About thirty establishments have been awarded the “cuisine nissarde” label 2023/2024 during a ceremony at Stockfish on July 3. A guarantee of quality and respect for culinary traditions.
Salade niçoise, pan bagnat, socca, daube, and stuffed vegetables are part of the local culinary heritage. Tensions quickly arise if the ingredients or the quality of the products in our precious recipes are not respected. The protection of Niçoise cuisine is a serious matter.
“Niçoise cuisine is very important for the visibility of our destination,” adds Rudy Salles, deputy president of the Metropolitan Tourism Office (OTM). Especially since in Nice, 70% of tourists come from abroad. “Through our cuisine, we have the means to showcase our distinctive characteristics,” emphasizes Jean-Luc Gagliolo, deputy for Niçoise identity.
Transmit and Promote Niçoise Cuisine
To reward and recognize the work of those who strive in the kitchen for the transmission and promotion of this culinary art, a label exists. Created in 1998 by the association La Capelina d’or, it has been managed since 2014 by the OTM. The “cuisine nissarde” label is intended to be a mark of recognition and a guarantee of reliability. To leave nothing to chance, it is awarded this year in the Stockfish room, whose name evokes a traditional Niçoise fish-based dish.
Each year, establishments already holding this grail put it back on the line, “just like the Michelin Guide”. New businesses are awarded it by the OTM. To obtain this label, the first step is to solicit the organization. Certain criteria must be met. Restaurants must offer at least five traditional dishes prepared according to traditions. For takeout, three specialties on the menu are sufficient.
Next, a series of mystery visits by members of “an extremely meticulous and attentive technical committee” composed of about ten members are conducted in the establishments before delivering their verdict.
Six New Establishments Awarded
So drum roll, this year, 19 restaurants in Nice and its surroundings renewed the “cuisine nissarde” label 2023/2024 of the André Giordan promotion. This distinction is, this year, presented in homage to this “fervent defender of Pilou” and this lover of Niçoise cuisine.
4 restaurants have earned this label this year. In the Merenda and Goustaroun category, which rewards snacks or restaurants offering takeout, nine retain the label, and two join the newly labeled list.
The 23 Restaurants Holding the Label
In Nice, twelve establishments retain their “cuisine nissarde” label:
- Acchiardo
- L’Auberge de l’Aire Saint-Michel
- Lou Balico
- Chez Cane
- Chez Davia
- Lu Fran Calin
- La Gaité Nallino
- Le Pois Chiche
- Le Safari
- La Table Alziari
- La Table “à” Julie
- Le Tchitchou
On the metropolitan territory and even beyond, the label has been renewed for seven establishments:
- Lou Bantry in Villefranche-sur-Mer
- La Capeline in Toudon
- Lou Countéa in Gilette
- L’Estragon in Le Broc
- La Gaudriole in La Gaude
- La Passion des Mets in Saint-Laurent-du-Var
- La Table du Rousset in Ascros, accessible only by reservation
Four new establishments are added to the list this year:
- A Buteghinn’a (already labeled Merenda and Goustaroun)
- La Ratapignata
- L’Escalinada
- Le Pous Café – Rimplas
The 11 Snacks and Takeout Holders of the Label
Six establishments retain the label in Nice:
- A Buteghinn’a, takeout only
- Chez Thérésa
- D’Aqui
- Lou Pelandroun, takeout only
- Receta de Jou
- Chez Marie-Thé – Socca du Cours, takeout only
Three establishments retain it in the Nice Côte d’Azur Metropolitan area:
- Les Halles du Mercantour in Saint-Martin-Vésubie, takeout only
- La Passion des Mets – Catering in Saint-Laurent-du-Var
- La Raïola du Béal – Maison Galarato in Cagnes-sur-Mer
Two new additions to the list this year:
- Barba Bléa
- La Boulangerie du Terroir – Chez Alec et Bruno in Saint Dalmas Valdeblore
An honorary diploma has been awarded to Lycée Jeanne et Paul Augier. The hotel school in Nice has three training restaurants: Les Galets, La Prom’, and La Rotonde. Each week, a completely Niçoise menu is offered in at least one of these establishments.
