Foodie tips for Nancy, France

Latest update: 30 July 2024

An important part of traveling is food, right? French cuisine is well-known and loved, and in Nancy, it is no different. I have some great tips for restaurants, wine and cocktail bars, and local specialties. Come hungry!

Lalonde’s sweets and cookies

It’s quite a mouthful: Boulangerie Pâtisserie Confiserie Chocolaterie Nathalie Lalonde. The shop is full of sweets—colorful candies, chocolates, macarons, and much more. Manager Marion tells me that everything you see in Lalonde is handmade from local ingredients. Even the wrappers around the sweets are wrapped by hand.

It’s easy to get greedy in the store, but if you find it difficult to choose, you can always ask if you can taste something. My recommendations? Get Nancy’s macaron. They are not like most of us recognize macarons -as we know them with two colorful biscuits and filling, but actually just the biscuit in ‘normal’ biscuit color. Bergamot candy is a typical product in the region. The man after whom the large square in Nancy is named, Stanislas Leszczynski, ate this candy as a substitute for brushing his teeth. That wasn’t very effective because, at one point, his teeth became so bad that baba was made especially for him. These are small cakes preserved in a jar with alcohol. Nice and soft, so good old Stan didn’t have to chew.

Also tasty: Duchesse de Lorraine. It is a brittle candy with almond and hazelnut praline with a thin layer of meringue. Yum! You get the idea: be sure to come and see if Lalonde has something tasty for you. Most likely, the answer is yes.

Google Maps location

Quiche Lorraine

Nancy is in the Lorraine region in northeastern France. This region is where the Quiche Lorraine comes from. If you see it on the menu, you should order it.

I’m fortunate because a little outside Nancy, I get to make a Quiche Lorraine with the chef of Auberge de la Mirabelle, “Chez Léon.” And that’s actually very simple. It contains egg, bacon, and cream. I should be able to bake one myself at home. The biggest challenge is making the dough. Officially, there is no cheese in a Quiche Lorraine, but the French are not that strict. They also love cheese – just like me- so I can add it generously to my quiche.

You can also have lunch at Auberge de la Mirabelle “Chez Léon”. They serve homely French meals in large portions. If you also want to make a Quiche Lorraine with the chef, it is best to call ahead.

Google Maps location

Local bubbles: Perlé de Mirabelle

Just like bergamot, you will also see mirabelle on the menu in many places. It is a small yellow plum and they make all kinds of things with it here. Jams, liqueur, soap, you name it. And you can also order it as a drink. Perlé de Mirabelle is a glass of bubbles with mirabelle. Delicious as an aperitif.

Grand Café Foy

Grand Café Foy is on the corner of the beautiful Stanislas square. I’m always a little afraid that these kinds of places in prime locations in the city are tourist traps. But that is certainly not the case at Grand Café Foy. The stately building turns out to be a pink surprise inside. There are hundreds of roses attached to the ceiling, and pink details are everywhere I look. I did not expect that.

For less than €40 I order a three-course dinner including two small glasses of matching wine. The menu is mainly French, but you can also order a burger, Caesar salad, or pasta. I always want to eat locally, and that is possible here. A tasty terrine and a delicious crème brûlée? Oui s’il vous plait. The service is very correct and gives good advice.

Google Maps location

A La Marianne

Near the Thermal de Nancy there is a French restaurant called A La Marianne. It is a simply decorated restaurant with a nice afternoon menu with three choices for each course. The friendly chef (and perhaps also owner?) patiently translates the menu for me. The dishes are simple French dishes. Generous portions, simply well-prepared. It feels like a casual neighborhood restaurant. You can also have dinner on weekends, but you might prefer to explore the city center’s restaurants.

Google Maps location

Brasserie L’Excelsior

Do you have time only for one dinner in Nancy? Then Brasserie L’Excelsior is the right choice. It is an art nouveau brasserie. It feels like I’m walking into an old French movie. When you enter, the containers full of fresh fish and seafood are displayed. The interior is lavish and chic, and the service is neat and tidy. Yet it doesn’t feel stiff or anything. Our waiter is a nice young man who speaks perfect English, gives us good advice and is up for a joke. Fun fact: he is on the book cover about the best brasseries in the east of France that you’ll find on display in the brasserie.

You absolutely must make a reservation for L’Excelsior. It’s a huge place, but it’s also packed. Many people come and go, and quite a few get disappointed when all the tables are full.

Google Maps location

Good coffee cafes in Nancy

I’m not a fan of French coffee and I’m not that addicted to caffeine that I drink it anyway. So I look for lovely places where they make coffee to my taste. And I found some! For example, you can visit the small coffee shop Sèves (Google Maps location). Or go to Quokka Café (Google Maps location), where they serve large cappuccinos on the terrace or inside, where there is a bit of a retro/surf vibe. If I remember correctly, the owner is Australian, which explains a lot.

Cocktailbar Le Bar du Crystal

Since when are hotel bars this good? Le Bar du Crystal is part of the Best Western Hotel. I don’t even stay there, but the rooftop bar looks too good to skip from the pictures. Ultimately, I missed it anyway because of the heavy rains and ended up inside. No punishment either because Le Bar du Crystal is modern and warmly decorated. And most importantly: they serve delicious cocktails. Not just your standard mojito, but unique creations in special glasses. In a mini bathtub, for example. Be sure to come here for a cocktail when you’re in Nancy!

Google Maps location

Wine bar Chais les potes

Wine bar Chais les potes is a little hidden behind the Saint Epvre basilica. There are only French people and I think they don’t get a lot of tourists. The owner turns around in horror when she discovers that we don’t speak French and calls in her husband. But with Google Translate on my phone, I can go a long way. At Chais les potes, you pay €5 for each wine – whichever one you pick. How’s that for reasonable prices?! There is no menu, but you tell the waiter what you like – or you type it into Google Translate.

Google Maps location

Wine bar Jacques – Table à vins

The owner himself stands behind the bar at wine bar Jacques. Of course, his name is Jacques. He chooses the perfect wine for me when I describe what I’m looking for. I’m pleased. I only wish I had discovered this nice place sooner because I see delicious foods coming out of the kitchen all the time. So, let’s go back to Nancy one more time? Then I’ll take a photo too – oops, I forgot! Sorry Jacques.

Google Maps location

I was invited to Nancy by Destination Nancy. They have given me complete editorial freedom. They paid for some of the food and drinks.