Cours Saleya market tour, cooking class & lunch
From: 210.00€Learn to shop like a true Niçois
Our day begins at 9.30am at the Cours Saleya market, while there is still a fresh morning breeze. The narrow maze of centuries-old streets that is the Vieux Nice opens up onto this splendid space lined with bars, cafés and restaurants on either side and market stalls down the center.
Locals and visitors converge on the terraces at lunch, but early in the day you will join the shoppers strolling through the market and admiring the vivid displays of seasonal produce, spices, candied fruit and flowers.
Though the bigger stalls are the most dazzling thanks to their array of colors, what really interests us is the small producers’ stalls. The fruit and vegetables are not as uniformly shaped and the variety not as great, but every ingredient we’ll find here is firmly rooted in the region and much of it is organic. We will build our meal around the best of the season’s produce, though it will also include fish, poultry or meat. And we won’t forget to pick up cheese and wine to make our meal complete!
Around 11am, we will make our way to the Petits Farcis cooking studio, where everyone will play a role in preparing the meal. Tucked away in rue St-Joseph, one of the most charming streets in the Old Town, this light-bathed studio has a large granite-topped island with built-in gas burners and a separate dining table that seats ten.
No need to worry if you are a beginning cook, the atmosphere is relaxed! At around 1.30pm you will sit down to an authentic Niçois meal and toast your efforts with a glass of rosé (or, if you prefer, an intriguing local red or white wine). By 3pm, you will be free to explore the nearby Castle Hill or see more of Nice and the beautiful surrounding region.
A minimum of two people is required for a cooking class to take place; if the class does not reach the minimum, you will be refunded your deposit. A discount of 10 euros per person is applied to groups of four or more booking together.
If you don’t see your preferred date here, wish to book within 24 hours of the class taking place, or need any assistance with the booking process, please contact us to book your class. If you receive a “failed payment” message, most likely it is due to security measures by the bank on overseas payments. Please contact your bank before trying again.
Mastering French Macarons
From: 110.00€Do you love macarons but think they are mysterious and difficult to make? In this class, we will share our techniques for making perfect French macarons and troubleshooting any issues that might come up. You will learn the history of this little French sweet, which has a special connection to Nice!
Learn to make Italian meringue and two different fillings, and master techniques including macaronage, piping and filling under our expert guidance. Students are provided with an emailed PDF recipe booklet of the recipes prepared in class, along with a box of their creations.
Class is held at Les Petits Farcis cooking studio at 12 rue Saint-Joseph, Vieux Nice
If you don’t see your preferred date here or wish to sign up within 48 hours of a class taking place, please contact us to book.
Choux Pastry Masterclass
From: 110.00€Choux pastry is the base for such iconic French pastries as eclairs, religieuses, cream puffs and croquembouche, and can also be used for savory preparations.
In this class, we share our techniques for making perfectly puffed-up choux pastries every time. You will learn to make two different fillings, mascarpone cream and crème pâtissière (pastry cream).
You will practice piping, filling and baking the choux pastry under the chef’s expert guidance. Students are provided with an emailed PDF recipe booklet of the recipes prepared in class, along with a box of their creations.
Class is held in our cooking studio at 12 rue St-Joseph, Vieux Nice.
If you don’t see your preferred date, or would like to book within 48 hours of a class, please contact us to book. Private classes are available on request.
Libération market tour, cooking class & lunch
From: 230.00€Explore the up-and-coming Libération area and shop alongside the locals.
Just north of the main Nice train station, the city’s biggest food market takes place six days a week. Known affectionately to locals as “la Libé”, this up-and-coming part of Nice is reminiscent of Paris with its 19th-century style buildings and broad boulevards that offer a view of the mountains beyond the city. Food-lovers from all over town come here for the vast selection of produce, much of it sold directly by the farmers. This is also where you will find the biggest variety of fish and seafood in Nice, along with several excellent butchers. Both Rosa and Viktorija live in this area and have developed a strong attachment to the neighborhood and its market.
Our tour will begin at 9am in front of the Gare du Sud, a former train station that now houses a modern food hall. From here, we will visit the farmers’ stalls to find the freshest local produce and select meat or fish for our meal.
Around 10.30am, we will take the tram to the Petits Farcis cooking studio, where everyone will play a role in preparing the meal. Tucked away in rue St-Joseph, one of the most charming streets in the Old Town, this light-bathed studio has a large granite-topped island with built-in gas burners and a separate dining table that seats ten.
No need to worry if you are a beginning cook, the atmosphere is relaxed! A couple of hours later we will sit down to an authentic Niçois meal and toast our efforts with a glass of rosé (or, if you prefer, an intriguing local red or white wine). By 3pm we will have finished our meal and you will be free to explore Nice’s Old Town or perhaps head to the beach!
This program is limited to seven participants to facilitate the use of public transport from Libération to the Old Town and to allow for maximum spontaneity in our menu choices. A minimum of two people is required for a cooking class to take place; if the class does not reach the minimum, you will be refunded your deposit.
If you don’t see your preferred date here or need any assistance with the booking process, please contact us to book your class.
Classes may be booked nine months ahead.
Private Rosé Wine Tasting with Niçoise Nibbles
To book your Private Rosé Wine Tasting, please contact us!
The crisp rosés of southern France, in all shades of pink, have conquered even the most skeptical wine lovers. But how do you taste rosé wine and judge its qualities? Join sommelier and cookbook author Viktorija Todorovska at the beautiful Petits Farcis studio in the heart of Nice Old Town to discover the rosés of Provence and the French Riviera and learn to identify your preferred style. She will introduce you to the art of tasting any wine and tell you the story of rosé and the region, illustrating her points by uncorking bottles from her favorite producers.
Viktorija will also provide you with a list of rosés available outside France so that you can continue to build your knowledge at home.
Because rosé wine is an integral part of “la merenda”, Nice’s street food tradition, a selection of local nibbles will be served during this tasting. You will also learn how to pair rosé with foods from the Mediterranean and other parts of the world.
This tasting is available for at least two people, at a minimum cost of 450 euros.
Fish Camp
From: 990.00€Learn the ins and outs of cooking with seafood in our four-day workshop.
Do you love eating seafood, but lack confidence when it comes to preparing it? You are not alone! Join us for a four-day workshop to hone your fish preparation skills in a fun and friendly environment.
Our guest teacher, Annie Seabourne, is the daughter of a fisherman and runs the cooking school My Fish Kitchen in Cornwall, England. She is passionate about her subject and loves to prepare fish in a minimalist style, to highlight their distinct flavors. Co-teacher Rosa will bring her love of the local produce to these classes, pairing seasonal vegetables — also prepared simply — with our carefully selected catch each day.
Each day will begin with a visit to the fish market, where you will learn to recognize signs of optimal freshness and choose the best of the day’s catch. We will also visit the fishing port of Cros de Cagnes (weather permitting), where you will see fishermen bring in their catch on small boats, just as they have for hundreds of years.
In Rosa’s Old Town kitchen, you will learn to scale, fillet and clean different types of Mediterranean fish, and practice a variety of preparation methods that will give you plenty of options when cooking fish at home. Each day, we will work with at least three varieties of fish and seafood, which might include sardines, mackerel, sea bream, John Dory, scallops, squid, cuttlefish, sole, amberjack, and others, depending on availability.
Class schedule
Wednesday: 5 to 7pm
Join Rosa and Annie at the Les Petits Farcis cooking studio in Nice Old Town for a welcome drink with seafood-based nibbles. We will introduce the course and get to know each other before our first day of cooking.
Thursday: 9am to 3pm
Our day will begin at Libération market in Nice, where we will select our fish and vegetables for the day based on what looks freshest and most appealing. We will then take the tram to Rosa’s Old Town kitchen, where you will learn techniques for cleaning and filleting fish, and how to prepare them simply to bring out their unique flavors. Rosa will prepare a variety of simple salads and vegetable dishes to accompany the fish.
Friday: 11am to 2pm and 5 to 9pm
In the morning, will take the train to the nearby fishing port of Cros de Cagnes (10 minutes west of Nice), where you will see the fishermen bring in their catch and select our fish for the day. You will have an opportunity to meet a local fisherman and ask questions about fishing in the French Mediterranean. A light picnic lunch will be provided.
Starting at 5pm, we will prepare our meal based on what we found at the fishing port, as well as vegetables selected by Rosa at Libération market.
- Please keep in mind that fishing is dependent on favorable weather conditions. Should fishing be impossible on the day of our outing, we will try to move this outing to another day or replace it with a different activity.
Saturday: 9am to 3pm
We will meet at Libération market to select the finest seafood and vegetables, and enjoy the lively atmosphere of the Saturday market. This time, you will already have picked up skills that will allow you to spot the freshest seafood. Our class will continue in Rosa’s Old Town kitchen, where you will practice your fish preparation skills and prepare simple recipes that highlight our exceptional ingredients.
What is included
- Three days of teaching by two culinary experts
- All the ingredients
- Wine and nibbles on Day 1
- Wine with each meal
- Tram tickets
- Return train ticket from Nice Ville to Cros de Cagnes
- Picnic lunch in Cros de Cagnes
- Notebook and pen to record what you have learned
- A Les Petits Farcis apron to take home
Not included
- Accommodation
- Transport to and from Nice
- Transport should you choose to come to Cros de Cagnes from another departure point or at a different time.
To book your spot, please select the number of people, click on the first day of the program, and select the time. The cost of the course is 990 euros per person. If you need any assistance with the booking process, please contact us to book your class.
Private Nice Street Food tour
Nice is the only city in France that is famed for its street food, a result of the strong Italian influence here. Many of the snacks sold at the Cours Saleya market and in the Old Town’s street food stands would have been eaten by workers to calm mid-morning hunger pangs: a tradition known as la merenda.
During this fascinating three-hour, which may be organized for groups of 4-8 people from 9.30am-12.30pm except Mondays, you will learn about the history of Nice and its food and taste such unexpected delicacies as pissaladière (caramelized onion tart), socca (chick pea pancake), fougasse (Provençal flatbread) and tourte de blettes (a sweet pie with a surprise ingredient). Of course, you will have an opportunity to sample the local wine!
The Private Nice Street Food Tours give you a personal experience, enabling us to cater to individual tastes and requests. Our fully bilingual guides are chosen for their knowledge of the local cuisine and the pleasure they take in sharing their passion for food. We focus on organic and sustainable agriculture, so you will be tasting only the highest quality products. Your tour might focus on the Old Town and Port areas or take you to Libération, the up-and-coming district that is home to Nice’s largest food market.
How to book
First contact us to check that your preferred date is available. We will then send you details of how to book once we’ve confirmed availability.
If you’d like to cook some of these delicious dishes yourself, sign up for one of our hands-on cooking classes!