Pan bagnat is the crowning jewel of Nice

The not-so-simple French sandwich that embodies Nice's rich cultural heritage.

The famous pan bagnat from Pan by Z in Nice. Source: Pan by Z

In 2021, the French Riviera capital Nice was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site as a winter resort town. But speak to any Niçois and they'll assure you that, aside from its temperate climate, prime Mediterranean location and regal Promenade des Anglais, the city deserves recognition for its sublime gastronomy­ – of which the sandwich pan bagnat is its crown jewel. 

The history of the pan bagnat dates back to the 19th century when it was enjoyed as a snack by the working class, such as the early rising Niçois fisherman. The sandwich was also a nifty way to use day-old bread and left-over crudités, sometimes completed with anchovies. In fact, the name translates from the Provençal dialect of Niçard to 'bathed bread', a reference to how the stale bread rolls were soaked in water to soften them up.

Margaux Lacoue-Passigli, owner of the Niçois restaurant Pan by Z which is renowned for crafting one of the best pan bagnat in the Mediterranean region, explains that even today the sandwich is embraced as "the perfect snack".

She describes it as, "Fresh, tasty, gourmand, yet made from healthy ingredients." The not-so-simple sandwich has, however, been upgraded from its humble origins and should be assembled from "18 official ingredients", which resemble those of the city's other gastronomical icon, la salade niçoise.

Pan by Z cafe in Nice. Source: Pan by Z

Freshly baked rounded bread rolls, of approximately 20 centimetres in diameter, are filled with tomatoes, white onions, celery, capsicum salad, small purple artichokes, local broad beans, radishes, niçoise olives, basil, tuna fillet in olive oil, anchovies marinated in vinegar, hard-boiled eggs, wine vinegar, garlic, olive oil, Camargue salt and ground pepper. Today, however, the bread is generously doused in olive oil, rather than water. "It's a sandwich that's enjoyed at picnics, the beach, fishing, or walking through the countryside – with a huge napkin to wipe your fingers and your face which will most certainly be covered in olive oil," says Fabien Gerot, owner of the Niçoise cafe, Chez Les Garçons. 

Like Pan by Z, Chez Les Garçons offers one of the most sought-after pan bagnat on the Riviera. Gerot originally hails from Brittany, but he and his husband decided to serve the sandwich at their cafe since it is emblematic of both the region and their combined passion for gastronomy. "There are almost as many 'recipes' for the pan bagnat as there are families in Nice," he laughs. "Each one adds their personal touch, but the most important thing is to stick as closely as possible to the original recipe."

The most important thing is to stick as closely as possible to the original recipe.

So much so that any attempt at a 'twist' on the pan bagnat has been firmly rejected by the Niçois. In 2018, the sandwich made headlines when French chef Thierry Marx offered a pan bagnat with honey-glazed chicken and ham mozzarella. Outraged at this deviation from tradition, several locals banded together to create an association protecting the sandwich from such unorthodox interpretations. The charge for which the Niçois held Marx guilty? False advertising.

Pan Bagnat from Chez Les Garçons. Source: Chez Les Garçons

Today, the association has been formalised as La Commune Libre du Pan Bagnat and fights for legal protection of the traditional recipe, like that which is afforded to certain food products under the appellation d'origine contrôlée (AOC). It also hopes that the pan bagnat will itself be accorded UNESCO World Heritage status. But for now, the association keeps busy with bestowing a label of authenticity upon regional restaurants and cafes that make the sandwich in respect of the traditional recipe.

And perhaps the not-so-simple sandwich does deserve such recognition. As Lacoue-Passigli reflects, the pan bagnat embodies "the terroir Niçois and the local art de vivre." For her, "it is my madeleine de Proust," a reminder of the soft days of childhood when her mother would prepare a delicious pan bagnat to take with her on school excursions. 

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Photographs by Pan by Z and Chez Les Garçons.