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well... An experience.

3 Posted on 05 / 11 / 2013

Don't go there for the food. Unless you call boiled water with a spoon of miso into a glass a "soup". The price is not high but higher than it should be. Food preparation is slow and the taste often disappointing, but if you're a "vegan places hunter" like I am, go there to experience this intimate vegan place, and have a talk with the owner, an American Lady who will tell you (if you like) her stories about food, spirituality, conspiracy theories and more.
Worth going.

Pros: Atmosphere
Cons: Quality of cooking

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April 2013

2 Posted on 04 / 26 / 2013

The owner is a lovely lady who means well but I have to say if we could have got back out the door and escaped we would have ! The glasses were too dirty to drink from and what we were shown what was available for dessert, my stomach was turning at the state of the little glass dishes the desserts were in. I ate the main course but did fear i would get sick afterwards. I'm sorry to write this because she does mean well but I wouldn't go there again.

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Very special place

5 Posted on 02 / 16 / 2013

Definitely not a restaurant but a nice place to be
Very good food
I really liked the dessert
Fair price

Pros: The hostess, The food, The athmosphere
Cons: Nothing

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A fantastic evening

5 Posted on 02 / 13 / 2013

The perfect place for veggie lovers.
More than a restaurant, it is the opportunity to meet the owner and see all her passion in action, with her healthy, genuine, authentic menu.
Everything is carefully thought: from the type of the water offered to the choice of sweetener: based on love for animals, quality of ingredients and attention to health... not based on the maths to maximise the profits like many other places.
I often travel for work, and it was so nice to feel home once, while having my ideal veggie dinner and a nice chat as well.

It is not a 5 start restaurant; it is not really a restaurant; maybe it is not really a business: take it as a place to relax with the food you would cook home if you had all that time,and done much better by Jane!

Pros: Quality of ingredients, Ambience, authenticity

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Go to Le Speakeasy - you won't be disappointed.

5 Posted on 12 / 30 / 2012

The food and service were excellent. I highly recommend eating here. It's a small place with only about 4 tables but I found it to be cosy, rather than small. The menu changes on a daily basis and everything I had was great!! :-)

Pros: Great food, Great service, Good price

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I LOVE this place!

5 Posted on 09 / 20 / 2012

The love and care of this wonderful lady is included in the price :-) you'll hardly find Such a place with this simplicity and genuinity. I always feel home and the food is delicious. Do not miss this experience!

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A great meeting place for Vegans in Nice

4 Posted on 09 / 11 / 2012

We ate dinner here last night and it was a very unique experience! The proprietress as described below is a very hospitable ex pat American lady that purchases, prepares and serves all the food on her own with only a limited amount of help! She's really quite a character and worth the trip alone just to meet and talk with her! For those who've possibly had bad experiences with French people on your travels (myself not included! I love the French!) this could also be a very therapeutic night out as she has many stories and will offer a high amount of empathy for anyone who may agree with certain cultural mannerisms of the French... i won't go on further!

The best thing we enjoyed about the place was the cosy nature as we were able to talk freely to the kind people across from us who were dining at the same time. The meal that i ordered i did find a bit bland but my girlfriend had an exceptional courgette pie with salad and we both found the home made dessert warmly flavoursome and enjoyable!

For a very different night out in Nice for all the right reasons I'd highly recommend visiting Le Speak Easy.

Pros: Cosy and nice, Owner is one of a kind!, Great for meeting other vegetarian/vegan
Cons: Limited menu, Some meals better than others

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Nice food in Nice!

5 Posted on 09 / 03 / 2012

The restaurant is little and cozy and the food served is really delicious! The proprietress is an old, friendly lady doing all the service alone despite her age. She speaks English and French. The restaurant is small, located in the centre and the atmosphere is familiar. The choice of the menu is not too big but all food is really tasty. You can have a whole menu for about 15 euros. If you're in Nice, it's really worth a visit!

Pros: price, quality, friendliness

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Surprising

4 Posted on 06 / 22 / 2012

We've visited Nice a few days ago and we find the small restaurant Speakeasy. It was a surprising place, small but cousy and we feld comfortable. The food was good and various, with great understanding and hospitality. We will recomment this place surely.

Pros: Various meals, Vegan, Good value
Cons: Small place

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Best Vegan Restaurant in NICE, France! Try it!!

5 Posted on 04 / 30 / 2012

I have been to Lespeakeasy on April2012,its 2 streets away from behind etoile shopping center -->> walking distance from Galleries Lafayette (just follow the tram line in)

Me and my husband went to eat there for 2 days straight. we ordered starter:
***Vegetal pate with bread,black olives & some salad(heavenly u must try)cant get enough of it!!!I dont mind eating everyday!

***Main dishes big portion(option varies daily kinda repeated)
-with side salads/avocados/sometimes saukerkraut
-choose either millet/quinoa/barley or potatoes pies(sometime mixed with sweet potato or leeks-****HIGHLY RECOMMENDED)Fast selling pies!!!

Dessert(i recommend homemade apple slices sauce pies) simply divine if you have a sweet tooth! Very sweet i must warn you!

Water is provided for free on all tables, you can try tea. You will be given a basket full of teabags to choose from! ^_^ Served in a medium sized teapot!! Share if you want to, its a generous size portion of tea!! *** The owner asked if we want to add more hot water to our teapot! we were actually quite stuffed from all the lovely food. we declined her kind gesture!

The owners she's very friendly, very generous(she placed a big bowl of olives for us on our table) , very passionate person on animal rights! She cooks all dishes by herself and advises how best to eat with sauces and condiments provided on the table. I really salute her for her persistance in serving Vegan food in France! She's the only Vegan restaurant in Corte Dazur!! Supp
Sometimes a lady helps out at her restaurant but she's not good in english..

After roaming in menton and we went back to NICE on our last day, we went back for our meal at lespeakeasy before we went to airport! Needless to say, its all fantastic!! Im still thinking of the vegetal pate & potato pies... ;)

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Be prepared to wait for your meal(only 1 chef & other patrons before you-they might have ordered alot of food), make sure you have plenty of time like 3hrs before you catch your flight or other activities!! Buses are kinda slow too!!! Make allowance for those unforeseen situations!!****************************************************
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For those who do not know, there's a toilet in her restaurant. Its so unique, there's a foot-stepped pedal(right side) that activates the tap at the basin! its so ancient and interesting!! I've never seen it anywhere before hehe

Pros: Cozy enviroment like your grandma house, All food are tasty!!, Very near to etoile shopping & Lafayette
Cons: Small space, Limited tables & menu option, Street outside rather quiet,go with co

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Good Food

4 Posted on 10 / 12 / 2011

Stopped in here for lunch and had really good food. The portions are huge and home made. The owner is a lady from San Francisco who has lived here since the 70s. I had a fresh green salad, lentils and brown rice mixed with eggplant and an almond sauce. All vegan. The flavors were really good and it was a reasonable price. Its not a fancy place by any means but definitely worth going to. Not to mention, an organic store-la vie claire is on the same street and there is a fresh juice stand inside the mall behind the restaurant at Nice Etoile.

Pros: Good Food, healthy, good size portions

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homely food

5 Posted on 09 / 17 / 2011

My husband and I were recently in Nice and found this restaurant on happycow so we made a reservation and went for dinner.
The actual restaurant is no bigger that a 1 car garage and is quiet cluttered but has a good atmosphere. It is owned and run by and American expat therefore english is spoken. You feel like you are in her home as a dinner guest.
The menu is very limited but there was more than enough to eat.
I started with the miso soup which I found a bit salty but had a lot of flavour.
My husband had the veg pate and some delicious bread, the pate was made of chickpeas and cashews....it was very yummy.
I had the potato leak pie which came with a salad that had avo and tomatoes and the owner brought over a bowl of marrinated olives and put a huge spoonful on my plate.
My husband had seitan with a cauliflower millet and a salad. both were very good and also gluten free. Mine was a bit sallty but was very tasty.
We took our desert with us as we were full and it was 2 little fruit pies .
I would return to Le Speakeasy if I was returning to Nice

Pros: very good food, nice and friendly, big portions

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One of the best vegan place in south of France

4 Posted on 08 / 15 / 2011

This restaurant is really great, I always enjoy the food and it feels more like being invited to Janne's (the owner) house than going to a restaurant and I really like that!
The food is always tasty, the vegan pâté is a must and it's always a nice place to go with my vegan friends.
Janne is an animal rights activist and if you're active for the cause in the region, you will often see her at demonstrations!

Plus, it's really cheap and the quantities are HUGE!

Pros: Tasty, Healthy, Friendly
Cons: Room is tiny, Limited menu

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A meal AND a learning experience

5 Posted on 07 / 28 / 2011

Wow. This place was stellar. I was a little worried I'd be fed sprouts and seeds based on the other reviews, but NON PAS. We were the only guests, and she was SO lovely and kind, the owner works everything herself- she moved here from Caliornia 36 years ago and has been a vegan for...40? As a budding vegan I was secretly hoping I'd be able to gain wisdomosity from her, and gain I did! She was a gem, sitting with us, asking what we wanted, etc. YES the menu was...well...not really a meny, but it didn't matter as it was all delicious! I got the full menu, which I'd only ever do (because I am a poor, "starving" student) at a great vegan/vegetarian place. The first course, a potato pate using brewers yeast was thick and creamy, she even brought me rice cakes as a bread alternative. Then when I received my main, a sweet potato pie, I almost DIED from happy, due to its thickness and flavour. It came with a MASSIVE unexpected "side" salad, with fresh avocado and tomato. Dessert was a banana date sorbet, which I didn't really like because I am used to the ones I make at home, which are THE BEST. and unbeatable

Pros: Interesting Dynamic owner, great flavour , nice atmosphere
Cons: not enough sugar? :D

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Good food and great nutritional advice

5 Posted on 07 / 28 / 2011

"If your Grandma was an eccentric vegan" (as another review started with), and you were in her dining room talking about what's healthy for you and what's not... this experience would be kinda like that (we talked about nutrition while we ate with her). The food was great. To address what others said that the food was "too bland," I disagree. Perhaps they must have not put any of the several condiments on top that were offered on the table? I had her miso soup (which was the best I've ever had) as a starter, and for the main course: barley with zucchini and seitan... also really tasty.

Best (and perhaps only) vegan restaurant inside Nice, France!

Pros: healthy cuisine, excellent food, friendly staff

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Good, Old School Vegan

4 Posted on 11 / 06 / 2010

The owner offers a fairly limited menu of all vegan dishes. Lots of sprouted grains and beans and raw veggies. While I like more savory food, the dishes were extremely healthy, fresh and tasty. The owner is delightful and very health conscious. This was the meal that I needed after 6 weeks of travel through Europe.

Pros: healthy food, good sized portions, fresh
Cons: dining room outdated

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Strange little place

4 Posted on 10 / 19 / 2010

Myself and my partner are both veggie and this was the first vegan restaurant we have been too. You are unlikely to stumble across this place, so make sure you have marked it on a map if are trying to find it.
As mentioned in other reviews the restaurant is very small and is a strange little place and looks like it could actually be her home as well.
There was one other table taken when we turned up on a Friday lunchtime and I advise it maybe worth booking if you want to turn up in the evening. We both had three courses which were about 15 euro each, so good value compared to most places in Nice. There was about four choices for starters so we had the Provençal pate and the miso soup. Both were very nice and the bread supplied was good as well.
My partner had the veggie pie for main, which I tried myself and it was very nice. I tried the only other option and regretted it straight away, not sure what it was called but it consisted of a grain (which had a texture of porridge) and zucchini. To say it was bland was a understatement and Jan knew it as well, as she suggested using various oils to make it taste of something.
We both had tarts for dessert one topped with apple and the other with jam both were pleasant to eat.
Overall it was worth visiting the restaurant and Jan was very friendly and explained everything on the menu very well. I would suggest dropping that main I had and maybe replacing with a ratatouille or maybe even a curry dish.

Pros: Friendly, Good Value, interesting

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Le Speakeasy

3 Posted on 09 / 29 / 2010

Small Vegan restaurant in Nice; owner is very friendly....has a 'home cooked' feel.

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Great Restaurant

4 Posted on 07 / 17 / 2010

Thank you to Jan, the owner, a delightful lady for providing a vegan restaurant in Nice. With the exception of Paris, vegan or vegetarian restaurants are not yet abundant in France. This is a small cozy restaurant of 12 seats with a great atmosphere and it is great value for money. A three course meal costs just over 14 euros. I had the veggie pate with homemade wholegrain bread, potato and squash tart, side salad and side vegetables, fresh olives and banana icecream. It was plenty of food and all very delicious. Jan is a charming and kind host and the service was fantastic. After several weeks in France without my own home kitchen,trying to eat balanced vegetarian meals in regular restaurants I was really happy to find this restaurant. I felt that I ate extremely well today....like a home prepared balanced vegetarian/vegan meal.... and left feeling great.

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great food, nice place

4 Posted on 07 / 10 / 2010

Le Speakeasy is a small, nice place conveniently located in Nice centre, very close to Avenue Jean Médecin, one of the main streets of the city. I have been there three times, in different occasions, and always enjoyed my food there.
Portions are big, food is hearty and cooked with care, most items are organic, and everything is above all vegan! Sweets and desserts are also sugar and margarine-free.
I have also talked to Jane, the owner, an American lady from Berkeley, CA, who is deeply involved in animal right campaigns.
The menu changes daily, with plenty of raw and cooked vegetables, avocado, sprouts, olives. Seitan steaks, veggie tarts, bean creams, are among her specialties, as well as muffins, sweet tarts, and cakes.

Pros: big portions, healthy cuisine , friendly staff

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Simple good food

3 Posted on 02 / 20 / 2010

centrally located near Nice etoile /ave. Jean-Médecin. i came on a weekday evening, having called earlier to make sure it was open, and i made a reservation. the place is indeed small but very cosy and charming. there are pro-animal/vegetarian quotes written all over the walls.

the menu seemed limited. i had a delicious provençal paté, a pretty good but not remarkable quinoa/amaranth and veggie main, an avocado salad on the side, a very yummy small fig tart, and organic coffee. my partner had a delicious miso soup, the same salad, sauerkraut, somewhat dry and flavourless tempeh, an okay brown rice and sweet potato main, and apple pie. the portions were quite big, so come here with an appetite!

the total for all that was about 33 Euros, if i recall correctly- cheaper (in terms of numbers, not taking the exchange into account) than a similar meal in my current city, Montreal.

overall- i'd say it's a decent place, definitely worth a visit for travelling vegetarians. the food is not amazing, but it is good, satisfying and inexpensively priced. the service from the owner was tops.

Pros: healthy, cheap, huge portions
Cons: limited menu, small

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It's like eating in your Grandma's kitchen...

5 Posted on 11 / 17 / 2009

if your Grandma was an eccentric vegan. Home cooking. Small prix fixe menu but all delicious. Large portions. Owner is very nice and very willing to translate the menu if needed. Definitely worth the trip. 100% vegan. close to beach

Pros: food , friendly

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Ooh la la!

4 Posted on 11 / 04 / 2009

It is not easy being vegan in France. Ask for a pizza with no cheese (something we ate often until finding this place) and you get some very strange looks from the waiters.

This is the only vegan place in Nice and oh, what a find. We ate there twice and enjoyed it very much. The lady owner was kind, welcoming, very interesting ! - and clearly very committed to her ideals, and creating good food.

She serves a different menu every day, very healthy food. To give you an idea, we had her homemade Provencale pate (very tasty), freshly juiced carrot juice, freshly made vegan pie with leeks and herbs, grains, an extremely tasty date and banana ice cream she makes on the spot in the tiny kitchen! I will definitely eat in this place again the next time I am in Nice and I highly recommend it to others.

Pros: Unique, Characterful, Healthy & Tasty
Cons: The decor is a bit mad.

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Eat Easy in Nice

4 Posted on 10 / 22 / 2009

What a delight to have found through your pages this wonderful little vegan restaurant in Nice. This is the only vegan establishment in Nice. It is an intimate experience, we were the only customers on arrival and the American owner who is also the chef (lived in France for 30 years) explained carefully what was on the menu and in the food. We had three courses and all were excellent, almost home cooking. There was a very limited selection of wine and beer, only red wine and only a few cans of lager, so she could make more money out of customers by being more commercial, but that really isn't the point of this little Oasis, the only truly safe place to eat in wonderful Nice.

Pros: Full on vegan, Three vegan courses, Complete confidence in the owner/chef
Cons: Lack of beer and wine choices

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hooray!

4 Posted on 09 / 20 / 2009

Yes, it was a great relief to us, after travelling in France and Spain for a month, to find a place where ALL the food was OK for us! Even though we're lacto-ovo vegetarian, we struggled just about everywhere but Paris.
The proprietor was welcoming and friendly, though her explanation of the menu options was a little confusing. She warned us we might be asked to share a table but we opted for one of the 2-person tables so it wasn't an issue in this tiny establishment. The food it self was tasty and servings were generous. The black Tunisian olives offered with both entree and main were just gorgeous.

Pros: friendly proprietor, good food, generous servings
Cons: cramped space, not much ambience

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Gordon Ramsay would have a field day here!

2 Posted on 09 / 16 / 2009

Where can I start? My husband and I, are both vegans and as we were in the South of France in August 2009, we decided to go to this restaurant as the reviews rated it well! What a disappointment that was! We're still recovering psychologically today! For starters the place is very small and upon arrival we were told that we would have to share tables if someone else came, which we didn't mind at all. The menu had about 4 choices for starters, 4 choices for lunch and 2 desserts. Upon ordering we we told "sorry I didn't prepare that" or "sorry it's out of season" ....so why have it on the menu? We were left with the prospect of ordering either a potato pie or a sausage, so both opted for the potato pie. It repeated on us for the whole day, to the point where we didn't even bother with dinner! Side salad were served communaly from one bowl and passed in between tables (not the most hygienic way of serving!). The place not only was small, but very cramped with unnecessary bulk like a big dresses and a big TV! Felt very cluttered and dingy. The owner, a Californian old lady didn't have much spirit and we almost felt like it was a struggle for her to be there and was almost annoyed that people were coming in! The only positive things were: it was cheap and in a central location. So to summ the experience up: restaurant itself was terrible (if they had benches along the walls, with stools and got rid of the clutter it would be tons better) the hospitality was terrible and the food even worse so all in all: DON'T BOTHER GOING! you'll be much better off buying a vegan baguette and sticking some hummus and tomatoes in it!!!!

Pros: Central Location, Cheap
Cons: Terrible Atmosphere, Terrible Food, Terrible hospitality

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not much choice

2 Posted on 08 / 23 / 2009

I advise this restaurant to people passing by. Vegetable pâté and fruit pies are delicious.
Unfortunately, there isn't much choice, the card has not changed for many years and it has narrowed, so I'm tired and I have no desire to go.
no restaurant for me in the Alpes Maritimes as zucca magica is not vegan :-(

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Simple good food

4 Posted on 07 / 30 / 2009

This is a very small restaurant. It is not fancy but if you want vegan food in Nice it is a great place to go. The owner is very kind.

Pros: vegan in France
Cons: limited menu

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A great little vegan restaurant

4 Posted on 07 / 18 / 2009

You may want to call ahead and make a reservation because the place is small. The lady owner is very nice and the daily special was excellent. We particularly liked the vegan paté and the soy cheese as appetizers. The main course was a wheat-free pie with potatoes and leek. Home-like food away from home...

Pros: Value for money, Tasty food

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French Gourmet

5 Posted on 03 / 30 / 2009

This is a great place. Authentic French cuisine served vegan! Herbs de Provence! Jan the owner is the best and has a lot of stories.

Pros: huge portions, authentic, good prices
Cons: None

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The best restaurant in France

5 Posted on 01 / 06 / 2009

It's been several years since I've eaten here, but I hope to go back to Nice someday just to eat here again. The American owner/chef is very friendly. You feel like you are a guest in her home. The pate was one of the best things I've ever eaten. The food is fabulous, and the atmosphere is nice and cozy.

Pros: Amazing food, friendly staff, all vegan
Cons: small

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Cozy Home-Cooking

4 Posted on 09 / 03 / 2008

Get ready for something a little different -- this restaurant is an experience! It's small and cozy and the wonderful woman who owns and runs the restaurant also cooks and serves your meal. She's extremely warm and friendly and speaks excellent English. The food was delicious, including the desserts! Great quotes from famous vegetarians all over the walls. Really fun and different. Check ahead for reservations as the restaurant only seats about 12 people at a time. An oasis in southern France!

Pros: cozy atmosphere, great food, unique
Cons: a bit tiny

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awesome!

5 Posted on 05 / 26 / 2008

i love this place! small and homey, run by a super nice woman, feels like your mom is cooking for you!
lots of food--i left feeling amazing! can get the menu for around 13 or 14 euro-includes a starter, main, and dessert, or just individual dishes. great value! my bro and i tried both the vegetable pate and cheese starters--pate is really delicious! then the veggie pie and grain/veggie dish--both of which were really good, especially the pie--probably one of the best things i have had in a while. dessert is also delicious-tart and pudding.
everything comes in great portions-so make sure you are hungry! absolutely delicious fresh and organic veggies, and many things are made without wheat for the allergic or without soy because the owner doesn't like using it too much. everything is really healthy and tasty (use the condiments too!)

Pros: large portions, tasty and healthy! , all vegan!

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Le Speakeasy

4 Posted on 05 / 18 / 2008

This small cosy restuarant is well located in the centre of Nice and seemed to very popular and was full the whole time we were there. The food is all made by the owner and she puts a lot of effort into it. I had the vegetable pie which was massive and very tasty! Very good value for money indeed.

Pros: Value for money, Friendly owner
Cons: Small

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Great Vegan place in South of France

5 Posted on 12 / 05 / 2007

You won't find many vegan places in the South and this American owned speak easy is a bit of an oasis. The owner is delightful and will get you chatting with her locals. Its a wonderful place to relax and slow down. Fill up on food because you won't find another place like it anywhere near!

Pros: owner

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Le Speakeasy, Nice

5 Posted on 02 / 05 / 2007

A real gem of a place.

I had lunch here today. Magic. 100% vegan vegetarian and also mostly organic. Very cosy, I only counted 4 tables and 12 seats in the whole place. The lady who runs the place is great. The leak and potato soup and bread was close to being a meal in itself. This was followed with a seitan steak dish after which my stomach was so full it felt ready to burst. I'd ordered a set menu and when I said I couldn't eat more the chef / waitress gave me the dessert to take away. Delicious it was too.

My bill in total was 15.50 euros. I handed over a 20 euro note and was on my way out. When the lady brought back my change I said to her to keep it. She said I should take the change but when I insisted she keeps it she put the money into a collection jar that she gives to animal welfare.

Class.

Pros: 100% vegan vegetarian, Great proprietor, Central
Cons: None

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The Feelgood place

4 Posted on 01 / 12 / 2007

We went here twice during our holiday. The menu is limited, but everyting we tried proved the point that eating healthy can taste good and even delicious. Both the potato/veggie pie and the vegetable paste entry were wonderful. The place feels like a private dining room, an action center for a better future and a cosy restaurant all in one. This is the only really vegan restaurant in Nice. If you want to feel good in every way imaginable, this is the place to go.

Pros: Delicious dishes, Nice owner
Cons: Small