The Cours Saleya at dawn

In the old town of Nice, between the Préfecture and the sea, the Cours Saleya wakes up before the city does. From Tuesday to Sunday, flower and produce stalls are set up in the early morning under striped awnings. On Mondays the same square becomes an antiques market.

In autumn the colours change. The last tomatoes share the tables with figs, chestnuts, squash and the first ceps from the hills behind the coast. Small producers sell next to larger stands, and the best way to tell them apart is simply to ask where things were grown.

What we look for

Fruit that smells ripe. Herbs bought in bunches rather than packs. Vegetables chosen for the day they will be cooked, not the day they are bought.