Markets, shops and everyday life
Local food culture does not live only in restaurants. Covered markets, producers, bakeries, pastry shops and specialist stores create an everyday food landscape.
MENTON · FOOD · LOCAL KNOW-HOW
Food and artisan traditions in Menton
Menton can also be understood through its market, artisans, citrus, Riviera cooking and an everyday culture built from products, gestures and specialist shops.
From the aroma of freshly baked socca to citrus preserves and market stalls, I share the Menton I know through the people who bring it to life. Discover this borderland cuisine through its shops, gardens and Riviera flavours.
Meet the local makers ↓
Citrus and local products
Citron de Menton IGP is the most recognisable product, but the local food story also includes olive oil, herbs, vegetables, fish and Mediterranean preparations shaped by the Riviera and the border.
Craft and transmission
Know-how lives in gestures: transforming, preserving, kneading, cooking and passing skills on. This is where products and professional competence become living heritage.
LOCAL TRADITIONS
Socca Memé
For thirty years on Place Saint-Roch, Socca Memé has been a reference for regional specialities: hot socca, barbajuan, pissaladière and tourte tell the story of everyday Riviera cooking. A stop on my Menton Food Tour. The socca is baked in its mobile wood-fired oven, bringing the aromas and warmth of this tradition to the square.
Socca in the kitchen
A loose batter of chickpea flour, water, olive oil and salt, baked on a very hot tray until golden on top.
LOCAL TRADITIONS
Barbajuan: one ravioli, many claims to its origins
Castellar, in the hills above Menton, Menton itself and Monaco all claim this fried ravioli. The local tourist office traces it to Castellar, where women made it to sell in Monaco. It is a shared speciality, with fillings and shapes that vary from family to family.
Barba Juan means “Uncle John” in the local dialects; it also reminds me of Piedmontese, where barba means uncle. Legend tells of an Uncle John, skilled at making ravioli, who found himself without sauce for his guests and improvised by frying them. This is an oral tradition, rather than a historically established account of the dish’s birth.
Origins and recipe · Menton Riviera & Merveilles ↗
Barbajuan
A small thin-pastry parcel filled with Swiss chard, rice, cheese and herbs, sealed and fried until golden.
Pissaladière
Bread-dough base topped with slowly cooked onions, anchovies and black olives, then baked.
Swiss chard tourte
A traditional sweet pie of Swiss chard, pine nuts, raisins and sugar between thin pastry sheets; family versions differ.
LOCAL MAKERS
Maison Herbin
Around 160 varieties of artisan preserves, from citrus to other fruits, and the EPV — Entreprise du Patrimoine Vivant label: Maison Herbin preserves a distinctive part of Menton’s food-making heritage.
The open-view workshop lets visitors watch the jam makers at work. Free guided visits with tasting are offered on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays at 10:30 am. Check the factory’s calendar before visiting.
Herbin visits and information ↗
LOCAL MAKERS
Glacier DeMontis
Miriam DeMontis is a true artisan ice-cream maker. In Menton she continues a family tradition that began in Sardinia in 1946 and has been passed down through the generations. Local citrus and ingredients meet this expertise; even the hand-shaped cone is part of the experience.
The DeMontis family story ↗
LOCAL MAKERS
Jardins des Antipodes
Originally from New Zealand, Alexandra brings a deep knowledge of botany to the earthly paradise she has found in Menton. At Jardins des Antipodes she grows edible flowers and exceptional citrus, bringing together botanical curiosity, passion and gastronomy.
LOCAL MAKERS
Huilerie Saint-Michel
Founded in 1896 at the foot of Saint-Michel Basilica, this family business celebrated its 130th anniversary in 2026. Four generations have passed on expertise rooted in Menton’s food heritage: selecting olive oil and carefully developing its aromas.
Karim Djekhar creates aromatic oils through cold maceration, working with producers and leading chefs including Mauro Colagreco. Citrus, herbs and other ingredients become tools for cooking, bringing tradition together with the exploration of flavour. The photograph brings the three of us together: Mauro, Karim and me.
Discover the Huilerie’s history ↗
All these stops are part of my Menton Food Tour
Discover the shops, produce, makers and people behind Menton’s food culture.
Discover the Food Tour →Menton Riviera & Merveilles ↗Ville de Menton ↗Maison Herbin · EPV ↗Maison Herbin · Visites ↗DeMontis · Notre histoire ↗Barbajuan · Menton Riviera & Merveilles ↗Barbajuan · UMIH NCA ↗Menton · Histoire de la ville ↗Huilerie Saint-Michel · Histoire ↗Huilerie Saint-Michel · Collège Culinaire de France ↗