The “Cuisine Nissarde, respect for tradition” label continues to highlight restaurants and actors who preserve the culinary identity of Nice. Between transmission, recognition, and sharing, the city asserts its place as a gastronomy reference.
Cuisine is not only a matter of taste; it is a shared history. Since 1998, the label “Cuisine Nissarde, respect for tradition” has recognized establishments that perpetuate local recipes and the memory of past practices. The initiative, now carried by the Office de Tourisme Métropolitain Nice Côte d’Azur (OTM NCA), aims to protect a unique culinary heritage, rooted between sea and mountains.
In 2025, twenty-nine establishments in the Metropole and the region have received this recognition. Twenty restaurants, seven take-away points, and two event caterers now display the label’s plaque. Two honorary distinctions have been added: one for the Jeanne and Paul Augier Hotel School, and the other for the central kitchen of the city of Nice, committed to passing on this identity to the younger generation. Each day, the central kitchen prepares around 25,000 meals, regularly incorporating iconic dishes such as ratatouille, daube, or chard pie.
This promotion approach is not limited to professionals. “Tied to both the sea and the mountains, Nice’s cuisine is one of the only ones in France that can offer a complete meal, from appetizers to desserts, in all seasons…”, highlights the Ministry of Culture, which registered Nice’s cuisine as a national intangible cultural heritage in 2019. An application with UNESCO is also underway, supported by the city and its actors.
Local initiatives to promote tradition
In the heart of Old Nice, the former Palais du Sénat now houses “L’Atelier Cuisine Niçoise”. This place, managed by the Tourist Office since 2023, offers courses accessible to all. In a friendly atmosphere, everyone can learn to prepare a pissaladière, gnocchi, or stuffed vegetables alongside a chef. The space is equipped with twelve workstations and facilities suitable for people with reduced mobility.
In the summer, a new “Pan Bagnat – Socca” workshop invites visitors to discover these key specialties, accompanied by a moment of sharing on the history of Nice. For two hours of activity, the price is set at 30 euros.
These events contribute to the transmission of know-how and the rediscovery of a cuisine based on the simplicity of local products: olive oil, market vegetables, Bellet wine, Nice olives. Three of these products — the olive, oil, and olive paste from Nice — benefit from protected designation of origin.
The vineyard also remains a marker of the territory. The Bellet vineyard, entirely located in the Nice commune, is among the oldest in France. On 60 hectares of exploitation, it produces red, white, and rosé wines known for their freshness and close link with the terroir.
A label for tomorrow
The “Cuisine Nissarde” label operates according to a strict evaluation grid. Restaurants must offer at least five specialties validated by the commission. “Mystery guests” then verify compliance with the specifications. Non-compliant establishments may lose the label. This monitoring ensures the approach’s consistency and credibility with the public.
The Technical Committee, composed of ten members — chefs, teachers, gastronomes, and historians — oversees the preservation of this culinary identity. Far from being a fixed folklore, “Cuisine Nissarde” adapts. In 2017, a “Merenda e Goustaroun” category was created for snacks and take-away. In 2024, another, “Coum’en maioun”, was introduced for event caterers. These evolutions reflect a desire: to keep tradition alive in today’s practices.
This year also marks the tenth anniversary of the label’s revival by the OTM NCA. To mark the occasion, a bilingual magazine, Manja! — which means “Eat!” in Nissart — traces the history, recipes, and actors of this cuisine. Distributed in kiosks and tourist information offices, it includes anecdotes, chef profiles, and seventeen labeled recipes.
Through these initiatives, Nice affirms its commitment to its gastronomic identity. Between educational actions, heritage recognition, and openness to the public, the city continues to sustain a culinary tradition that is both popular and demanding. In the alleyways of Old Nice as in neighborhood restaurants, “Cuisine Nissarde” remains an invitation to share a way of life that connects past and present.
