If cuisine, then only haute cuisine! This is the motto of the best restaurants and inexpensive cafes on the Côte d'Azur, including Joan-les-Pins. One of the visiting cards of this region is fish soup bouillabaiss (bouillabaiss), which is made of at least three varieties of fish with the addition of shrimps and crabs. Interestingly, the soup was once considered the food of poor fishermen, who prepared it from the leftovers of unsold fish during the day. Today this dish is considered a specialty of many elite French establishments.
The history of ratatouille, once the main dish in the diet of French soldiers, is much the same.
However, it would be unfair to consider only these dishes as the pinnacle of local chefs’ creations. We have compiled a list of dishes that you absolutely must try while vacationing in Juan-les-Pins:
Aïoli (L'aioli) — a sauce made from garlic paste and olive oil.
Anchoïade (L'anchoiade) — an anchovy purée with crushed capers, lightly drizzled with olive oil. Served with slices of toasted bread as an appetizer.
Zucchini flowers (Les Fleurs de La Courge), prepared in boiling oil.
Cod brandade (La Brandade) — a cod purée, served cold with capers.
Brousse (La Brousse) — a young cheese with garlic and aromatic herbs in olive oil.
Fougasse (La Fougasse) — a flatbread filled with slices of pork fat, onion, and olives.
Gnocchi (Les Gniocchis) — potato dumplings with melted cheese.
Pain Bagnat (Le Pain Bagnat) — a huge sandwich with green salad, thin slices of tomato, anchovies, hard-boiled egg, capers, and olives, seasoned with olive oil.
Pissaladière (La Pissaladiere) — a cold onion tart with anchovies and olives.
Porchetta (La Porchetta Niçoise) — suckling pig stuffed with onion, garlic, and aromatic herbs.
Supions (Les Supions) — small cuttlefish or squid fried in batter.
No matter which restaurant in Juan-les-Pins or Antibes you visit, while your order is being prepared, you will be served a small plate of olives free of charge. And they are simply exquisite here!
From drinks we recommend to try Le Pastis — a famous anise aperitif, Cotes de Provence wines (from 11 grape varieties), Bandol (red wine aged for three years), Bellet (fruity white wine with delicate flavor), Lerina liqueur and so-called orange wine (pink wine based on bitter oranges).
