Dining Review: Le Panier – Nice, France

July 2024

Dining Review: Le Panier – Nice, France

When I found Le Panier, I knew immediately this was a must eat restaurant on our trip. Reviews for the restaurant were near perfect as people raved about the creative dining experience. The concept is simple – while there is no menu, guests are given a list of ingredients to get a preview of what to expect. The menu choice is simply five course or seven course which adds a cheese dish and additional dessert. With the incentive of cheese and more dessert, we selected the seven course option and prepared ourselves for an amazing meal. 

Our seat along with most of the restaurant’s seating, was outside and we just love outdoor dining in Europe. It allows for the optimal ambiance and being right in the middle of the action. With no menu selections to make, it really set the mood to sit back and relax to enjoy this dining experience.

That being said, with no menu my descriptions of the food are going to be a bit difficult to capture everything that was going on with each dish and may not have everything completely accurate but I will do my best!

After ordering drinks, our amuse bouche was presented to start our meal.

It was a  cold soup made of melon that had a soft cheese on top with sunflower seeds. The soup was delicious and there were definitely some spices going on, I think tarragon, and something that gave it a small kick. It was light, refreshing, and super flavorful for such a small portion.

Zucchini with stuffed fermented beans over mushroom sauce

I loved the presentation of this dish – what a fun way to use zucchini as a vessel for the rest of the dish. The fermented beans inside the zucchini really reminded us of more of a grain, it was really tasty. And this mushroom sauce was incredible, definitely plate licking good. For as simply as the dish was, I really found it so well executed that it stood out as one of the favorites of the evening.

African inspired tuna with eggplant and tomato spiced sauce

After our trip to Japan, I have a new appreciation for tuna outside of that which comes in a can. This cut of tuna was fantastic and perfectly prepared with a great sear on it. The tuna sat on top of a grain with mixed in vegetables including eggplant with a tomato sauce. The spices in the side underneath were not to my liking but Kevin enjoyed all the spices mixed together. This was certainly to most unique set of flavors I have had with a tuna steak.

Cod with fennel confit, apricot and anise puree

I am always nervous when the fish dish arrives since I am typically not a fan of flaky fish but this cod has to be one of the best fish dishes I have had. The presentation here really set the tone with a beautiful cut of cod with a crispy crust over wild asparagus and an anise puree. And the whole fennel was paired perfectly with an apricot puree that brought a brightness to the dish. Excellent execution and we loved every bite.

Veal over lentil beans with pineapple, tomato and raspberry sauce, and a side salad with raspberry vinegarette

When this dish was presented, it immediately had the wow factor – just look at how beautiful this dish is with so many bright colors. The veal was simply exceptional. The savoriness of the lentils with the sweetness of the pineapple, tomato and raspberry sauce was such a fun combination that balanced the dish. I love the creativity using different ingredients together that you generally do not see.

Goat cheese with freshly shaved truffle, truffle mayo, julienne zucchini

This was one of the two extra dishes for selecting the seven course menu option and in our case, it was well worth the addition. Oh my goodness this was fantastic and what a surprise to have the addition of freshly shaved truffles and truffle mayo. It was a great combination for the cheese and I just savored every bite. I also love how the zucchini has made an appearance in multiple dishes which is a testament to not wasting and using fresh ingredients.

Ginger carrot foam atop a carrot cake with ice cream

This dessert was a ginger overs dream! The ginger foam on top completely covered the carrot cake at the bottom so a bit of digging to get the entirety of the dish. Ginger is not my favorite flavor but I will say the carrot cake was delicious. Kevin absolutely loved this dish and appreciated showcasing the ginger in so many different ways.

Creme brulee bread, cherry in three ways, match cream

The bonus dessert for the seven course tasting menu was a creme brulee bread with cherries three ways – whole, ice cream, and puree – and matcha cream. I was and still am a little confused by the creme brulee bread. It was so dark by the time we got this dish that it was hard to see exactly what it was but it seemed to be a specific type of bread that had the brulee sugar crust on it. And while neither of us are cherry fans, these cherries were quite tasty in their presentation. This isn’t the best dessert we had but can appreciate what was going on.

What a fantastic way to start off our French Riviera trip! I cannot say enough wonderful things about dining at Le Panier. The service was excellent, the portion sizes of each dish was generous – we left completely stuffed – and the value for the meal itself is great. And if the extra dish is always a cheese and a dessert, I would say 100% go 7 courses unless an allergy to cheese prohibits you from enjoying it.When you visit Nice, I would highly recommend you grab a reservation at Le Panier!

Continue reading about our trip in Nice here!

Read all blog posts for French Riviera here!

See our complete itinerary here!

Planning your own trip? Read the Perfect Itinerary for French Riviera here!

Review our complete carry-on packing here!