Acchiardo

Acchiardo is a traditional Niçoise table at 38 Rue Droite in Vieux Nice, in the narrow lanes of the old town on the French Riviera in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region of France. The kitchen works from a short, fixed repertoire of the dishes that define the city's home cooking rather than a long modern menu, which is part of why it has a loyal local following. The cuisine is Niçoise, the Ligurian-tinged cooking of the county of Nice, built on olive oil, chard, anchovy, tomato and slow-braised beef. Signature dishes include gnocchi de blettes, the green chard gnocchi known locally as merda de can, and a daube de boeuf served with ravioli, a pairing that has become emblematic of Niçoise Sunday cooking. The menu also lists petits farcis niçois, vegetables stuffed with meat and herbs, as well as pissaladière, the onion and anchovy tart, and panisses, the fried chickpea fingers that sit alongside socca in the city's street-food tradition. The dining room is small and narrow, in the manner of many old-town establishments on Rue Droite, so tables are close together, the noise level is moderate to lively at lunch, and the atmosphere is informal with no dress code beyond ordinary smart-casual daywear. The restaurant is more a neighbourhood address than a destination for an extensive wine list, and drinks are typically local Provence rosé and red by the glass or carafe, which suit the herb-driven, olive-oil-rich food. Service follows the weekday rhythm of a lunch-focused old-town bistro: regional listings show opening from Monday to Friday for lunch from 12:00 to 14:00 and dinner from 19:00 to 22:00, with the restaurant closed on Saturday, Sunday and throughout August. Reservations are recommended, and visitors are advised to telephone on +33 4 93 85 51 16 several days ahead for lunch, because the short menu and small room fill early. Because opening days and holiday closures vary between sources, a phone call before the visit is the most reliable way to confirm. Prices fall in the mid-range, comfortably below the city's fine-dining addresses, making it a sensible choice for a first proper Niçoise meal in the old town.