Nice Food Tour: Old Town market tastings & wine

★★★★★★★★★★ 4.94 (108 reviews) 96% rated it 5 stars

Free cancellationTravelers' pick

1/10

Duration3h

GroupUp to 12

LanguagesEN

Mobile ticketAccepted

Cours Saleya market and medieval streets: taste what locals eat

You’ll wander Nice’s Old Town with a local guide, sampling socca hot off the griddle, Provençal tarts from bustling markets, and regional wines in cozy bars. Expect unexpected flavors (and maybe an olive oil stain or two), stories from locals who know every alleyway, plus time to soak up seaside views you might keep thinking about long after you leave.

Step-by-step itinerary

Explore Nice Old Town and Market

Meet guide and learn history
Walk past bakeries and fish markets
Visit Law Court and take photos
Explore Cours Saleya Market
Walk Promenade des Anglais beachfront

The Experience

I didn’t expect the first bite of socca to taste like summer — warm, salty, almost smoky from the griddle. We’d barely started our walk through Nice’s Old Town when our guide, Camille, handed me that thin chickpea crêpe wrapped in paper. The square was already busy: someone was arguing about olives (in French I barely caught), and the air smelled like baked bread and sea breeze. I tried to say “merci” with my mouth full. Camille just grinned.

The market at Cours Saleya was next — flowers everywhere, but also tomatoes so red they looked fake. We stopped at a stall where an older man sliced cheese for us to try; he winked when I hesitated over the blue-veined one. There was a tarte with anchovies and onion (salty-sweet, not what I expected), and then salad niçoise but with some twist I still can’t explain — something citrusy? People kept weaving past us with baskets full of lemons and fresh bread. It felt like everyone knew each other here, or at least pretended to.

Somewhere between the olive oil tasting (I spilled a drop on my shirt — classic me) and the story about a legendary bank heist at the Law Court, I realized how much history is packed into these little winding streets. Camille told us about Nice’s Italian past while we wandered down alleys too narrow for cars. At one point she pointed out a faded mural above a bakery; apparently it’s been there since her grandmother was young.

We ended up in a tiny bar for local wine and charcuterie — honestly, by then I’d lost count of how many things we’d tasted. Someone ordered ice cream even though it wasn’t really warm out (the lavender flavor surprised me). Walking back along the Promenade des Anglais, the light was soft and people were just sitting around talking or watching the sea. I still think about that view sometimes when I’m stuck in traffic back home.

What’s included

Your day includes guided tastings of socca straight from the griddle, Provençal tart with anchovies and onion, salad niçoise with a twist, cheeses and charcuterie from Cours Saleya Market stalls, an olive oil tasting session (watch your shirt!), artisanal ice cream—even lavender if you dare—plus local wines poured in cozy bars. All bites are included along with stories from your guide as you wind through historic streets before finishing by the sea.

Good to know

Easy physical levelPublic transport nearbyInfants must sit on laps

Operated by Secret Food Tours