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La Zucca Magica - The Magic Pumpkin 
 based on 12 member reviews
4 bis Quai Papacino, Nice
06300
+33-0493562527
Type: Lacto, Beer/Wine, Italian
Info: Rustic cooking of a high standard. No menu, guest is served whatever is being cooked from the fresh vegetables available that day - usually 4 or 5 courses, dinner for around 27 Euros. Uses cheese and butter in most courses, and they do not substitute. Outside tables available. Friendly service. No credit cards. Reservations required. Open evenings at 7pm, closed Sunday evening and Monday. Price: Expensive.
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| "Two of the best meals I've ever had"
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My Rating |
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1 |
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Posted on: Thursday, November 19, 2009 |
Review: I've been here twice, the second time it was my main reason for flying to Nice.
If you are a strict vegan ... don't eat there
The use of bad French is not a problem ... use of English is!!
The first time I went ... got a little stung by the price of the wine ... if you're on a budget then words along the lines of "un cerafe grand ... vin de maison... si vous plait" did the trick
Relax and just roll with it. Its a meal thats going to happen to you ... don't try and change a thing
Pros: Amazing Food * *
Cons: cash only * order wine carefully * |
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| "Food and romance"
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My Rating |
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1 |
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Posted on: Tuesday, October 27, 2009 |
Review: What a shame some people have had a bad time here!
We went to Zucca Magica on one of our first dates, three years ago and have been back for romantic meals several times since, including last Friday (23 October 2009). It is always busy and I book well in advance. We love the atmosphere and the fact that the five courses are a surprise though we do agree that it would be good to have some salad accompanying the richer courses.
The staff are friendly, welcoming and efficient.
As a veggie of nearly 40 years (ouch!) I have to say that to go to a restaurant of such high quality and not even have to think about the ingredients is a real treat! But sorry vegans, this restaurant is not for you!
Pros: Yummy food * Friendly * High class
Cons: Advance booking needed * Cash payment only * Not suitable for vegans |
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| "Cheesy Meal"
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My Rating |
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2 |
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Posted on: Thursday, May 14, 2009 |
Review: Friendly staff. Ambient - whole place is candle-lit. 5 course set meal (no menu as it is meant to be a surprise!). Costed 30 euros per person for the meal alone. Food tasted good but every course had a very high-dose of cheese in it. Unfortunately a vegan patron who came to dine had to leave as there were no vegan options.
Overall, worth the experience but make sure you go with enough cash in hand as they do not accept credit cards.
Pros: friendly staff * tasty food *
Cons: limited spoken English * no credit cards * |
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| "very disappointed"
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My Rating |
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1 |
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Posted on: Saturday, April 25, 2009 |
Review: I was really excited as a non-vegetarian at the time to bring a vegan friend here. I was EXTREMELY DISAPPOINTED at the unwillingness of the chef and staff to make any modifications of the plates to make them vegan-friendly. They actually responded to my request to have a cheese free dish by saying "why would you want to do that? It's good with cheese"
Personal opinion aside, you would think that they would be a bit more understanding. They said they would bring out something for her which ended up beginning an ending with a soup course. After sitting through all 5 of the following courses and not being served anything else(we did ask several times) they finally brought a dessert that she couldn't eat either (tarte tatin that included butter and ice cream!) To add insult to injury they actually charged the full price of 30 euros and wouldn't budge on that either. I find it sad that in a world that is already often difficult to navigate as a vegetarian, some of the most close-minded treatment I have ever received towards a person's choice of how to eat came at a vegetarian restaurant! While I am happy that others have enjoyed their experience here I unfortunately found this intolerant attitude off-putting enough to steer clear of the place and do not recommend it to others.
I have had a more enjoyable time at "the Speakeasy" in the city center which, to the eye, might at first seem like the lesser of the two. Even many non-vegetarian really enjoyed trying out a different experience there. Guess attitude really does count for a lot-especially when it comes to one of my favorite pleasures of eating out.
Pros: * *
Cons: * * |
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| "Yum!"
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My Rating |
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15 |
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Posted on: Sunday, August 17, 2008 |
Review: I had been here before, several years ago. And had the opportunity to dine there again. When I tried to make the reservation in English, they pretended not to know English. Luckily I DO speak French, and the waiters like to only speak in French, though they will speak English if forced to do so. The dinner as of August 2008 is 29 Euros (no other drink than a carafe of water). The first course was the yummy filled potato with rice and potatoes that other reviews have listed. I was actually full just on that, and was wishing I could have just paid for that for dinner. Second course was a strange steamed cabbage leaves, filled with overly cooked lentils. Almost had a diarrhea consistency. Tasty, but not pretty looking. Third course I barely made a dent in. Undercooked "Napolean" (layered vegetables) of undercooked pumpkin and red peppers. Not worth the effort to try to find a cooked portion, so I passed on it. Waiter wanted to know why I didn't devour it. Next course was excellent. A cheesy lasagna (I took off the smoked cheese off the top). A perfect portion. 5th course was the fig tart and tasteless accompanying fig ice cream. I had to quickly leave to catch the bus back to my hotel, but it took forever to pay for my bill. No credit cards accepted. Of course, as I raced out the door, I saw my bus leaving without me!! I was fortunate to get the last bus of the evening 20 minutes later. I do like this restaurant very much. Very friendly wait staff.
Pros: Small portions * Fresh food * Cozy ambience
Cons: Expensive * Does not accept credit cards * Undercooked items |
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| "delicious food, adorable atmosphere"
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My Rating |
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4 |
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Posted on: Friday, August 01, 2008 |
Review: i had dinner at the magic pumpkin a couple of weeks ago while in nice, and it was definitely a delicious change from all the pasta we had been eating in italy. the first and probably the best course was some sort of lentil loaf dusted with parmesan cheese, with a simple and perfectly complimenting salad on the side. then came a super flavorful tomato stuffed with brown rice, vegetables and spices, then a smoked mozzarella/greens dish, then a pasta dish which unfortunately my boyfriend and i weren't thrilled about having just eaten pasta for 2 weeks straight. luckily my brother, the human vacuum cleaner, was there and finished off the pasta for us. for dessert there was a fig tart (or pie, i'm not sure) with fig ice cream. everything we had was delicious and perfectly cooked. my boyfriend felt the food was a little too easy, like something we could make at home, and whether or not that's true i still thoroughly enjoyed the meal and would eat there again anytime. the restaurant interior was also great - pumpkins everywhere!! (oh except in our food!)
the only slightly off-putting thing about the place was the waiter wouldn't tell us how much the meal was going to cost. there is no menu, everyone gets the same 5 courses which change daily i believe, so after the waiter explained this to us i inquired about the price, and he just smiled and said something, i forget what, but it didn't answer my question. it may have been a language barrier thing though, he was a great waiter. i believe the meal came out to be around 30 euros a person.
Pros: interesting food * healthy * great atmosphere
Cons: * * |
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| "disappointing evening"
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My Rating |
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1 |
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Posted on: Sunday, July 27, 2008 |
Review: Having read all the rave reviews I was really looking forward to visiting the Magic Pumpkin. The place is nicely situated by the harbour and the staff really friendly .... but the food!!!!
The starter was nice - stuffed tomato and some very nice potatoes - but after that it was downhill.
A potato dish followed - perhaps potatoes are more exotic in France? Main impression gray and almost tasteless
Then followed a gray mess wrapped in cabbage leaves and the dessert was a fig tart with some very nice homemade icecream.
The restaurant has acces to some of the tastiest and most colurfull vegetables in the world and then they come up with this gray overcooked menu - no fresh salads, no fresh fruit, no colour - NO PASSION!!!
Pros: Nice view * friendly waiters *
Cons: the food * * |
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| "Best Meal of My Life!"
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My Rating |
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4 |
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Posted on: Friday, July 18, 2008 |
Review: So amazing. All of the other reviews have it 100% correct. Just magical. Five courses of pure perfection. It is not vegan- pretty much every dish included cheese or dairy of some sort. There is no 'menu'-just eat (and LOVE!) everything that come to your table! Oh, and the decor is just out of this world- pumpkins everywhere!
Pros: food * food * food
Cons: none * * |
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| "Fantastic!"
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My Rating |
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7 |
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Posted on: Sunday, May 18, 2008 |
Review: This place is amazing. We went here after reading the reviews and were not disappointed at all. The food was wonderful - the best meal I had in France for the whole two weeks we were away, the staff friendly and helpful, the atmosphere relaxed. You must go here if you are vegetarian and are in Nice. It is slightly pricey, but what you get for the money is well worth it. If you are vegan though this place is not for you as most dishes contained cheese.
Pros: Excellent food * Friendly staff * Good atmosphere
Cons: * * |
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| "Great Experience - awesome!"
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My Rating |
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1 |
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Posted on: Friday, March 21, 2008 |
Review: Being vegetarian (we are ovo-lacto) in Nice, or anywhere else in France is not easy on the outside. We have had a tough time eating well, but spur of the moment, we decided to try La Zucca Magica, as everyone had reviewed it so favourably.
We *loved* our experience there. For once, we were not looked down upon for not having mastered French yet, and the *experience* was awesome! You don't choose from a menu, you just show up and are served. You receive a 5 course dinner, followed up with a cafe that is sincerely one of the best we've had in France or Germany this trip.
The food is apparently Provencal in style (we wouldnt' know, as that style is full of meat, so we haven't dined at any restaurants in France), and it is, of course, vegetarian. NOT vegan, and you don't substitute there, so if you are vegan, keep looking.
The ambience is neat, and the food was all wonderful. The wine was also stellar, of course. A must if you are in Provence, and want to experience a fine dining, vegetarian restaurant. Reservations are a necessity, as it is tres popular - if you are trying to get in the day of your dinner, try for an earlier time (like 7:30) as locals tend to eat around 9. Bon Appetit!
Pros: Great Ambience * Yummy Veges * Great 'no choice' plated meal
Cons: not vegan * a little expensive * no choice |
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| "A gem of Riviera cuisine: cozy and delicious!"
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My Rating |
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4 |
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Posted on: Thursday, March 13, 2008 |
Review: I don't often make rave restaurant reviews, but this restaurant earned one tonight. They serve rustic French cuisine in a wholly vegetarian style. As their slogan says, they are "the restaurant to vegetables, eggs, and cheese."
There is no menu. You simply make a reservation, sit down, and enjoy the ride as the staff brings out a multi-course sensory experience from the kitchen. The candle-lit ambiance is rustic and inviting without being stuffy or pretentious. Pumpkin and squash art surrounds the ~20 tables.
On my visit tonight, I had a 4 course meal that included: delicious pesto-vegetable soup with an olive-oil broth; delicate white cheese casserole with hint of garlic and herbs; white spaghetti casserole with a side of cooked marinated artichoke; hearty black olive lasagna with tomato sauce and a hint of green olive flavor infused; moist chocolate cake with strawberry sorbet. There was something to like about every course, and my favorite was the soup.
The nice thing about this restaurant -- and what sets it apart from other popular vegetarian restaurants -- is that the cuisine is geared toward traditional French. In other words, it's just delicious "regular" food. There's no tofu, tempeh, rice cakes, soy beans, or other commonly expected vegetarian fare. In their place the chef makes use of an impressive palette of fresh market vegetables, cheeses, and spices to craft a unique and uniquely down-to-earth dining experience.
With wine and water, the bill came to 39 Euros for one person (it would have been 29 Euros without the wine and bottled water). Although it seems on the pricey side, I think the cost is within reason for other restaurants in the Old Nice Port area. Staff are friendly and will speak some English, but you should come prepared to attempt a little French as they seem reluctant to dive into English on-command.
I would absolutely recommend this restaurant. It's not only great vegetarian food, it's just plain good food. Non-vegetarians will probably walk away just as happy as vegetarians.
My reservation was for 7:00 PM and the meal took almost 2 hours. This is the sort of establishment where you come and let the meal unwind at the chef's pace. Leave any Hurried American attitudes back at the hotel. :-)
I suspect that if I had made my reservation a little later -- say, 8:00 PM -- that the experience might have gone a bit more quickly as I think the chef was still finishing preparations of the evening's course when I showed up at 7:00.
Pros: Excellent good * Cozy ambiance * Friendly staff
Cons: Long meal duration * Limited parking * High price |
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| "Fantastic - it really is magic"
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My Rating |
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Posted on: Tuesday, October 30, 2007 |
Review: We read about this restaurant in the Time Out Guide and decided to try it. It's quite a walk from the train station but well worth it. Marco is literally larger than life, the restaurant is so cosy (particularly as their beloved dog Spock is there to welcome you) and the food is excellent.
I've been twice now and both meals were really good. The pumpkin sandwich with truffle oil appeared as the second course in both five course meals and it's very good.
I can't recommend this place enough - if you're in Nice and want a truly unique dining experience make sure you pay them a visit.
Pros: unique atmosphere * excellent food *
Cons: * * |
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| "No choice - but the best!"
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My Rating |
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25 |
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Posted on: Friday, January 12, 2007 |
Review: La Zucca offering no choice but a single menu made us a little apprehensive, but we took the risk, and it sure was rewarded. It was a delightful 5-course meal. They must have a great cook: the dishes looked good, tasted even better and were very nourishing. As far as we could tell it was completely vegetarian although definitely not vegan. Although the whole restaurant is decorated with the pumpkin theme, there were none in our menu (maybe next time?).
Pros: great cooking * *
Cons: no choice in menu * * |
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