Page 220 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - Provence & The Côte d'Azur

218  TR A VELLERS ’ NEEDS

Cafés, Bars and Casual Eating white coffee, ask for un café
crème. For filter or instant coffee
In rural areas the world over the local bar is the centre of order un café filtre or un café
village life, and nowhere is this more true than in Provence. américain. Tea is served black
Everywhere you go you will find lively watering holes, unless you ask for milk or lemon.
often with outside terraces or gardens. Most bars and cafés Herbal teas are also available,
known as tisanes or infusions.
double as lunchtime restaurants, serving straightforward
daily specials at reasonable prices. Snacks are not really a part
of French life but nearly all bars will make you a traditional Bars
baguette sandwich or a croque monsieur (toasted ham and croque monsieur (toasted ham and croque monsieur In most towns you will find
cheese sandwich). Drinking is a subject close to Provençal a handful of bars that only serve
beer and miscellaneous alcohol,
hearts – pastis, the aniseed spirit synonymous with Marseille, rather than the more diverse
is the region’s lifeblood. In many country towns, you will range offered by cafés. These
see the locals sitting outside sipping pastis from the early bars are lively in true Mediter-
morning onwards, along with strong black coffee. Lunchtime ranean style. Student centres
tipples include ice-cold rosé, which makes the perfect such as Nice, Marseille and
accompaniment to a sun-filled day. Aix contain British-style pubs,
offering a large selection of
European bottled and draught
Cafés
and coffee. More elaborate beer. Some have live bands,
There is little distinction affairs are served in towns, such as Wayne’s Bar and
between cafés and bars in with fresh orange juice, warm De Klomp in Nice.
Provence and most serve croissants and jam. Café lunches More upmarket bars are
alcohol all day. In the country, usually include a plat du jour found in the plush hotels of
village cafés will often close (dish of the day) and a dessert, the Côte d’Azur. Here, in belle
around 8pm. In larger towns, along with a quarter litre é é époquepoque splendour, you can sip
many places stay open much of wine. These can be great champagne listening to jazz
later – popular Marseillais and bargains, costing little more piano, string quartets or opera
Niçois bars close when the last than €17. For more basic singers. Among the most
person leaves. Many stay open lunches, sandwiches, omelettes impressive are the bars of the
all night, serving breakfast to and salads can be ordered. Carlton and Martinez hotels
the diehards as dawn breaks. Evening meals are usually the in Cannes, Le Négresco in Nice,
A lot of cafés are also tabacs reserve of restaurants, although Le Bar at the Grand Hôtel in
(tobacconists) selling cigarettes, in rural areas, the local bar will St-Jean-Cap-Ferrat and the
tobacco, sweets and stamps. also serve dinner, normally a Hermitage in Monte-Carlo
While most Provençal cafés variant on the lunchtime menu. (see Where to Stay, pp194–201).
are simple places, where decor
is restricted to the local fire What to Drink Picnic and Take-Away
brigade calendar and fashion to
a hunting jacket and boots, there Since Roman days, when the Food
are several stylish exceptions. No legionnaires introduced wine You are never far from food in
visit to Aix is complete without to the region, drinking has been Provence. The traditional street
an hour or two spent sipping a favoured pastime in Provence. food of Provence is the pan
coffee on the cours Mirabeau, Cold beer seems to surpass the bagnat, a thick bun filled
one of the places in Provence fruit of the vine in the hearts with crisp salade Niçoise and
to see and be seen. On the Côte of most farmers, as village bars doused in olive oil. Pizza is a
d’Azur, chic cafés abound. In are filled with locals downing local favourite, and every small
Cannes, Restaurant Carlton pressions (half-pint glasses town has its pizza van, where
is the place to spot film stars of beer). More potent tipples your choice is cooked to order.
during the festival. In Nice, the include pastis, a 90 per cent A particularly Provençal form
cafés on the cours Saleya are proof nectar flavoured with of pizza is pissaladière, an onion
the hub of day- and nightlife, aniseed, vanilla and cinnamon, pizza coated with anchovies
while Monaco boasts the crème and marc, a brandy distilled and olives. In Nice, the number
de la crème, La Brasserie du from any available fruits. Soft one snack is socca, thick crêpes
Café de Paris. drinks such as un diabolo (fruit made from chickpea flour
syrup mixed with lemonade) (see pp204–5).
and orange pressée (freshly The French love picnics,
What to Eat
squeezed orange juice) are also and the Provençaux are no Provençaux are no Provençaux
Most Provençal cafés serve popular. As in most Mediter- exception. French alfresco
breakfast although, in village ranean lands, coffee is a way of eating is often complex –
establishments, this will just be life – un café is a cup of strong un café is a cup of strong un café families set out tables, chairs,
a couple of slices of baguette and black espresso. If you want barbecues and portable fridges.