Côte d’Azur Local Food

To show our deep appreciation for the local food, we put together a list of our favorites.

Mesclun: Salad mixture of young shoots such as chicory, roquette, escarole and lettuce.

Salade Niçoise: For a salad, it’s hard to believe how controversial this dish is. Very few people agree on its ingredients. Anchovies or tuna? Anchovies and tuna? Green beans? Lettuce or no lettuce?  Lifelong feuds have resulted from such decisions.

Pan-bagnat: Salad niçoise in a bun. It’s a nice light lunch to be enjoyed on the run.

Petits farcis: Stuffed vegetables: eggplants, tomatoes, peppers and courgettes, generally served as a starter.

Pissaladière: Pizza-style tart with onions mixed with a pinch of of anchovies.

Socca: Chickpea flour pancake, and much tastier than you’d think, if well peppered. You can try the most authentic socca at Chez Roger.

Aioli: The word directly translates to ‘garlic mayonnaise’ and is a delicious dish consisting of codfish with a slew of vegetables, accompanied by the mayonnaise. There’s no better Provencal lunch.

Poutine: Whitebait served in a salad, omelette or fritters.

Tourte de blettes: French Riviera folk are very fond of Swiss chard – and here it’s served in pie form.

Beignets de fleurs de courgette: Courgette (or squash) flowers stuffed and deep fried.

Barbajuan (or Barbagiuan): Typical appetizer originates from Monaco, deep-fried pastry stuffed with blette, ricotta and pine nuts. Hence, the word means Uncle John in Monegasque.

Focaccia: Flat oven-baked Italian bread product similar in style and texture to pizza doughs. Furthermore, seasoned with olive oil, salt and sometimes herbs. Finally, it may at times be topped with onion, tomato, cheese, and meat. Served as an appetizer, this local food is a perfect snack.