Cannes restaurants - Advice and selection of good addresses

Reflecting its location at the heart of the French Riviera, Cannes has a taste of sea and sun. Bedecked in blue and gold, the City has a perfume of warm sand and can be savored all the year round - in the words of the poet Stephan Liégeard, (inventor of the phrase Côte d’Azur): « Cannes' cuisine is like a slice of sun on a cloth of blue sea »

Choosing a restaurant: the eternal dilemma!

Supply exceeds demand… Almost 600 restaurants in the Cannes basin! We have the good fortune in Cannes to be in the land of the  Film Festival and a number of other major events with worldwide reputations - many are the chefs who dream of achieving similar fame in their chosen profession. Do you know them? As Paul Bocuse loved to say: "There is only one cuisine, the good one!". In that case, let's talk uniquely about that, because there's nothing like a good meal to ensure a convivial and pleasurable start to your stay in Cannes.

Some of the best tables meriting a place in a select register of Cannes' culinary assets.

Each of them represents excellent value in its category. For 2020, we would willingly award them a culinary golden palm! They prepare “homemade” cooking, a fresh, seasonal cuisine with local products. Here we go then, all the taste of Cannes in 37 addresses, arranged in 9 categories according to what you are looking for:

• The '360' at the Radisson Blu

Without any argument, the most beautiful panoramic view of Cannes!
All you could wish for in elegance and romance, the restaurant-bar-lounge is on the rooftop 7th floor. From there you can admire sunsets of shades of red, orange and pink richer than a ripe and juicy mandarin! Chef, Reynald Thivet, makes it his business to propose a Mediterranean cuisine at a reasonable price. (30-60€).

2, bd. du Midi Jean Hibert - Tel: 04 92 99 73 10

• The 'Sea Sens'

The 5th (rooftop) floor of the Five Seas Hotel in central Cannes  renamed “le Roof”, featuring  a relaxed bar-brasserie area together with a chic gourmet restaurant putting the emphasis on 'fusion food', with admirable success. (30-60€).

1, rue Notre Dame - Tel: 04 63 36 05 05.

• Le Fouquet's:

Opposite the Palais des Festivals, it is the choice of  stars of the silver screen, the art world and show-business.  Boasting a never-out-of-fashion chic, an atmosphere in the grand tradition of the Parisian brasseries, an experienced chef Pierrick Cizeron, with an impressive international career, a bar run by one of the best bartenders of his generation, Emanuele Balestra, a pretty terrace beside the pool, and an extensive and imaginative Mediterranean menu signed Pierre Gagnaire , - all elements brought together in perfect alchemy. (40-80 €).

10, La Croisette - Tel: 04 92 98 77 05

• Bistrot Gourmand:

A few steps to Marche Forville, Guillaume Arragon, "Maître-Restaurateur", is the proud owner of this bistro where he offers a menu based entirely on local produce and the day's catch of fish. (30-50€).

10, rue du Dr. P. Gazagnaire - Tel: 04 93 68 72 02.
 

• Le Pot de Vin:

The best Lyonnais bistro in Cannes! An astonishing wine cellar-restaurant, run by a man who aimed for the stars and who today gives free rein to his passion, presenting the very best of Bourgogne vintages from his absolutely exceptional cellar and simple, hearty dishes of cooked meats from the Lyon region (plats bourgeois-canailles). It makes you want to take up wine-tasting! (30-50€).

20, rue Commandant Vidal - Tel: 04 93 68 66 18
 

• L'Antidote:

An exemplary eating spot! A valiant chef, a credit to his profession for his menu crammed with local flavor, at unbeatable prices, served by members of his own family. Here you find a soul and a spirit, that of the masters of the house! You'll come away enchanted! (20-50€).

60, Bd. d’Alsace - Tel: 04 93 43 32 19

• Côté Jardin:

To satisfy even more clients, Christophe Ferré had the excellent idea to open a second restaurant behind the courthouse. On the verandah, you'll feel as if you are in a country house. You will enjoy dishes prepared with enormous care from genuine local market produce. (20-40€).

12, av. Saint Louis - Tel: 04 93 38 60 28
 

• Mantel:

Noël Mantel is among the cream of our chefs. From Alsace, he is an original member of the "Ducasse gang", installed in a pretty house in Le Suquet, where he proposes a chic Provencal menu. You may also enjoy his tasty dishes at a more central address, “Cannelle”, at the Gray d’Albion. Difficult to choose when everything is good! (35-70€).

22, rue Saint Antoine - Tel: 04 93 39 13 10
 

• UVA:

Latin name meaning "grape", it's a new bistro and wine cellar at the same time, created by the dynamic Noël Mantel. He partnered with two childhood friends who worked with him alongside Ducasse. Seasonal quality products live from the Forville Market, a casual and joyful atmosphere, an address that has become a must. (40 € à la carte price).

13, boulevard de la République - Tel: 04 93 68 57 01
 

• Le Relais des Semailles:

In an old Le Suquet house, dating from the end of the 17th century, the cooking aims to match the decor in its refinement - traditional dishes with a Provencal accent. (25-50€).

9-11, rue Saint Antoine - Tel: 04 93 39 22 32
 

• L’Affable:

Right in the center of Cannes, in a vast dining room with contemporary decor. City dwellers are regulars, appreciative of the imaginative preparation of traditional dishes, full of surprises, reflecting the best of the day's market produce. This has been going on for 15 years, and the arrival in the kitchen of Didier Chouteau (formerly L'Amandier de Mougins) is a guarantee for the future. (25-50€).

5, rue Lafontaine - Tel: 04 93 68 02 09
 

• La Môme:

A beautiful tribute to the Mommy Sparrow! A chic and casual setting, designed by the twins Ugo and Antoine Lecorché, well known in Cannes. This is not their first success. They have now also opened a cocktail bar and a beach (under construction until May 2020). The fine cuisine magnifies the Mediterranean and Italian flavors. (40-60 €).

6, Impasse Florian - Tel: 04 93 38 60 95
 

• Les Canailles:

An eminently pleasant bistro, featuring les plats canailles, dishes based on cooked meat specialties from the Lyon region. It is run by two dynamic associates, Carole the brunette and Lysiane the blond, who joyously provide service and ambiance. (25-45€).

12, rue Jean Daumas - Tel: 04 93 68 12 10
 

• Aux P’tits Anges:

They are part of the new generation of interesting addresses. The ambiance is chic and the cuisine Mediterranean with meticulous attention to detail, put together by a young couple passionate about their work, Arnaud Pradas in the kitchen and Sandrine Greca in the dining area. (20-40€).

4, rue Marceau - Tel: 04 93 39 82 67

In Cannes, they say the season lasts all the year round…, a major facelift of the beaches of the Croisette is underway. The work will be completed in June 2020. Some have already been reopened. So even in the midst of winter, lunch with feet in the sand is highly sought after by beach lovers.

• La Plage Miramar:

An elegant beach table that seduces you with a menu between classic, tradition and modernity, translated into Russian. We also love the eloquent "cellar book" designed by an experienced sommelier, who never misses his food-wine pairings. (50-90 €).

La Croisette - Tel: 04 93 94 24 74.

• La Plage L’Alba :

Located after the Old Port, this family beach, held by Grégory Chailloux, Maître Restaurateur, shows an intimacy side. Far away from the hustle and bustle of La Croisette, its cuisine is firmly rooted in local terroir, and the fish of the Lérins Sea are the guarantee of great freshness. (30-60 €).

Boulevard Jean Hibert - Tel: 04 93 39 99 87.

Once through the door, there's no Starck, nor Grasset! Leaving 'design' behind, you find yourself in settings proud of their origins, their decor recalling their past, still able to accommodate an episode of Sherlock Holmes, or a scene from the post-war boom years (the Trente Glorieuses as the French call the period).

• Aux Bons Enfants:

Founded in 1935, you'll still find good family cooking based on local produce deliciously prepared. One of the very best price-quality-pleasure combinations you can hope to find! (20-35€).

80, rue Meynadier - Tel: always been out of order!

• Auberge Provençale:

The oldest restaurant in Cannes! It was founded by Alexandre Da Bouttau in 1860. It was in these mythic premises that first emerged in 1946 the idea to create a Festival of Film in Cannes. An elegant setting, full-flavored Provencal specialties, a jazz  lounge in the ancient cellars … all the ingredients for a great evening. (30-50€).

10, rue Saint Antoine - Tel: 04 92 99 27 17

• Astoux et Brun:

It's an institution, first-opened in 1920, devoted above all to oysters and shellfish, with a take-away service to boot!  The temple of "pearly gold" (l'or nacré), standing for the best and the freshest. Every time you lift the elbow, the tide comes in…, a sensation the Parisian poet Léon-Paul Fargue (1876-1947) interprets so well in his line, "on a l'impression d'embrasser la mer sur la bouche" (...impression of kissing the lips of the sea)! (30-60€).

27, rue Félix Faure - Tel: 04 93 39 06 22

• À La Potinière du Palais: 

For 3 generations, this Potinière* has literally taken over the northern edge of Square Mérimée, opposite the Palais des Festivals. The young Larry Dupuis and his Chef, Ludovic Gricourt, who both experienced the discipline of  working under Alain Ducasse in their early days,
strive for a Mediterranean contemporary cuisine with a taste of today, lighter, with an emphasis on organic ingredients and without gluten. All that, in a pervasive family atmosphere, at reasonable prices, an approach that suits both his Cannes regulars and festival-goers. (15-30€).

13, Square Mérimée -Tél: 04 93 39 02 82.
 

Cannes is Festival country, and as such it is also "host country" for world cooking … strongly represented by the Italian food.  Here are several tables worth a visit.

• Il Festival by Tripodi:

Located between the rue Félix Faure and the Alleys, Robert Tripodi, Calabrian origin, generously prepares for his customers some Sicilian specialties, fish from the Imperia market and grilled vegetables. Large terrace, beautiful room upstairs, and a discreet balcony (with breathtaking views of the Suquet). (20-40€)

2, rue Félix Faure- Tél :04 93 38 57 39.
 

• Le Vesuvio:

An ever-fashionable Italian pizzeria, frequented generation after generation by a loyal clientele from all around the world. An atmosphere of summer at all times of the year together with efficient service are just two of the plus points of this establishment that has remained true to itself over the years. (20-40€).

68, La Croisette - Tel: 04 93 43 33 09
 

• Da Laura:

One of the smallest and most authentic Italian restaurants in Cannes - everything to please, with a selection of the best products of southern Italy. (20-30€).

Tel: 04 93 38 40 51

The creativity of the pastry chefs has become a trend to be followed, to the point of competing with the 'savory' chefs. On the local culinary scene, don't neglect:

• Intuitions by J.:

Lyonnaise by origin, good-looking to boot, 2009 world champion pastry chef, Jérôme de Oliveira has a marked talent for following the tastes of his clientele and at the same time for surprising them. The nec plus ultra of the pastry boutiques, with an attractive Sunday brunch. (20-40€).

22, rue Bivouac Napoléon - Tel: 04 63 36 05 07

• Café Lenôtre:

On the first floor above the celebrated master's pastry shop, a cozy stopover amidst rich and refined dishes full of Mediterranean feeling. (20-40 €).

63, rue d’Antibes - Tel: 04 97 06 67 65

• Le Cercle des Marins:

At the foot of the harbor master's building at Port Canto, it's a 'no-frills canteen', emphasizes the patron, Jean Paul Antonioli. Somewhere between a  private eating house and a refectory for 50 guests, originally reserved for sailors, crews and amateur yachtsmen from the Port Canto, it is today open to the general public, with a 12,50 €- lunch chalked on the slate, as succulent as it is copious and served in a down-to-earth, good-natured way. It is sometimes necessary to queue if you haven't reserved. (10-20€).

Port Canto – Tél: 04 93 43 28 08

• La Tonnelle:

On the Ile de St Honorat and run by the Lérins islands monks. You take the ferry operated by the monks to reach this little corner of paradise. The specialities are obviously Mediterranean and so appetizing and generous they give you envy to complement the meal with one of the several liqueurs produced on-site, a Lérincello, a green or yellow Lérina... In moderation of course… to be forgiven! This timeless oasis is open only for lunch. (30-50€).

Ile Saint Honorat - Tel: 04 92 99 54 10

There is frankly enough to make a meal with delicious specialties freshly prepared each day without having to sit down to table,.

• "Soupe de poissons Forville" by Alexandre Serre:

On the Forville market, every day, at 6 am, 6 days a week, Alexandre Serre, former Oasis in Mandelieu and the Hermitage in Monaco, prepares fresh fish soup. It has the label "Mer de Lérins". Tasting bowl 5 € with croutons and aioli.

• "Socca'nnes":

Cooks all morning soccas, which are savored around the Axel Sigrist wood oven, able to tell you the story of this famous pea-chick cake (original Italian) and prepared by the minute, and on sale to take away. 2,50 € per slice

• « La Coulée Verte de la Vallée de la Siagne ", Ecogerme's specialty:

In the Lower Valley of Siagne in Mandelieu Daniel and Denise Basle are specialized in the production of organic sprouts. Every weekend in Forville, they make fresh fruit-vegetable juice preparations. From 4 to 8 €.

• "Small fry of sardines or fish according to the market, and calamari" by Celia, the wife of the fisherman.

For lovers of hot fritters, the fishing of the day is cooked by the minute or to take away. From 4 to 6 €.

... Add to this, the fritters of zucchini flowers, also sold on the market, this is a good way to learn more about the gastronomy of Cannes.

Whether they be grand chefs, restaurant owners, or simple cooks, all these Cannes professionals, ever ready to cross swords in a round of pétanque, contribute together to ensuring the reputation of Cannes as a city of gastronomy and joy, where they make it a point of honor to welcome you with a conviviality 'toute azuréenne'.

Patrick FLET for Cannes Accommodation
Independent gastronomic journalist
Author of the book "La Cuisine Cannoise"

*Of course, this is far from being an exhaustive or definitive selection. Many other Cannes tables boast an excellent cuisine and a warm welcome. They all contribute, day after day, to the fame of Cannes and the enjoyment of its visitors!