Where to find art and crafts objects on the Côte d’Azur

Around Nice

Among the musts in hand-made products in the backcountry of Nice you have olive oil from Nice and wine from Bellet. The first has an AOP, the second an AOC. Olive oil from Nice stands out with its subtle flavour of almonds, slightly lemony, and you will be able to recognize it during a tasting at Le Moulin de Castagnier, La Ferme de San Bastian or La Maison Alziari, the only oil mill still working in Nice. The wine from Bellet comes from  vineyards which are thought to be one of the oldest in France. It is charnu when red, delicate as a rosé and fruity as a white. To try it, head for Domaine de Vincelline or Le Domaine de Saint-Jean, or quite simply Château de Bellet. If your taste goes more towards beer, you’ll ind what you’re looking for at the Brasserie Artisanale in Nice, which strives to work with local and seasonal ingredients. For you, the aperitif is more about? In Nice, you can find Pastis de Nice, whose rich flavour and longueur en bouche are enought to make A Marseillais jealous. Eand if you like a little square of chocolate with yur coffee, scout around the Chocolaterie Marcellin, or the Chocolaterie de l’Abbaye Cistercienne, which have both  continued the tradition of artisan chocoloate makers over several decades.

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In Menton, lemons but that’s not all

Of course, when you say Menton, you think lemons. At Maison Gannac, you’ll find them in a whole variety of déclinaisons: as limoncello, jam, sweets and even in olive oil. Some brew it with passion: La Mentounasc, a local artisanal brewery, offers only beers with Menton lemon, for a delightfully tangy refreshment! As an object, the Menton lemon is also an inspiration: you’ll find it on the ceramics creations of the Faïences Mentonnaises, made by Marie-Hélène Roudier and sold directly from her workshop, in the Musée de la Préhistoire’s shop, the tourist office in Menton and also on the 1st and 3rd of each month in the crafts market on Place du Cap. It just might be the opportunity to discover other craftsmen and women! In Sainte-Agnès, la Boutiquette sells whole ceramic lemons and a whole range of tableware, much appreciated by the region’s great chefs. Stop off at the Arpeca Spatium shop to discover the light effects and the colours of the lamps and stained glass objects made by Frédéric Pélissier.

In the streets of Antibes and Mougins

In Antibes, Boulevard d’Aiguillon is a real repère for artists and craftsmen. A succession of casemates opens its doors onto workshops filled with treasures. For example, when you go into the pictorial universe with its contrasting colours of Galerie Venturini or discover the superb sculptures in Galerie des Hélènes, a tandem of women sculptors with a passion for working bronze, wood and glass. A few casemates further on, you can also see Association RAJAC, a workshop and boutique which groups the work of young recently qualified ceramists. As you wander along the streets around Boulevard d’Aiguillon, you will come across other fascinating galleries, such as La Galerie du Faune, which has pictural, photographic or sculptural works, or the glassworks of Didier Saba, a real glass-blowing virtuoso. Over near Mougins, the artistic tradition and reputation that the village forged for itself in the 20th century with the presence of Picasso, Picabia and other famous creators, is perpetuated in the many art and crafts galleries. To name a few of them: La Galerie de Mougins, for its sun-kissed works with maritime airs, L’atelier-galerie Monic’art, for its poetic, sensitive paintings, L’atelier d’Alienor, for its hand-made jewellery, and La Galerie Le Doigt, for its personalized sneakers! And lastly, if you like to have the choice, have a look around Planet Créations, where you’ll find a whole selection of pretty local crafts products.

Shopping in Saint-Paul-de-Vence, delicacies in Villeneuve-Loubet

Right in the middle of the ramparts of Saint-Paul-de-Vence, is a whole vivier of crafts shops. At Madame Chamotte, you will find ceramics asses milk and goat-milk-based cosmetics, and at Le Goût du Soleil, you’ll be able to fill up with local groceries. If you like beautiful knives, you’ll find what you’re looking for at Le Coutelier de Saint-Paul, with the “Saint-Paul” knife inspired by Chagall’s mermaids. In Galerie Choisy, the father has paintings for you and the daughter a collection of prêt-à-porter inspired by her father’s works! Can you smell a lovely smell? It might be coming from Maison Godet, Saint-Paul-de-Vence’s historic perfumery where Sonia Godet carries on the family tradition of “savoir-fleur” through original, delicate creations. As you go down towards the sea, you may want to add a few tasty items to your shopping outing, and stop off in Villeneuve-Loubet. Give your taste buds a treat at L’Aparté, find some good local products at L’Épicerie des Hameaux, and discover the artisan factory of fresh pasta Passiona Pâtes, a real local institution.

Grasse and its artisan perfumeries

To bring back a perfume from your stay in Grasse, is to take something of the scents of Provence with you. There is no lack of perfumers here and each master perfumer has his own secrets. At Grasse Atelier, Carole Poinsot gets her inspiration from her travels, dreams and emotions to create elegant fragrances, all in a responsible approach, using ecological and ethical raw materials. At Le Parfumoir de Grasse, Lynne de R. welcomes you in a boudoir atmosphere to discover her “haute-couture” creations and as for Didier Gaglewski, a nose and artisan perfumer, he’s waiting for you in his vintage-style boutique, nestled in one of the oldest houses in the village. Last of all, here’s a bon plan outside Grasse which is worth visiting: La Source Parfumée Galimard, in Gourdon, with the former historic distillery of Maison Galimard and where you can find a whole range of products at factory prices.

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