4 Filtered Reviews of La Zucca Magica - The Magic Pumpkin

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Hanne

Points +13

Vegetarian
28 Jul 2008

disappointing evening

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

april

Points +18

Vegan
26 Apr 2009

very disappointed

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.

Honkycat

Points +13

Vegetarian
11 Apr 2010

The Worst.

I went here for my 50th birthday meal.... what a mistake. I'm a vegetarian and enjoy vegetarian food, so I was expecting something really special based on some of the reviews I'd read. We were shown to our table by a not that friendly guy who couldn't understand why we would quite like a table which didn't involve rubbing elbows with the diners next to us. Next, there's no menu..... not only that, but no price, so it's a real surprise when the bill comes at the end! We were asked which type of wine we'd like red, white or rose. Again, no choice, no price.... what fun! Meanwhile, the "chefs" were sitting behind in the kitchen having a chat and a laugh (in more ways than one).. why? Because 80% of the food is pre-prepared and waiting to be heated. So, the food. If you like the taste of salt and cheese, and then some more salt... you'll love it. Those were honestly the only 2 flavours I got all night. The "main" course was a digusting luke warm canelone type thing which I later saw one of the waiters sprinkling with a thick layer of parmesan which he took out of a bag with his hands... yes the ones he was handling money etc with. The desert was a , literally, tastless fruit flan with watery cheap tastless ice cream (there were about 50 plates of these sitting in the kitchen). So, unlike most real restaurants where the chefs have a range of possible dishes to prepare and do them on the spot, there is one set meal... mostly pre-prepared.... great job! By this stage we just wanted to get out of there and I asked for the bill, having no clue what it would be. It was 88 Euros for 2 people. The wine turned out to cost 25 Euros.... the most we paid for house wine on our trip by a long way. So, I took out my card to begrudgingly pay. "no credit card". Huh? "no credit card". I tried to ask where this was mentioned.. was there a sign or something... was it on the menu?.. oh no... there is none. So I had to, rather embarassingly, leave the restaurant and go to a cash point... thankfully not far, to get cash. During this interaction there was no friendliness apology or understanding. On our way out another couple called us over and asked how much we had paid.... they were shocked (they were still waiting for their surprise bill) and told us how disappointed they were with the food also. I actually has a 5 vegetable pastry tart earlier in the day from a little pattiserie in Vence which cost 3 Euros and was one hundred times better that anything I had in La Zucca Magica.

Pros: None

Cons: Salt, Cheese, Price

Geabyrne

Points +18

Vegetarian
18 Mar 2011

interesting

I had been recomended La Zucca Magica as the only veg restaurant in Nice. A strange experience! I didn't realize the food was being microwaved; had I known I would have left. I would have preferred a menu or a choice and the price, of course.
The dishes were unusual and largely soupy, but I did enjoy most of them. The final course consisting mainly of tomato sauce was a little hard to manage. But I tried! The bottle of water was €6, but very nice! The absence of salad was also unfortunate. The waiters had been doing their own thing and were disconcerting to try to communicate with, given there was no menu etc. But everything seemed to work out. The very nice chef came and sat and chatted to me at closing time. She was very friendly!
I would prefer the regular type of restaurant experience; perhaps there's a niche in Nice, to be filled; but it was unusual and interesting here, at least for one time.

Pros: interesting, unusual, cosy

Cons: disconcerting, rigid, unusual