I will be in Paris, Dijon and Uzes and am looking forward to salad nicoise while I am there. Is it my imagination, or do the French not do seared, fresh tuna, but only canned tuna on their salad nicoise? It seems that here in the U.S. is the only place I've had fresh tuna on my salad nicoise. Please refresh my memory. I leave in one week!

I had some of the best niciose salads while in France. The best was in Nice. And yes, they use canned tuna which is perfect for Me since I don't do fresh Tuna.

The salad I had in Nice was perfect and I often dream of it. And the Handsome French Man that served Me made it even better..

The Cote d'Azur is where Salad Nicoise is served(named after Nice)But have been to the other places you named and hav never seen it on menu. I have had the Fresh seared only in France.
Amazing how everyone's experience is different but still valid.

I know that salad nicoise is on some Parisian menus, as I've been doing some research. Well, I'll just have to see how they serve it. I prefer it fresh, but canned will do. And yes, a handsome waiter makes any meal even more delectable!

I have had a Nicoise salad a few times in Paris and it was canned tuna, but a stronger tasting tuna than we get here. Having said that I always had it in a cafe - never a high end place. I remember being amazed at the amount of tuna in the salad.

The best salade niçoise I ever had in Paris was in a little Italian restaurant on rue Mabillon in the 6th. Awful atmosphere, rude waiters but absolutely great food. I go back almost every time I'm in Paris.

I had a wonderful salad Nicoise at La Terrasse Du 7eme at 2 Place de L’Ecole Militaire this past March. The tuna was canned, but good. And oh, those green beans! The best I've ever had. Our waiter wasn't bad either. Young and friendly!

They have both tinned and fresh, in the end it comes down to how much your paying and how POSH the place is

I would think that in most cafés that serve things like salade niçoise, seared tuna would be prohibitively expensive (for the customers I mean). A salad that usually costs 10 euros or so would probably double in price, as fresh tuna is expensive here. I might be wrong, of course, but I'm not sure if people would be willing to spend a lot for a salad niçoise, unless they were in a higher end place.

Ate at 2 cafes (one in 9th; other 8th)
this past April & both served what I
believe to be the traditional Nicoise
-canned tuna.
However, the 8th cafe served it on a
crepe.
Neither waiter was memorable though.

The canned tuna they will use is SO superior to any we routinely use in the US that you will not miss the fresh seared. It isn't Chicken of the Sea.

I have had Salade Nicoise many times in France and the tuna was always canned--the dark variety. It was always served on a bed of lettuce and often the olives were not the Nicoise type olive. I prefer my own recipe which fresh tuna is used and fresh haricot verts as well.

We've only ever had it in France with canned tuna. This last trip we had it twice and it was only ok...no fresh anchovies which makes a difference in taste.

Gretchen has it right.
Its canned but it is wonderful.
I only by canned tuna canned in Italy now days...

St. Tropez only canned, but those haricot verte and the vinaigrette ...sigh.

For me, criteria for proper salad nicoise calls for
1) tinned tuna in olive oil,
2) still al-dente, fresh (ie not frozen) thin greenbeans,
3) egg that is not completely hard-boiled, soft-ish yolk in the centre,
4) nicoise black olives and capers,
5) proper anchovy fillets,
6) good vinaigrette dressing with a hint of dijon mustard

Well, ignoring the previous ignorant response, I have also eaten it, altho only in Paris, never in Nice, and it was always canned. Oh to be in Paris eating canned tuna!

The classic salade niçoise is made with canned tuna; the fresh version is a variation on the theme. However, the canned tuna in France (and Italy) is wonderful, not like the somewhat tasteless stuff we get here.

Cimbrone, don't worry, it will be good.
The ORIGINAL salade Niçoise did not include Tuna, fresh or tinned. All over the South of France when you order the salad it will differ, some will include potatoes others not, some include artichoke hearts, peppers. I hve had the Fresh tuna and it's more expensive but once you have it you won't be satisfied with tinned and it'' s very filling. I have a huge collection of Provençal cookbooks and have dined in so many plces and never had the salad served the same way.

I eat salade niçoise for the anchovies and the bell peppers, not the tuna. But the other ingredients are good, too.

It'll be fine even if it's canned. I do remember the canned tuna being richer than anything we have over here. This is probably partly because, when in the U.S., I buy only no fat, no oil, low sodium everything. (Of course things taste better in France!) I've heard that the potatoes vs. no potatoes Nicoise is the cause of some contentious debate. I prefer potatoes. And I agree that a salad nicoise is not a salad nicoise if it is sans anchoise.