Dinner at La Merenda

The front door of La Merenda is a bit intimidating when you come to it in the morning to make a reservation - a beaded doorway with cool darkness behind it. Bravely, I stepped inside and asked for a place for the evening, and chose to have dinner at neuve heures (9 pm).

After the waiter managed to stop me from walking all over his freshly cleaned floor, he put us down for dinner, and I walked home feeling victorious.










That night we returned and were seated at a tiny table. The room could accommodate 25 people, and it was packed.

At the back of the room is an open, tiny kitchen where you can see the chef at work. He left a top notch restaurant at Nice's famous Hotel Negresco to cook Nicoise fare for the knowing few.

















A blackboard menu with the night's specials is brought to your table. The waiter gives you a few minutes, and then returns to take your order. He then takes the blackboard and places it on the next table.


When we sat down in the restaurant, the smell of delicious beef reminded Simon and me of arriving at my grandma's ranch in Montana and being served the most local of roast beef dinners. The homey smells were welcoming and delicious, and it made me proud to think of all the delicious meals my grandma had prepared for her guests. Had our chef made his way to her table, he would have been blessed as we were by his wonderful cooking.


As starters, we ordered an onion tart and the sardines. The sardines were stuffed with garlic and bread crumbs and were the best either of us had ever had. The tart was a local specialty, done beautifully.

For our entree, we both wanted an entire order of Daube de Boeuf a la provencale (Beef Stew with Provencal flavors), but decided to get the Andoillette (sausage with lentils) so we could try 2 things. Both were amazing, but there was not enough daube de boeuf to please us both. It melted in our mouths, the tomato and olive flavors a revelation.

Simon went with the fromage for dessert and received a lovely piece of cheese covered in spicy honey. I could not pass up the beautiful gateau aux cerises (cherry cake) I'd seen at other tables, and it was spectacular!


If you are ever in Nice, do not pass up the chance to dine at La Merenda. Our meal with coffee and wine was $40 pp. The actual address is 4 rue Raoul Bosio.