This weekend, the great Halle Gourmande inside Nice's Gare du Sud opened to the public. This former railway station was abandoned in 1991 and its refurbishing project has taken almost six years to complete, from 2013 to last weekend.
A library was opened in 2014 inside this grand late 19th-century building and a nine-screen cinema followed in 2018, the Cinéma Pathé Gare du Sud. Plans also included the creation of a shopping centre focused around a big gourmet hall hosting dozens of food stalls – the first visitors were able to enjoy this new public space on the evening of May 18th 2019.
The beautiful Halle Gourmande, which occupies the main 2500m2 space of the former railway station divided into a ground floor and a mezzanine, has 28 different food offerings. These range from an oyster bar to Provencal specialities, Niçoise cuisine, tapas, sushi, Italian delicacies, Indian street food, gourmet burgers, Tex-Mex dishes, couscous, ramen, Thai and Lebanese fare or truffles to name but a few. Stalls are located around a large covered courtyard with high ceilings where the tables are set. On the mezzanine, there is also a corner dedicated to vintage clothes and accessories, contemporary art and design and second-hand items.
The Gare du Sud, called "La Libé" by the locals, can be reached using the tramway – hop on line T1 and get off at La Libération stop, which is just steps from this former station.