Mamo Michelangelo — Restaurant in Grasse

READ BEFORE DINING

We recently had dinner at Mamo Michelangelo in Antibes. The setting is charming, tucked in a cozy cavern-like space with warm décor and an inviting open kitchen. The owner greeted us as we left, and he was genuinely lovely.

That said, there are some things you should know before booking. Tables are arranged unusually close together, with only a slim divider in the middle holding Parmesan, salt, and pepper, water etc. Essentially, you’re dining right next to strangers. While we got lucky with friendly neighbors, it was not what we expected for a nice dinner out and felt less private than a higher-end restaurant should be.

As for the food: • Calamari – Outstanding. Easily one of the best I’ve ever had, tender and perfectly balanced with the sweetness from puréed tomato, cherry tomatoes, and olives. A true standout dish (5/5). • Raviolini – Here’s where things get murky. We ordered the artichoke cream version but were served the truffle raviolini instead—at a €50 higher price point. Despite confirming our order twice, the switch still happened. While the truffle raviolini was delicious and generously made (5/5), the way it was handled felt questionable. At this price range, accuracy and transparency matter. • Veal escalope with lemon – Underwhelming. The veal was a little overcooked and dry, though the flavors were pleasant. More lemon-butter sauce could have saved it (3/5). The broccolini, however, was excellent, with just the right seasoning and a hint of spice (5/5). • Apple tart – A fantastic finish. Crisp pastry, perfectly cooked apples, and a touch of salted caramel with ice cream. Even my wife, who rarely eats dessert, couldn’t resist more than half of it.

Service was friendly, and valet parking (€20) was convenient, though nearby parking seemed available.

Overall 4/5: Mamo Michelangelo offers some truly excellent dishes in a beautiful setting, but the cramped table layout and the unexplained dish swap leave room for improvement. Worth visiting if you’re after top-tier calamari or truffle pasta, but be mindful of the details...

Please read and try elsewhere. I'm writing this review to share my recent and, frankly, disappointing experience at Moma Michelangelo in Antibes. My party and I were quite surprised by the atmosphere from the moment we arrived. The crowd was a perplexing mix, a mosaic of what appeared to be well-heeled families with their children, Russian elite, the European monied set, and then, a few tables like ours, who seemed to have stumbled upon the place by mistake, completely missing the memo on what makes it so popular. The vibe felt exclusive and a little odd, which set the tone for the rest of the evening.

The food, to put it mildly, was wildly expensive. Starters and pasta dishes began at €40, with main courses priced significantly higher. To start, our group of four shared a couple of appetizers and a Margherita pizza. I had hoped the pizza, a simple, classic dish, would be a good indicator of the kitchen's quality, but it turned out to be the worst Margherita I have ever had in an Italian restaurant, especially one located so close to the Italian border. The flavors were bland, the crust lacked character, and it was a real letdown. For our mains, we each ordered a different pasta dish, yet none of us managed to finish our plates. The dishes were lackluster and failed to justify the exorbitant price tag. We were then tempted by the dessert menu, spending another €50 on two desserts. While they looked beautiful, their taste was disappointingly average and unmemorable.

The only saving grace of the entire meal was a truly excellent bottle of wine we ordered. However, even this came with a shocking price—€300, and it was one of the lower-priced options on the list. The entire experience felt like a classic case of style over substance, with a price tag that simply cannot be justified by the quality of the food. Given the exceptional dining options available in Antibes, I honestly and strongly recommend you go elsewhere and save your money for a truly...

Let me be painfully clear: Mamo Michelangelo in Antibes is a disgrace. A pretentious, soulless tourist trap masquerading as a restaurant. It deserves a health inspection, a kitchen intervention, and a permanent fermeture sign slapped across the door.

We were seated at the worst table outside shoved into a sad, crooked corner like we were street rats. Immediately treated like we didn’t belong. Bread? Not for us. We watched every other table receive it while we sat with a filthy napkin and a revolting anchovy toast that tasted like low tide in a sewer.

Our table was drowning in an absurd number of unused wine glasses — seven hundred, easily cluttering every inch. We asked for them to be removed and were met with blank stares and the attitude of waitstaff who clearly think they’re doing you a favor by acknowledging your existence.

Then came the food. If you told me the pizza and pasta were microwaved leftovers from a school cafeteria, I’d believe you. The pizza was an insult. The pasta? Utterly flavorless. The vegetables? Soggy, under-seasoned, and lifeless. Honestly, I’ve had better meals while sick with the flu. This wasn’t just bad, it was offensive.

The service was cold, condescending, and downright dismissive. The only thing consistent here is the mediocrity.

Shut. It. Down. You’re not fine dining. You’re not chic. You’re a tourist scam with nice lighting....