Nice is following suit on a rising trend that has swept through Europe’s major cities in recent years.
Here, fragrant and inviting food halls pop up in appropriate buildings, which served their normal purpose and now form the gathering point for an exciting range of eateries for both locals and tourists.
The same transformation has also surpassed the former train station Gare du Sud located in the Liberation district of Nice, approx. 20 minutes walk from Place Masséna and Avenue Médecin.
From raw railroad tracks to elegant food stalls
From 1892 until 1991, Gare du Sud functioned as an ordinary train station. It was shut down when a new and more central train station was built in Nice.
Gare du Sud then remained empty until 2013, after which it was completely restored and rebuilt to house a state-of-the-art food market. The opening took place on 19 May 2019.
The building still has its historic decorative appearance, and with its sumptuous 18-meter-high vault, it is an impressive sight to meet the visitor. The building is today a historical monument, the architecture of which was inspired by Gustave Eiffel.
Cultural and gastronomic mecca
The large steel hall has now been transformed into one large cultural and gastronomic mecca, and the hall is enriched with a 1,000 square meter mezzanine, which is laid on top of the 1,500 square meters on the ground floor. Especially from the mezzanine, you’ll get a fantastic view over the food hall and you will be able to study the architecture closely in Belle Époque and Art Déco style.
It became a cozy place where the citizens of Nice and tourists meet to taste all that the local restaurants have to offer, but also to ooze, have a drink, see an exhibition or listen to music.
There is a wide range of restaurants and bars at Gare du Sud, including Aix & Terra (a Provencal delicacy), Café de Turin (an oyster bar), La Cave du Fromager (cheese and charcuterie), MadANice (local Niçois cuisine), L ‘Atelier Maison de la Truffe (truffle specialties), La Vie en Rose (bar and tapas), SuperLobster (lobster rolls), IT (an Italian trattoria), Mahata (a Lebanese restaurant) and much more.
By Tommy Sverre / 2021
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