Regional specialities offered by Menton’s restaurants

Whether you’re staying for a week or just for a weekend, Menton has some delicious culinary specialities. Enjoy them in your Royal Westminster hotel or in our recommended addresses in Menton.

Lemons, the local star of the show

We have already mentioned this fruit in a previous article, but it’s important to remember that Menton’s lemons are the basis of many local dishes. They are used to create lemon liqueur, similar to Italian limoncello – a staple when cocktail hour comes around in Menton. Several renowned restaurants and patisseries in Menton use them and lemons are regularly found in tarts, jams and confectionery. Symbols of the city, celebrated every year during the festival which bears their name, lemons from Menton are the pride and joy of its inhabitants!

Other regional specialities

In addition to its lemons, Menton has plenty of typical recipes to delight your taste buds. The following dishes are often available in Menton’s restaurants and in the covered market:

  • Barbarjuans: these pastries are first stuffed with chard, spinach, parmesan and rice before being fried in oil. With Alain Ducasse as a fan, they’ve spread as far as Paris: their reputation far exceeds the Cote d’Azur.
  • Menton fougasse: a sweet variant of the traditional fougasse, the Menton version includes sugared almond and orange blossom essence in its ingredients. The result? A dessert which is loved by young and old alike
  • Pichade is a variation of pissaladière from Nice, with the addition of tomatoes to the recipe. This would-be anchovy pizza can be eaten as a starter, hot or cold.

And when it comes to sweet treats, the restaurant of your Westminster, hotel serves a delicious lemon tart!

Our recommendations in Menton

Many restaurants, bistros and bakeries keep their doors open throughout the year in this seaside town. It’s up to you to make your choice from the available specialities:

Even if you’re only staying in Menton for the weekend, you must visit the Marché des Halles. You’ll find most local producers here, from Tuesday to Sunday. The best place to buy lemons!

  • Maison Herbin is a producer of artisan jams which has been open since 1974. The rigorous selection of fruit and an old-fashioned preparation creates sophisticated jams with intense flavours. Visits and tastings are also available.
  • The artisanal bakery and pastry shop Au baiser du mitron takes you back in time with its wood-burning oven, dating back to 1906, which bakes Menton fougasses, special breads, lemon and peasant tarts on a daily basis.
  • In the pedestrianised area, D’Aqui offers barbajuans made with lemons from Menton, regularly voted for as the town’s best.