The glorious Cote d’Azur has long been a regular fixture on my holiday destination list. In this guide I’ve compiled some of my gluten free highlights for Antibes & Mougins, to help you navigate notoriously-tricky-for-coeliacs France. But make sure you read my country level France guide for some general advice too.
Start by discovering charming Antibes and its gluten free bakery and coeliac-safe cupcake haven, then head for some al fresco dining in the hillside village of Mougins and before raiding the supermarkets of Nice to find the best gluten free treats on offer.
See my other Cote d’Azur post for even more suggestions and beach tips on the road from Nice to Monaco.
Antibes
Antibes is one of my favourite places. Situated by the sea, this artistic town is full of interesting backstreets and cafes to be explored, squares where you can kick back for a chilled glass of rose wine and beaches for whiling away those summer afternoons.
A dedicated gluten free bakery that also offers a range of dairy free and vegan products. They sell bread, pastries, cakes and more. I didn’t get a chance to visit but the reviews are all very positive so do check it out!
Choopy’s Cupcakes & Coffee Shop
We happened to be in Antibes on my birthday, so I decided a trip to Choopy’s for lunch and cupcakes was essential and that I needed to drag all 9 of my (non-coeliac) holiday friends along with me! They have a huge range of gluten free items and a coeliac on staff, hence a good knowledge of how to take extra care to avoid cross-contamination.
Even the non-gluten free contingent were impressed but the range of fancy cupcakes, kinder-bar cookies and other delights on sale in Choopy’s. We stayed for lunch and tried their gluten free wraps (they use Schar products) and sandwiches, as well as their moorish nutella-topped gluten free pancakes. Definitely worth a visit if you are a coeliac in Antibes.
Being absolutely stuffed after the wrap and pancake party, we bought some cupcakes to eat around the pool later that evening. I opted for lemon meringue and a rhubarb-filled cupcake. Both were delightful!
Ekilibre Sans Gluten – just outside of Antibes is another dedicated gluten free bakery. They do lovely gluten free patisserie and have some lunch options too, so it’s a nice place to stop at.
Apopo Poke Bowls – for sushi burgers and poke bowls. I haven’t eaten here personally but have read that the owners are very helpful regarding allergies and a couple of coeliacs ate here safely.
At home
We had a glorious villa in the hillside above Nice, in the picture-perfect village of Mougins. More on eating gluten free in the village shortly, first let me reassure you about how easy it is to find gluten free products in French supermarkets.
We trooped off to do our shopping for a number of meals at a large Carrefour supermarket close to Mougins and there was a large range of gluten free products available. I bought some Schar gluten free baguettes to go with the amazing range of fresh food available – beautiful mackerel fillets, prawns, salad and fruit.
You will find other gluten free lunch choices such a ready-made tortilla and my favourite French celeriac and carrot remoulade (double check the dressing ingredients) readily available too.
Mougins
Now a quick look at the gluten free options available in Mougins restaurant scene.
La Cave des Mougins – we whiled away a wonderful evening drinking wine and eating platters of meat and cheese here, at the edge of the village. I explained that I was coeliac (I speak French, if you don’t take a French language coeliac card from Celiac Travel and that will explain your needs nicely) and they helpfully served the bread separately so I could tuck into the antipasti treats.
La Gaudinade – we ate here, a lovely restaurant in the centre of the village. There were quite a few options I could have, and the owners understood what coeliac meant and were very helpful at talking me through my choices. I had the duck breast with potatoes and ratatouille. It was lovely to find such a helpful restaurant and a rare treat to be able to have a full meal in France that was safely gluten free.
Larkin’s Cafe – we didn’t visit her but I have seen a number of reviews saying they have some gluten free options and can cater well for coeliacs. The owners are fluent in English.
If you enjoyed this travel guide, why not have a read of some of my other European gluten free guides:
Happy gluten free travels! x
