Best Vegan, Vegetarian and Gluten-free in Nice

Good news healthy eaters: Socca, the staple of Nice street-food, is just chickpea flour and olive oil, so 100% vegan and gluten-free!

But warning: avoid the tempting little stuffed vegetables called Petites Farcis… they’re stuffed with …meat!

Now that that’s out of the way, here are the best restaurants, with interactive map…

Best Vegan and Gluten-free in the Old Town

Koko Green This tiny restaurant is the number #1 rated vegan/gluten-free in Nice, with a mouth-watering menu of globally-inspired offerings. Open for lunch and dinner only three days a week (Thursday, Friday and Saturday – plus a newly added Sunday lunch) they’re well worth the effort to score one of those coveted reservations. See their menu on their Facebook or Insta pages. 1 Rue de la Loge, +33 9 82 55 78 88

Saj Vegetarian and Vegan Mediterranean-based vegetarian cuisine influenced by Greece, Lebanon and Cyprus culinary traditions. Open for lunch every day but Wednesday, and does dinner as well Fri/Sat and Mon. Sunday brunch 10-5pm, 35 Rue Droite, +33 9 82 37 98 73

Not Dog For the last 5 years, sisters Charlotte and Camille, plus their mom, have been blowing minds with their plant-based vegan street food curiously resembling hot dogs, cheeseburgers, and milk shakes …but not. The menu is available in English, and they’re open every day non-stop noon until 9pm, but close early at 4pm on Sundays. 18 blvd Jean Jaurès, right across from the Cathedral tram stop.

Old Town Eateries with Excellent Veggie Options

They don’t bill themselves as vegetarian, but their menus includes a large selection of creative vegetarian choices, so great places to go with a mixed group.

L’Oliviera Over the years this epicurean restaurant has gone increasingly vegetarian, now with only 2 token meat items tacked at the end of the menu just to round it out. Each creation is lovingly pared with its perfect olive oil (even the desserts!) Prepare for a education on olive oils, and a long relaxing meal with the ambiance of being a guest in Nadim’s home. 8 rue de Collet, tram stop Cathédrale, +33 4 93 13 06 45. Closed Sunday and Monday.

Babel Babel specializes in homemade Mediterranean tapas, has a vast natural wine selection, …plus a sea view! at 2 cours Jacques Chirac +33 4 93 55 74 19.

Café des Amis, right on the Cours Saleya market, has a lengthy chalkboard full of tapas, many of which are highlighted vegetarian or vegan. Open every day non-stop from lunch until midnight. Closed Sunday and Monday, 28 Cours Saleya +33 6 01 06 77 01

And of course you can’t go wrong with Indian cuisine… In Old Nice there’s the venerable Delhi Belhi (with super ambience, delicious food, dinner-only, and loyal clientele) at 22 Rue Barillerie, one street in from Cours Saleya; open every night. Or Tandori Flame just below tram stop Cathédrale (great food and best for their lunch deals, but the decor is a neon nightmare!) Or Indian Lounge at 34 Rue Droite, which is the most Instagramable under a canopy of kaleidoscope parasols, and tuk-tuk style booths.

Best Vegan and/or Gluten-Free in the Port

GiGi Tavola is the place for the best gluten-free pizza. It’s prepared in a separate part of the kitchen and served on a specific colored plate and with a little GF flag, so you don’t have to worry about cross-contamination and can focus on the great pizza and the view! Open every day for lunch and dinner, non-stop on Saturdays and Sundays. 5 Quai des Deux Emmanuels, right on the port, tram stop Port, or take bus #98 +33 4 93 31 72 65

Mange Voyage Aime This vegan and gluten-free café/restaurant offers eat-in or take-out, and also serves as a wellness culture hub with yoga and cooking classes, workshops, debates and events. Open 8am-2pm Tues-Friday, with events/classes scheduled afterhours, just check their website for the schedule. 23 Rue Auguste Gal, deep in the Port neighborhood, tram stop Republique.

Best Downtown Vegan and/or Gluten-Free

Racines just won a Michelin Star for 2024! Chef Bruno Cirino has just won a Michelin star for vegan fine dining that will blow your mind. It’s the only Michelin starred vegan restaurant in all of France. Open Wednesday-Saturday for dinner only, 3 Rue Clément Roassal tram stop Liberation 04 93 76 86 17

Utopia Vegan Italian This restaurant is on every local vegan’s ‘best’ list: Creative Italian vegetable-inspired cuisine, with gluten-free pastas and other GF options; but all made with lots of amore. Dinner only, closed Monday and Tuesday. 6 Rue Delille, tram stop Garibaldi. 07 53 30 11 45

Amour Vegan and Gluten-free Bakery/Café Camille Bouquet is the former owner of the renown (and Michelin honored!) Vegan Gorilla restaurant which sadly didn’t survive the Covid crisis. Now Camille is focusing her considerable talents on her new barrier-busting bakery. She speaks excellent English as well. 2 Rue Foncet, tram stops Cathedrale or Durandy, +33 4 93 54 98 21 Closed Sundays

Other gluten-free organic bakeries include

Mama Baker (which my friends rave about) at 13 rue Lepante,
and Bio Brod at 46 rue de France.

There is a whole cluster of good choices on the east-side of downtown, all just minutes from tram stops Jean Medecin or Massena:

Biogstore Vegan Restaurant and Country Store. Featuring a varied and robust menu of French- and globally-inspired homecooked dishes, this organic restaurant offers a 3-course plus bev weekday lunch deal for under 20€. Open for lunchtime plus an oddly early dinner (4pm-6pm… late lunch?) but on Fridays only they do normal dinner hours 5-8:30pm. Closed Sat/Sun. Good gluten-free pasta. 35 Avenue du Maréchal Foch, tram stop Jean Medecin,

La Dame au Cerf Vegan This bright but tiny café has a small changing menu posted weekly on Facebook. They offer three different 2-course + bev weekday lunch deals from 15-24€; and they even have a selection of beer and wine (not just Kambucha!) Open 8am-6pm Wed/Thursday/Friday, non-stop brunch Sat/Sun from 10am-7pm ; closed Monday/Tuesday, 2 rue Lepante+33 7 49 23 06 53

Paper Plane Vegan Popular breakfast and lunch café, and almost all of the menu is gluten-free. The lunch menu includes three creative starters, 3 hearty mains, and 3 GF desserts; beer and organic wine; 2-courses for 21€, 3- for 27€. Open 9am-3pm, closed Sunday/Monday. 14 rue Gubernatis, tram stop Massena +33 4 93 62 13 05

Le Country Store Opened by a transplanted Seattlelite, this tiny vegan/gluten-free coffee shop has a total hipster vibe and a most interesting clientele! 43 Rue de l’Hôtel des Postes, tram stop Massena, 8:30am-6pm, closed Sundays

A little Vegetarian Vocab

The word for vegan is the wonderfully melodious végétalien. Bio (pronounced like B.O.) is the word for organic, non-traitée means no pesticides, and fermier or elevage en champs libre means free-range. Sans conservateurs means without preservatives, but watch out for this one because the word preservatif in French means condom! …So if you ask in English if the food contains preservatives, they will fall off their chair laughing!

This map was made with Wanderlog, a road trip planner app on iOS and Android

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Photos credits: Nice Socca by Myrabella licensed under creative commons. Tomatoes, Koko Green, Not Dog, Amour Bakery, Country Store Sign, and Nadim’s Zucchini Flowers all by Best of Nice.