Musée Escoffier de l’Art Culinaire

Côte d'Azur


Filling three floors of the childhood home of Auguste Escoffier (1846–1935), this charming museum celebrates the life of France's most legendary chef. Exhibits include a reconstructed 19th-century Provençal kitchen, giant chocolate sculptures and vintage menus. Escoffier's culinary techniques and global celebrity were responsible for establishing the reputation of French cuisine across the world, and still form the basis for many a brasserie menu – although some of his more outlandish creations (tortoise consommé, bacon-wrapped larks) seem a tad peculiar today.

The museum is 6.5km south of St-Paul-de-Vence, in the village of Villeneuve-Loubet.