Côte d’Azur is also known as the French Riviera. Before anything else let’s learn how to prounounce Côte d’Azur. Say it with me KOHT + DUH + ZYOOR!

ALWAYS START IN THE LOCAL LANGUAG

This is the most important #DIPLOTIP when you travel: Always learn a few survival phrases in the local language so you can greet the server and always apologize profusely and sincerely for not speaking the local language. This opens a lot of doors and exponentially increases the likelihood that you will have a fantastic experience. So in France we always start with:

Bonjour! Désolé (then point to yourself with an apologetic smile) anglaise.

UnDiplomaticWife

And usually they will either start talking to you in English, give you an English menu or get someone who can help. But if you just start talking in English they get shy and say no they can’t help or speak English. An attempt to speak the local language is always appreciated no matter how embarassing and really opens the locals up.

HOW TO DECIDE WHERE TO EAT

We do a combination of research i.e. Google if there is a worthwhile place to splurge on using “michelin restaurant in [name of place]” and also just stopping when we are tired and looking around to see which places have a lot of locals dining in or if it has lots of stickers with awards. The latter is how we found this jewel of a place to eat in. We were walking on this street and this restaurant was bustling even if it was off peak!

LA CAMBUSE RESTAURANT

+33 4 93 80 82 40 • 5 cours Saleya, 06300 Nice France
Facebook • TripAdvisor

It was a pleasant cool sunny day so we set outside with a beautiful view.

Notice also all the stickers on the door where it got awards or was featured? We thought that was a good sign.

To eat economically when we travel, we usually have 1 Plat du Jour (Today’s Special) for lunch + 1 main dish. If we get 2 Plat du Jour it is too much for both us so we usually share the Entreé and Dessert, but get 1 main dish each. This is a good way to save and try different dishes while sharing.

For Plat du Jour usually will get a 3-course meal for a good price and get to try a good selection of the ff:

1. Entreé (salad or soup)
2. Plat (main dish)
3. Dessert

But here in La Cambuse they had a Menu Complet which had 4 dishes that we could share at only 24.50 Euros. It was just right!

This way we can save and splurge a little for dinner, which is usually more expensive.

It is normal to have wine with a meal in Europe. And since we were on vacation we decided to share a bottle so we can walk around with a small happy buzz after our meal. We always try to get the local wine and food that the place is known for. This Carte Noire Saint Tropez Rose was perfect to pair with the salads that we chose and the heavier beef stew pasta that TD was having.

How to pronounce Saint Tropez

Of course we had to get the Niçois Salad (Salad from Nice). I normally don’t like Niçois Salad, but in my experience when you get the dish where it originated from, then it’s usually fantastically good. This did not disappoint!

How to pronounce Niçoise

Gosh I can’t remember the name of this dish, but it’s was a great sampler of different tastes and so fresh that it was yummy with just a little olive oil. It’s incredible how fresh things were!

TD got the Daube Niçoise Tagliatelle or pasta in Provencal Beef Stew that is marinated beef braised in red wine with orange zest and Niçoise olives. It was so so good!

We ended our meal with dessert and Italian espresso macchiato (single shot espresso with a splash of milk) with a traditional Italian biscuit.

First, what is nougat glacé?  It’s a creamy, frozen dessert from Provence–a mix of Italian meringue, whipped cream, fruit, and caramelized nuts. Its flavors are traditional ones: fruit, nuts, and honey. Nougat glacé is so called because it is frozen (glacé means ‘iced’) and because it contains nuts and honey, which are also found in nougat–a chewy candy that is a favorite in Provence. The honey in nougat glacé–traditionally lavender honey–is cooked in the sugar syrup that makes the meringue.

– Nougat Glacé Recipe, FINE COOKING

We now end lunch with espresso or espresso macchiato at the most, because we learned in Italy that a lot of fresh milk after lunch is bad for your digestions.

To sip a cappuccino after lunch is a direct and major violation of an Italian Food Rule. 

– No Cappucino after 10am, TUSCAN TRAVELLER

This was a fantastic and unforgettable meal. I still remember the sun on our faces with the cool breeze. And I finally know how Niçoise Salad should taste!

MY FAVORITE MACARONS: PIERRE HERME

Côte d’Azur location via Foursquare [PERMANENTLY CLOSED]

This is hands-down my favorite macaron brand. In my opinion, much better than Blair Waldorf’s favorite brand. If you pass by it in France, I suggest you get a box! They have so many interesting flavors, but I love the Salted Caramel. If I recall correctly they had a wonderul truffle one too.

A VERY FRENCH GUIDE TO EATING MACARONS

Pierre Hermé has been dubbed by Vogue “the Picasso of Pastry” so you know each macaron is a masterpiece!

OTHER LOCATIONS OF PIERRE HERMÉ