La dolce vita, does that tempt you? Right in the middle heart of our city, the Caffè Orso offers delicious traditional Italian pastries. Sometimes forgotten at home, they are brought up to date here!
Spaghetti “alle vongole”, Neapolitan pizza or even arancini… It’s no secret: the people of Nice are fans of Italian cuisine! What if, for once, we took a little closer interest in the sweet side of our neighbors?
Opened last March, the Caffe Orso unveils a very gourmet offering: recipes for traditional regional pastries. Everything is homemade!
Behind this place, the Nice native Laura Pacchioni. “I prepared this project for four years” she rewinds. Formerly marketing manager of the palace The Lutetia in Paris, this enthusiast chose to retrain.“The hotel’s pastry chef, Nicolas Guercio, was my mentor in preparing my CAP.” Then Covid arrives: “so I continued to learn at home, with my little household oven”. She finally graduated in 2020.
“Regional recipes”
To get started, go back to basics in the Riviera capital! “I wanted to work on a slightly different concept. I have Italian roots through my paternal grandparents. We are from Umbria. There are many recipes that have been passed down in my family, orally or in small notebooks. I wanted to continue this tradition.”
According to her: “Italian regional recipes are little known”. Here, we honor them! “We have my grandmother’s Torcolo, a soft, lemon-flavored cake, or Torta Caprese, a chocolate and almond cake.” Customers can discover or rediscover these flavors…
Among the other sweets: brioche flavored with orange blossom, hazelnut biscuit, financial teddy bear… “Today I took out the pasticciotti. We don’t usually have them on the menu.” Timeless pieces are to be tasted as well as pieces “from the moment”.
“A warm place”
Cookies are also available. And there too, an Italian touch is present! “We always use ingredients from there. Here, I put Piedmont hazelnuts”. Added to this is saltiness, with the garnished focaccia. But that’s not all ! Different drinks are offered, including Piedmontese roast coffee. In short, the idea of the establishment? “Enhance the Botte’s products! “.
At the house of Caffè Orso, you will also be transported thanks to the decoration! Books, objects and even tableware from Italy. “Our plates come from Deruta, in the Umbria region. They specialize in ceramics.” A wall with photos traces the beautiful history of this place…
By summer, events will be put in place. “I would like to work on workshops around Italy. There will certainly be conversation classes, afterworks, presentations of certain areas…” An address to try!
Learn more
- 7 avenue du Marechal Foch
- Pastry prices: from 1 to 4 euros 80
- Open Tuesday to Friday, 7:45 a.m. to 5:45 p.m.
- Friday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
- For more information, visit this page
