Ten Nice & surroundings picks
Emblem found on niçois chair.
Last week I was busy galavanting around Nice and region. Here are my ten picks (in no particular order):
Amuse bouche: Filled deep fried ravioli, candied cherry tomato and fresh anchovies.
Japanese chef, Keisuke Matsushima combines his Japanese culinary heritage with local Niçois produce. Lunch menu during the week is a bargain at 28€ for 3 courses.
Marzipan fruits and other sweet treats in the window at Canel confiseur.
Worth the trip just to see the kitsch window display of marzipan, chocolates and sweets.
Pâtisserie Lac
Beautiful cakes, chocolates and macaron. The perle cake is divine (white vanilla mousse with raspberry and strawberry coulis and sponge base).
Amarena cherry and tourte de blette (chard pie) ice cream.
THE ice cream place in Nice with a crazy amount of different flavours. Warning: don't go for the tomato basil ice cream!
5. Fresh pasta
Fresh pasta shop.
There are numerous fresh pasta shops (where they make their own pasta) dotted around Nice. I tried plump little ravioli filled with ground beef and provincial herbs.
This unassuming neighbourhood bistro serves simple seafood. Heaven for any seafood junkie!
7. Drive along the coast and visit Menton.
Drive from Nice to Menton.
The drive along the winding roads from Nice to Menton is beautiful (straight out of an old Hollywood movie). Menton is situated on the French/Italian border, a laidback little town by the sea. Cute market in the town centre selling local ingredients. If in season pick up some of the famous Menton lemons (apparently juicier than regular ones).
8. Eat socca
There are loads of places selling this local speciality: a pancake made out of chickpea flour. It should be slightly crunchy crisp on the edges and soft and moist in the middle. Served pretty much straight up apart from a heavy dusting of black pepper.
If you fancy making it at home Ottolenghi has a great recipe.
Workshop confiserie Florian.
Confit pears dipped in dark chocolate.
A drive out of Nice into the mountains lies, Confiserie Florian where they transform local products: rose, violettes, citrus fruits into many different sweet treats. Visit them during the week (at the weekend the workshop is empty so no action to see) and they'll give you a free guided tour (and plenty of things to taste).
10. Wander around Vieux Nice and the market Cours Saleya.
Market cours saleya.
The famous niçois olive, fresh.
Raspberries
Locally made nougat