Bricolités: A Mystical Cafe in Nice

  • Vishal R S

During these harsh times, all I can do is delve into a memory that brings peace to my mind. Hope it does to yours too! Stay safe creators! My backpacking venture engraved my neurons with cherishable tales from every path I took. I always sought peace in solitude, striking a conversation with a stranger, let alone one whose language I could barely speak, has been a challenge. Little did I know that all it took to connect was a smile. This story unfolded as my bloodstream sought caffeine and the will to seek an establishment that provided a delicious shot. But, amidst all the chaos of gorgeous cafes, stood Bricolités. Hope you enjoy my perspective!

Sunbathed the streets as the people formed a cacophony around me. The docks were mellow and the boats swayed with the ripples of the water. Calm breeze slowed down the movement in my joints as I twisted the accelerator on the e-scooter I rented. With my vision encasing the road ahead and the battery indicator, my body begged for its morning dose of caffeine. But I was on a hunt to treat myself with something unusual.

Bricolités, she was named, her sign shone under the golden light of Nice. I folded my scooter and stepped into the cafe. Mystified by which dimension I had traveled to, I was surrounded by objects from different timelines. Bricolités immerses you in the last century with its varied objects that have gone on for decades and those that are inspired by it.
Organized like a cabinet of curiosities, the little shop is a magical universe. One day, there are pastis glasses, a stuffed bird, a hunter’s leather satchel and sketchbooks and an old transistor, a few days later an embroidered cushion, old jewelry, bohemian crystal glasses, and a model ship. They move and group them regularly so that Bricolités remains a cabinet of curiosity and not a pile of old things.
Bricolités is a unique place in Nice, France. Former bakery forgotten by all for decades, this place has become, since December 2016, a cheerful tea room, in which one can also hunt for unusual objects, with singular charm or even come and tinker in a fully equipped workshop underneath.

Jean Michel, Florence, and Emmanuel have created a quirky atmosphere. As I explored the tantalizing interiors of the cafe, I was welcomed into the workshop and shared a few words about upcoming projects and events that display these gorgeous reincarnated works by Emmanuel. Wanting to give objects a second life is the whole philosophy of Bricolités.

It started when this concept moved to 14 rue de Paris, in a large room that included a bakery, with its oven in the basement and the baker’s apartment in the back of the store. Bricolités moved in while keeping the magnificent tiled floor of the bakery, perfectly matching the new activity of the place. In one room, the period floral tapestry crosses a road map pasted as wallpaper, there is a club chair and a bench seat with a crochet blanket, a cozy corner where you can even sit with a cup of coffee or tea and so I did!
As the world’s most comfortable couch cupped my bottom, my eyes followed the map on the floral wall, a planisphere of “The Five Parts Of The World” illuminated by a lamp built-in a mannequin. A stately handmade Newport sloop hung beside it, the mainsail rippled with the breeze. After a delicious cup of brew, I made my way to explore the uncharted regions of Bricolités.

Thank you for your time!