What to Eat in Nice: Socca, Local Dishes, Where Locals Eat & the Best Food Tours
The short version: in Nice, eat socca (the peppery chickpea pancake) hot from the oven, a pan bagnat for lunch on the go and a plate of petits farcis or daube ravioli for dinner. For socca, go to Chez Thérésa on the Cours Saleya or Chez Pipo near the port; for a proper Niçois meal, La Merenda or Chez Davia, both Bib Gourmand. Drink a glass of Bellet, the city’s own tiny appellation, or a Provence rosé at La Part des Anges or La Cave de la Tour. And if you only have a day or two, a guided food tour of the old town gets you to the right counters in a morning. Below: what to eat, exactly where to eat it by area, what to drink, and the food experiences worth booking.
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Our top pick is the Local Food Tour in Nice with Many Tastings: 3 hours, rated 4.9 from 945 reviews on GetYourGuide.
What to eat in Nice, and where to eat it
| Dish | What it is | Where to eat it in Nice |
|---|---|---|
| Socca | A thin pancake of chickpea flour and olive oil, baked on a huge tray in a wood oven, cut into pieces and peppered | Chez Thérésa; Chez Pipo; La Socca du Cours chez Marie Thé |
| Pissaladière | Bread dough topped with slow-cooked onions, anchovies and black Niçoise olives | Kiosque Tintin; Chez Thérésa |
| Pan bagnat | A round bun soaked in olive oil and filled with tuna, egg, raw vegetables and olives: the salade niçoise as a sandwich | Kiosque Tintin; Lou Balico |
| Salade niçoise | Raw vegetables, tuna or anchovies, hard-boiled egg and olives, dressed with olive oil | Lou Balico |
| Petits farcis | Small vegetables (courgette, tomato, onion, pepper) stuffed with meat, herbs and cheese and baked | La Cave de la Tour, which hosts a yearly petits farcis championship, and the Cuisine Nissarde label restaurants listed below |
| Daube and raviolis niçois | Beef braised in red wine, and the ravioli filled with it | Le Safari; Lu Fran Calin |
| Tourte de blettes | A sweet Swiss chard tart with raisins and pine nuts, sold by the slice | Chez Thérésa; Kiosque Tintin |
| Pâtes au pistou | Pasta with pistou, the Niçois basil, garlic and olive oil sauce | La Merenda |
Where to eat in Nice
The rule in Nice is simple: eat the city’s own cooking, la cuisine nissarde, and skip any terrace with someone outside handing you a menu. The tourist office runs an official Cuisine Nissarde label: restaurants and snack counters are inspected for traditional recipes from an approved list of 44 dishes, and the 27 holders for 2025/26 display a plaque in the window. Look for it. Many of the best family restaurants close at weekends and some take bookings only in person, so plan your Saturday and Sunday meals around the old town counters and the port. These are the areas to eat in.
Vieux Nice and the Cours Saleya
The old town is where socca lives. On the Cours Saleya, the market square, Chez Thérésa runs a stand on market mornings (Tuesday to Sunday) and a restaurant at 28 rue Droite: socca, pissaladière, pan bagnat and tourte de blettes, all on the Cuisine Nissarde list. La Socca du Cours chez Marie Thé, on the Cours Saleya by Place Charles-Félix, is another labelled socca stand, takeaway only.
For a sit-down Niçois meal, La Merenda is the one locals fight for: chef Dominique Le Stanc’s nostalgic local dishes, such as pâtes au pistou and ratatouille, at moderate prices. It is a MICHELIN Bib Gourmand (Michelin listing), opens Monday to Friday only, has no telephone (book online or in person) and takes cash only. Acchiardo on Rue Droite holds the Cuisine Nissarde label: order the tuna with green sauce and the good-value house wine; it is also a weekday place, closed Saturday and Sunday. Facing the market, Le Safari is labelled too and open every day: daube ravioli, with olives and pissaladière to start. Other labelled addresses in the old town are L’Escalinada on Rue Pairolière, La Table Alziari and A Buteghinn’a. Near Place Rossetti, Lu Fran Calin cooks artichoke barigoule, tourte de blettes, panisse and raviolis niçois.
The old town also has Bib Gourmand bistros. Olive & Artichaut (Michelin listing) on Rue Sainte-Réparate serves a set starter, main and dessert and a house foie gras terrine. Bistrot d’Antoine (Michelin listing) on Rue de la Préfecture does ox cheek pot-au-feu and lentils with Perugine sausage, Tuesday to Saturday. Bar des Oiseaux (Michelin listing), down a narrow lane and open since 1961, has a set lunch of around 20 euros. Comptoir du Marché (Michelin listing) is a casual vintage-style counter with a short, fairly priced menu built around the market, Tuesday to Saturday. Finish with an ice cream at Fenocchio on Place Rossetti, with more than 90 flavours.
Port Lympia
The streets behind the old port are where Niçois go for socca without the crowds. Chez Pipo on Rue Bavastro is a socca institution with a wood-fired oven, with dishes from 3.50 to 7.50 euros; it is closed on Mondays and Tuesdays (open Tuesdays in summer), and tables fill early. D’Aqui on Rue Cassini is a labelled snack counter for Niçois specialities. On Place Garibaldi, Café de Turin is the old-school seafood café: oysters and cold seafood platters, served non-stop from noon every day.
For a special night, JAN on Rue Lascaris holds one MICHELIN Star (Michelin listing): South African chef Jan Hendrik van der Westhuizen serves a single set menu in a room of about 20 seats, Tuesday to Saturday evenings, and there is a cheese bar across the street.
Libération and the market
North of the station, the Libération district is everyday Nice, with the city’s working market and cheaper food. On Place du Général-de-Gaulle, Kiosque Tintin, run by the same family since 1990, is a local institution for pan bagnat, onion pissaladière and sweet chard tart. Lou Pelandroun on Boulevard Joseph-Garnier holds the Cuisine Nissarde label for takeaway only. On Avenue Georges-Clemenceau, towards the station, Le Tchitchou is a labelled Niçois restaurant.
Opposite the Docks de la Riviera covered market, Le Bistrot des Docks (Michelin listing) is a modern bistro with a short blackboard of seasonal Mediterranean dishes; it opens from 08:00 for breakfast and lunch Tuesday to Saturday and serves dinner Wednesday to Saturday.
The Promenade and the centre
The new town between the station and the Promenade des Anglais has some of the best-value cooking in Nice. Café des Musiciens (Michelin listing) on Avenue Auber is a Bib Gourmand where Australian chef Christopher Edwards cooks a short market menu (tripe Niçoise-style, Perugina sausages, Sardinian fregola) with natural wine; lunch runs Tuesday to Friday and dinner on Friday and Saturday. Chez Davia (Michelin listing) on Rue Grimaldi, run by the same family since 1953, is both a Bib Gourmand and a Cuisine Nissarde label holder; it is closed on Mondays and serves dinner only on Tuesdays. L’Alchimie (Michelin listing), another Bib on Rue Maccarani, has a concise menu and a lunch deal that is a bargain for Nice; tables are easier after 14:00 than at the first sitting.
A block from the sea, Le Canon (Michelin listing) on Rue Meyerbeer is where local chefs eat: a daily menu of local, often organic produce and 100% natural wine, open weekdays (dinner only on Wednesday) and closed at weekends, so book. On Avenue Saint-Jean-Baptiste, Lou Balico is a labelled, affordable Niçois restaurant: order the Assiette Niçoise du Balico for two, or the salade niçoise and pan bagnat. For a once-in-a-trip dinner on the Promenade, Le Chantecler (Michelin listing) in the Hôtel Negresco holds one MICHELIN Star.
Quick picks
- Best socca: Chez Pipo by the port, or Chez Thérésa on the Cours Saleya in the morning.
- Classic Niçois dinner: La Merenda (weekdays, cash) or Chez Davia.
- Cheap and fast: pan bagnat at Kiosque Tintin; socca at Chez Pipo or from the Cours Saleya stands.
- Weekend lunch: Le Safari on the Cours Saleya, open every day.
- Special night: JAN (one MICHELIN Star) near the port.
- Natural wine and good food: Le Canon or La Part des Anges.
Names link to Google Maps for directions. We checked these places in October 2026. Opening days change, especially out of season, so check before you go.
The markets
The Cours Saleya market in the old town is the market to see: fruit, vegetables, flowers and local producers from Tuesday to Sunday, with the socca stands working the morning crowd. On Mondays the square becomes an antiques and flea market, from 07:00 to 18:00, so come another day for food. Go early, buy fruit and a slice of tourte de blettes, and eat on the steps. The Marché de la Libération, inland from the port in the Libération district, is where Niçois do their daily shopping, best in the morning; it is less pretty and normally cheaper, and Kiosque Tintin is close by.
What to drink in Nice
Nice has its own wine: Bellet, a tiny appellation in the hills above the city, among the first French AOCs in 1941. The white is made from Rolle (Vermentino), the red and rosé from the local Braquet and Folle Noire grapes, and you rarely see the wines outside the region, so order them here. A glass of local wine in a Nice wine bar runs roughly 5 to 12 euros. The rest of the time, drink dry Côtes de Provence rosé, and before dinner order a pastis, the aniseed aperitif of the whole of Provence.
The best places to taste: La Part des Anges on Rue Gubernatis, Nice’s natural wine pioneer since 1998, with more than 300 bottles, a weekly list of wines by the glass that always includes Bellet, and lunch at shared tables; it is packed with regulars and closed on Sundays, so book. In the old town, La Cave de la Tour on Rue de la Tour is a family-run wine bar open since 1947, now in its fourth generation, pouring local growers by the glass at the counter, with Niçois food at lunch and early evening; it is closed on Mondays. To see the vines, the Bellet estates sit in the hills on the north-western edge of the city: Château de Bellet welcomes visitors all year, with tours and tastings you can book online, and Domaine de la Source offers visits and tastings Monday to Saturday when you contact it ahead. Allow half a day.
Food experiences to book in Nice
Nice’s food is street food and family cooking, and the best of it is in a few old town lanes and market stalls that are easy to miss. A food tour takes you straight to them: socca from the oven, pissaladière, tourte de blettes, olives, local cheese and a glass of Bellet or rosé, in about three hours, with a guide who explains what you are eating. A cooking class is the way to learn petits farcis, stuffed courgette flowers or pan bagnat, and a wine tasting is the shortcut to Bellet and Provence rosé. These are the best-rated options on GetYourGuide.
| Experience | Length | Rating (reviews) | Best for | Book |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Local Food Tour in Nice with Many Tastings | 3 hours | 4.9 (945) | A first day | Check availability |
| Cultural Gourmet Walking Tour of Old Nice | 4 hours | 4.8 (429) | Old Nice | Check availability |
| Sunset Food Tour with Full Meal and Wine | 3.5 hours | 4.7 (174) | An evening | Check availability |
Our pick: the Local Food Tour in Nice with Many Tastings, rated 4.9 (945) on GetYourGuide.
Ratings as shown on GetYourGuide in October 2026. Check the listing for live prices and availability.
Food day trips from Nice
The whole Côte d’Azur is within a train ride: the hill villages, the markets of Antibes and Menton and the Italian border are all easy day trips, and the Bellet vineyards are on the edge of town. For guided tastings along the coast, see our French Riviera food tours; for a full day in the vineyards, including the rosé estates of Provence, see Provence wine tours and our Provence wine tours guide.
Frequently asked questions
What is the one thing to eat in Nice?
Socca, hot from the wood oven and heavily peppered, at Chez Pipo near the port or Chez Thérésa on the Cours Saleya. For a full meal, the Niçois classics at La Merenda or Chez Davia.
Where do locals eat in Nice?
At the family restaurants with the Cuisine Nissarde label (Acchiardo, Chez Davia, Lou Balico), at the port (Chez Pipo, Café de Turin) and in the Libération district around the market (Kiosque Tintin, Le Bistrot des Docks). Le Canon is where local chefs go.
Where can I eat cheaply in Nice?
Street food is cheap and very good: socca at Chez Pipo costs from 3.50 euros, and pan bagnat from Kiosque Tintin makes lunch. For a sit-down meal, the set lunches at the Bib Gourmand bistros (L’Alchimie, Café des Musiciens) and the 20-euro lunch at Bar des Oiseaux are the best value.
Do I need to book restaurants in Nice?
Yes for the popular small places: La Merenda takes bookings online or in person only, and Le Canon, La Part des Anges and JAN fill up. Socca counters such as Chez Thérésa and La Socca du Cours are walk-in. Note that La Merenda, Acchiardo and Le Canon close at weekends.
What should I drink in Nice?
A glass of Bellet, the city’s own appellation, or a dry Provence rosé. La Part des Anges always has a Bellet by the glass, and La Cave de la Tour pours local growers at the counter.
Is a Nice food tour worth it?
Yes, especially on a short visit: in one morning in the old town you taste socca, pissaladière, chard tart and local wine at the right counters. Compare them above or on our Nice food tours page.
Plan your Nice food trip
Nice food tours · French Riviera food tours · Provence food tours · Provence wine tours · Nice food tours guide · Provence food tours guide · Provence wine tours guide
