The story
La Merenda at 4 rue Raoul-Bosio in Nice is a Provençal bistro run by chef Dominique Le Stanc, and the Michelin Guide awarded it a Bib Gourmand in 2026 for good quality, good value cooking.
Le Stanc was previously a two-star chef at the Negresco. He took over this small bistro, which has been part of Niçoise eating for more than 60 years, and chose to cook market food from traditional local recipes. The menu follows the seasons and the day's deliveries from local producers. In his own words, the kitchen lets him concentrate on the essence of cooking, with fresh produce and an honest approach.
The repertoire covers pissaladière, stuffed sardines, stockfish, daube and tourte de blettes. Le Fooding, which listed the restaurant in 2026, singled out a zucchini blossom beignet to start and tagliatelle turned green with pistou. It also praised a tender Provençal stew served with a mountain of panisse fritters. The meal ends with the sweet chard pie with pine nuts and raisins.
The dining room sits on a quiet street in the old town. Timeworn tomette tile floors, a ceiling draped in curtains and old mustard jars used as glasses set the tone, and the tables are covered in paper. Seating is close, so conversation tends to spill across tables. It is a bistro in the plainest sense, with the attention kept on the plate.
Recognition
Ambience
Details
History
good quality, good value cooking
There’s no point in calling since La Merenda doesn’t have a telephone – it’s best to just stop by the day before to secure a reservation at this legendary, unpretentious restaurant: timeworn tomette tile floors, a ceiling shrouded in curtains, old mustard jars for glasses… For ages now, Dominique Le Stanc (the former chef at the Negresco) has been brilliantly exhibiting all the classics of Alpes-Maritimes cuisine, served on paper tablecloths. The other night, as with so many others: a zucchini blossom beignet that started things off right; stunning tagliatelle turned green with pistou , the local version of pesto; an ultra-tender Provencal stew with a mountain of panisse fritters; small, stuffed veggies; before the iconic dessert, a sweet chard pie with pine nuts and raisins. Nice’s art de vivre at its finest! // A.A.
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