely high heat, and portions disappear like hotcakes.
To try this local food in Nice, you must go either to the Old Town or to the port area.
There are, of course, lots of other places that sell socca, but my top favorite is at Chez Pipo in the port neighborhood.
Chez Pipo is where you can enjoy a traditional socca and a glass of rose. Sprinkle your socca with pepper while it’s piping hot!
The terrace is always full, so get there early, or you will wait a very long time!
AIOLI
Aioli means garlic and oil and it’s a very healthy dish.
It’s made with steamed fish, zucchini, and carrots, among other seasonal veggies.
But what makes this dish different is its aioli sauce, always served on the side.
As with most local foods in Nice, an Aioli is made with simple and fresh ingredients.
SOUPE AU PISTOU
Pistou is pesto, and it’s added to a vegetable soup, which completely changes its personality!
It’s a popular dish throughout the Mediterranean, and in Nice, each family makes it their own way.
But generally, it includes different types of beans, potatoes, tomatoes, and zucchini as well as small pasta cooked directly in the broth.
The pesto is added only when its time to serve, otherwise it loses its flavors.
A good restaurant to try this soup and other local foods in Nice is Acchiardo Restaurant in the Old Town.
Location: 38 Rue Droite, Nice
RATATOUILLE
Of course, ratatouille makes the list of local foods in Nice!
This simple dish has different variations according to who’s cooking.
But the base is always the same: onion, bell peppers, eggplant, zucchini, and tomatoes, all cooked together until they melt deliciously into each other.
The flavors are amazing.
It’s very good served piping hot, however, people also eat it cold.
PAN BAGNAT
My favorite thing to do in summer is getting a delicious pan bagnat and taking it to the beach.
Lunch with an amazing sea view.. can’t beat that!
Pan Bagnat means wet bread, but it’s really much better than it sounds.
The thick round bread is slightly drenched in olive oil – that’s where the “wet” comes from.
The ingredients are very similar to the Salad Nicoise, except it’s in a sandwich. Tuna, radish, boiled egg, onions, olives, anchovies (i ask for mine without).
Some places may add additional ingredients, but the basic pan bagnat is the best.
You can buy these in a boulangerie or outdoor market, or order them at a snack restaurant.
Pan bagnats aren’t created equal, but if you find one you love, just keep going back for more 🙂
Salad Nicoise
I hesitated to add this dish to the list of local foods in Nice.
Of course, it belongs here, but there are so many opinions on the ingredients and on how the “real” Nicoise salad is made.
But ok. I’ll go out on a limb here! You’ll find this typical salad just about anywhere but served in various ways.
The basic ingredients are tuna, salad, boiled egg, radish, and anchovies.
Now that’s where it gets tricky because in some places you may also see other additions on your plate, like green beans or other vegetables, which in my book is a no-no. But it’s a variation, and variations can also taste good 🙂
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