Choosing Nice
Your June 2025 recipe and news from Nice

When I moved to Nice after a decade in Paris, my Parisian friends were skeptical. “Isn’t it full of retired people?”, they asked. At the time, many Parisians had their eye on Marseille, an edgy and cosmopolitan city that was easily accessible by high-speed train. While I understood the attraction of its urban buzz and imposing cliffs, I felt more drawn to the softer landscape and tranquil atmosphere of Nice. Or so I imagined, until I moved to the Old Town and discovered that it rarely sleeps (you can read more about this in my cookbook Niçoise!).

Over the past 20 years I have never regretted choosing Nice, even if it came as a relief to move from the Old Town to the more residential Libération area, which has its own lively food market but much less nightlife. Since making Nice my home, I have seen two tram lines completed along with an extensive network of tree-lined bike paths, and the formerly run-down Coulée Verte has been transformed into an ever-expanding park with refreshing fountains. 

The Libération food market. Photo by Jan Hendrik van der Westhuizen

The most rapid change has happened in recent years, with the opening of several high-end hotels including the much talked-about Hôtel du Couvent, perched on the edge of Castle Hill next door to the Les Petits Farcis cooking studio. Neo-bistros, chic pâtisseries (like Julien Dugourd, Philippe Tayac, and Jonathan le Pâtissier), and modern coffee shops (such as the freshly-opened Alvin’s Café) have popped up everywhere, especially in the Old Town and around the Port. 

Cakes from Jonathan le Pâtissier

It’s no surprise, then, that Americans have been coming to Nice in increasing numbers, whether for vacations or more permanently. The American love affair with Nice dates back to the 1920s and 30s, when artists, writers and socialites, often hosted by wealthy American couple Gerald and Sarah Murphy, transformed the Côte d’Azur from a winter retreat for the British and Russian aristocracies to a glamorous summer destination. Immortalized in F. Scott Fitzgerald’s novel Tender is the Night, this creative and decadent period set the stage for a century of American tourism. 

Nice’s Castel Plage, named for nearby Castle Hill, in the 1930s

A few weeks ago, a journalist called from the national newspaper Le Monde to ask me about Nice’s growing popularity with Americans. Nice has been actively campaigning to attract more American tourists, and this is made easier by the availability of direct flights from New York, Philadelphia, Atlanta and most recently Washington D.C. Several real estate agencies have also reported a recent increase in Americans looking to buy property in Nice, as they recognize its appeal in the winter months and not just the summer. 

As someone who bought my first apartment in Nice almost on impulse during a short visit, I can understand how tempting it is to make the leap from visiting Nice to living here. However, renting an apartment in Nice is no easy feat, as I (re)discovered last month when I helped my son Sam and his girlfriend Anna move back to the city where he grew up. Sam spent the last four years living in Toulouse and Nantes, and like anyone with roots in Nice, he found himself dreaming of the Mediterranean. 

Because the law favors tenants in France, it can be difficult-to-impossible for landlords to evict renters. As a result, anyone who wants to rent an apartment through an agency must come up with a convincing “dossier”. The alternative is to forego official channels and try to find a place through word of mouth, but in this case, it’s best not to be in a hurry, especially if you have a budget in mind. 

To even be considered as prospective renters, both Sam and Anna needed full-time jobs with permanent contracts and some form of insurance (helpful parents apparently didn’t count). As young people, they qualified for a government-sponsored rental insurance called Visale, but while some agencies said this was essential, others wouldn’t accept it. Each one demanded a different stack of paperwork before they would even consider showing an apartment. Most places we did manage to see could best be described as uninhabitable, though the agents were optimistic. “That ceiling mold will be gone by next week!” Sam was told.

Their plight reminded me of when I first moved to Paris, with barely enough money saved to cover a month’s rent and a damage deposit. At the time, I relied on Fusac (the Paris equivalent of Craig’s List), which amazingly still exists. Over the years, I made my way from a sublet room filled with an artist’s paints and canvases, to a tiny sixth-floor walk-up with a rooftop view of the Panthéon (once I squeezed through the ceiling window), to a one-bedroom near rue Oberkampf, which I paid for in cash every month. Here I graduated to having my own washing machine, which made me so happy that I sat watching my clothes spin as if they were a gripping Netflix series.

Living the dream in Nice

With only a handful of one-bedroom apartments coming onto the market in Nice every day, for hundreds of people looking, we began to lose all hope. Friends told us it was a waste of time to knock on agency doors, but human contact made a difference. One agent who at first greeted us with a pessimistic “we have nothing” decided to take Sam and Anna under his wing, eventually convincing the owner of a spacious one-bedroom with four balconies that they would be trustworthy tenants. The Nice dream can come true, but it demands persistence even from those who grew up here! 

June happenings in Nice

The Port of Nice will play host to the United Nations Ocean Conference

Another major development in Nice has been the construction of a new conference center called Nicea on the Port, just in time for the city to host the third United Nations Ocean Conference from June 9 to 13. Related events will begin on June 4 at Nicea and around town, and if you are in Nice during this period you can expect some traffic disruptions, particularly in the Port area which will require a special badge to access. 

Some events are open to the public, such as a free immersive experience called The Whale at the Palais des Expositions; the Festival Sentiment Océanique at the Fort du Mont Alban, which includes free concerts and interactive events; and art exhibitions at the city’s public museums as part of the Biennale des Arts et des Océans. Since these are filling up quickly, it’s best to reserve your spots.

Mont Alban, a forest in the city. Photo by Karine Brun.

On Friday June 6 from 8.30 to 11pm, you can expect a spectacular light show and concert on the Promenade des Anglais with French DJs Agoria (of Paris Olympic fame) and Cassius. When the Tour de France cycling race ended in Nice last year, people couldn’t stop talking about the incredible drone show, so I don’t plan to miss this one. 

All public transport in Nice will be free from June 6 to 8, with extra trams to accommodate the number of visitors the city is expecting. To complicate things a little, there will be no trams or buses running in Nice on June 5 due to a national transport strike. 

At Les Petits Farcis, classes and tours will take place as usual, though word at the Cours Saleya market is that some vendors will choose not to come because of security restrictions (parking will be allowed underground but not outdoors around the market). We will plan ahead to provide you with the best possible experience during this time. 

Hone your seafood skills

Overfishing is one of the issues that the United Nations Ocean Conference will tackle, and this complex subject is always on our minds at Les Petits Farcis. Along the Côte d’Azur, only small fishing boats are allowed, and during our three-day Fish Camps we visit fisherman Flavien Falchetto at the Cros de Cagnes port to learn more about local fishing traditions. Guest teacher Annie Seabourne, who has worked with fish all her life in Cornwall, shares her in-depth knowledge of how to select and prepare fish so as not to waste any edible part. 

Flavien on his fishing boat. Photo by Jan Hendrik van der Westhuizen

Sardines, red mullet, forkbeard, wild sea bream, and scorpion fish are a few of the locally-caught fish you might learn to prepare in our classes, along with the freshest local produce from the market. During this course, you will gain the skills to take on just about any fish with confidence. We still have a few spots available in our next Fish Camp, which will take place from November 12 to 15, and you can sign up here.

At the market in Nice

Even if summer isn’t officially here, the temperature has shot up, hastening the arrival of the first local tomatoes at the market. Though colorful tomatoes from Provence are on display as early as April, I like to hold out for vine-ripened field tomatoes from the hills around Nice before making the first ratatouille of the year. 

Ratatouille photo by Jan Hendrik van der Westhuizen

Rather than choosing a particular variety of tomato, I look for those that are ripe to the point of bursting, for optimal sweetness. (Pro market tip: farmers sometimes keep a crate of overripe tomatoes under the table for customers who know to ask for them. These are the best for cooking, even if some of them look damaged.) Tomatoes are the key to great ratatouille, but their arrival coincides with all the other summer vegetables that go into this dish.

Zucchini and their blossoms are particularly abundant at this time of year, and our favorite local variety is the trompette, or trumpet. Related to the longer and twistier trombetta found across the border in Liguria, particularly around the town of Albenga, the trompette is really a baby squash, coming from a plant that produces abundant golden blossoms. When eaten young, this pale green, striped zucchini has a nutty taste and a texture that remains firm even after slow cooking, but you can also eat it raw. 

I was intrigued to come across a recipe on the French website Marmiton for pesto made with raw zucchini. I have made pesto with many things, from peas to carrot tops, but it had never occurred to me to use zucchini, since its flavor is so delicate. I increased the basil called for in the recipe, added a few mint leaves for a bright background flavor, and replaced the pine nuts with slivered almonds, since I love the combination of zucchini and almonds. Next time, I might add some lemon zest, since it also complements this vegetable so well. 

My small food processor created a slightly rough texture, which I liked; for a more vivid green color I might use my Nutribullet. When I first tasted this pesto, I found its flavor a little too subtle, but it came into its own once I warmed it with the pasta and some of its cooking water, adding plenty of black pepper. Suddenly I had a creamy, summery sauce that brought out the zucchini’s nutty flavor. This is not a dish for using up a glut of zucchini, but rather for celebrating the delicate early crop.

Photos by Jan Hendrik van der Westhuizen

Cherry season has also reached its peak, and for any French cook that means it’s time to make clafoutis, whose jiggly texture positions it somewhere between a flan and a cake. If Ludovic is teaching your class, he will convince you that cherries are best cooked with their pits, but I don’t mind spending some time with a cherry pitter to make the clafoutis easier to cut and eat. Either way, it tastes delicious, even if the French swear by the slight almond flavor that the pits are said to impart. Should you be lucky enough to find sour griotte cherries, these are the most authentic choice and to me produce the finest clafoutis of all. 

This month I will be traveling to Turkey for another swimming holiday. I haven’t been to Turkey in more than 20 years, and I am excited to explore the cuisine; please feel free to share your favorite spots and tips in Istanbul and Kaş! If you would like to follow my adventures (which I am hoping will include giant turtle sightings), I will be posting Instagram stories from Turkey later this month. My July newsletter might come a little late, but it will include highlights from my trip. 

This month’s recipe

Pasta with zucchini pesto

Serves 4

⅔ cup (40 g) slivered almonds

2 small zucchini, weighing about 4 ounces (110 g) each, diced small (about 1 ½ cups diced in total)

1 cup packed fresh basil leaves

8 fresh mint leaves

1 clove garlic

¼ cup (about 20 g) grated Parmesan 

½ teaspoon fine sea salt

½ cup (120 ml) delicate-tasting olive oil

1 pound (450 g) pasta of your choice

Coarse sea salt, for the pasta water

Extra Parmesan and plenty of freshly ground pepper, for serving

In a small frying pan, toast the almonds over medium-low heat until pale golden, stirring constantly. Remove them from the pan and cool to room temperature.

Place the diced zucchini, almonds, basil, mint, garlic, Parmesan and salt in the bowl of a food processor or blender. Chop finely, then add the olive oil and blend until puréed. Taste and adjust the balance of flavors, keeping in mind that you will later be adding salty pasta water.

Bring the pasta water to boil and add a handful of coarse sea salt. Cook the pasta for two minutes less than the package directions suggest. Just before draining, remove 1 cup (240 ml) of the pasta cooking water. 

Drain the pasta and return it to the stove on very low heat. Add the pesto, then the pasta water as needed to obtain a creamy sauce (you will likely use all of it), stirring constantly. Add pepper to taste and serve with extra Parmesan. 

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