Nice is the second largest city in France and is host to a wide variety of international restaurants, with North African cuisines being particularly well represented. However, we were not expecting to find a restaurant from the East African island of Réunion in the small, charming, and picturesque town of Vence, just northwest of Nice. When we were wandering just outside of the quaint walled town center to find a place for dinner, we happened upon the striking blue, yellow, and red flag of Réunion, a small island that is a French overseas department and region in the Indian Ocean. Approaching the flag, we learned that it belonged to the restaurant Ö p’ti KAF, which translates to “The Small Cafe” in Réunion Creole (17 Pl. du Grand Jardin, 06140 Vence France).
We were informed by the super-friendly servers that we could select from a variety of tapas-style small plates and mains. Réunionese cuisine is a really interesting blend of East African, French, and Indian influences, perhaps not surprising given its location and political history. We asked what was available that night, and the dishes on offer seemed to be the greatest hits of Réunion. For mains there were two of the most famous dishes of Réunion, Rougail Saucisse, pork sausages with tomato sauce, lentils and rice; and Cari Volaille, roast chicken served with cucumber, tomato and rice (there was also a fish cari option on offer).
The tapas vary by day, and when we were there the following were available: meat, tuna, or vegetable samoussas/samosas; stuffed sweet peppers; eggplant beignets; manioc fries; and salad achards de légumes, pickled legume slaw. We ordered the veggie samosas and the salad achards and split a roast chicken main. We were worried we might not have enough food between us, but ended up being stuffed. The samosas were crispy, flaky, and not greasy at all, and the roast chicken was flavorful and well-spiced with a savory curry (cari is the local creole word for “curry”), and a hearty helping of rice and beans. The salad achards was a tangy and bright option which helped cut through some of the richness of the curry. Sadly, there were no desserts on offer, or we would have loved to try!
The relaxed, inviting setting and kind service made the experience even better. The restaurant itself is a walk up counter, which happened to be doing a brisk takeout business. The separate outdoor seating area is a convivial covered patio in what seemed to be one of the town’s main squares. It was a lot of fun on a nice night, and they even appeared to be setting up for some live music. We definitely recommend Ö p’ti KAF if you ever find yourself in Vence!
Eating The World 