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CLOSED: La Zucca Magica - The Magic Pumpkin
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7
Closed
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Vegetarian
Lacto
Italian
Beer/Wine
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. Reported closed to HappyCow.
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Last update on 26 Dec 2013 by Guest
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13 Reviews
First Review by Marco
JonJon
Points +20298
Good experience if vegetarian, impossible if vegan - Edit
I tried this restaurant when I still was vegetarian. Because there is a single menu which you discover only when served, and because they extensively use dairy products, it is impossible to eat there as a vegan. But as a vegetarian, the experience was great. The atmosphere of the restaurant is very fun with a nice decoration and smooth lights. The concept of one single menu for every one, which you discover only when served, is interesting and creates links between customers that are not at the same moment in their dinner. Food was really good from appetizers to dessert. You can see cookers at work in the kitchen which is not closed by a door or wall, that adds to the unique experience of the dinner. You can also have supplementary food when they overestimate the number of customers, which is nice. The Italian owner is friendly and funny. However, in terms of prices, this restaurant is relatively expensive (34 euros for the dinner and water).
Read morePros: excellent food, nice dinner concept, friendly staff
Cons: not vegan-friendly at all, expensive
webmaster
Hi JonJon, do you know if it's still open?
Read moreJonJon
Hi, I don't know if it is still open today. I wrote the review yesterday but I tried this restaurant several months ago.
Read moreGuest
susieveg
Points +123
April 2013 - Edit
Opens at 8pm. Too late for me :)
Read moreStevie
Hi Susie,
Read moreI wonder if I may be able to ask please? Could you be kind enough to clarify for me how your experience equates to the rating you provided?
Any help appreciated.
Guest
jrm212
Points +220
do not recommend! - Edit
we were excited to have a meal here after a rave review from our hotel. i'll take the blame on one thing: we did not mention that we are vegan (végetalien), however we have been accommodated at every veg resto we've been to in france, we thought we'd manage. but even before talking about food, the staff was horribly rude, despite our reservation. they stuck my family in the far back at a communal table (quick to sit down a little too close to us, two very loud women). the host rudely shrugged when we asked for another available (private) table. then came the vegan issue...he very loudly made a snarky remark at ordering time about there being no vegan possibility as everything is made with cheese and/or eggs. again, our fault for not checking in advance, but the way the staff treated us would make us NEVER recommend this place to anyone, veg or non-veg! we went to a place that our taxi driver had coincidentally mentioned to us on our drive over: chez pippo, a 3-minute walk from la zucca magica, behind the port's church. tiny, quaint, dirt cheap, and with a hard-working friendly staff. vegan bruschette plus pissaladiere and a very interesting dish called "socco", a sort of fried chickpea cake (what they're most famous for). anyway, if you're not vegan and the staff happens to be in a better mood that night, maybe you'll wanna take a chance. just a warning.
Read morePros: location (right on the port)
Cons: rude/brusque staff, limited menu, dark inside on a nice night
estefinparis
Thanks for your helpful review, which probably avoided us a bad experience at Zucca Magica, and most of all thank you for the tip on Chez Pippo, we really enjoyed our dinner there!
Read moreGuest
danybunny8
Points +26
HEAVY AND NOT HEALTHY VEGETARIAN RESTAURANT - Edit
To much garlic and oil in all disches !!!
Read morePros: HEAVY
Guest
nedgor
Points +39
Two of the best meals I've ever had - Edit
I've been here twice, the second time it was my main reason for flying to Nice.
Read moreIf 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
Guest
jeikelen
Points +24
Food and romance - Edit
What a shame some people have had a bad time here!
Read moreWe 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
Guest
aadhyanta
Points +17
Cheesy Meal - Edit
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.
Read moreOverall, 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
Guest
marybheine
Points +93
Yum! - Edit
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.
Read morePros: Small portions, Fresh food, Cozy ambience
Cons: Expensive, Does not accept credit cards, Undercooked items
Guest
veganpiggy
Points +28
delicious food, adorable atmosphere - Edit
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!)
Read morethe 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
Guest
villageidiot
Points +33
Best Meal of My Life! - Edit
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!
Read morePros: food, food, food
Cons: none
Guest
kmetzger
Points +13
Great Experience - awesome! - Edit
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.
Read moreWe *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
Guest
ProtonVehiCROSS
Points +166
A gem of Riviera cuisine: cozy and delicious! - Edit
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."
Read moreThere 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
Guest
Marco
Points +194
No choice - but the best! - Edit
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?).
Read morePros: great cooking
Cons: no choice in menu
Guest
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