Cannes is beautiful
Just a few metres from the town to the beach, just a couple of strides from the sand to a divine lunch. This summer, in Cannes, sea, sun and gastronomy are on the programme…
In summer, the town wakes up very early, at the market, in the cafés and on the beach. By mid-morning, the sun-loungers have seen their first occupants arrive and by lunchtime, it’s hard to find a beach-mattress still free. The beaches of the luxury hotels share the coastal strip, from 3.14 to the InterContinental Carlton Cannes, via the coolest of them all, Zplage. For both lunch and dinner, the Croisette is still one of the world’s most magnificent boulevards, offering top-notch gourmet venues. Félix, which re-opened its doors last year, has taken up its summer quarters and proposes the cuisine of Nicolas Rondelli on an all-white terrace with tropical plants. The Palais Stéphanie has also been treated to a full revamp. Now contemporary and glamorous, its restaurant La Scena offers guests a breathtaking view of the bay. Chef Patrick Frei offers an enticing array of flavours, passing with the same expertise from Japan (sushi and sashimi) to Italy (risotto, carpaccio, pasta), not forgetting traditional dishes such as line-caught sea-bass or a medallion of beef “alla Rossini”. The Villa Romana has entrusted Oscar Ono to handle its new staging, with Italian specialties on the menu. Still on the Croisette, near the Palais des Festivals, THE new address this spring is La Petite Maison de Nicole, which takes the form of a corner right in the middle of Le Fouquet’s, with recipes that made it famous in Nice : zucchini fritters, scrambled eggs with truffles, stuffed vegetables, sea-bream baked in salt... A few blocks away, one discovers 1835 White Palm Hotel, one of the newest up-scale hotels in Cannes. Here, the two solutions available are diametrically opposed but equally tasty : Le Bio, where Reynald Thivet elaborates his menus with a pharmacist-herbalist, and the gastronomic restaurant, Le 360°. The view over the bay of Cannes is indeed... 360°, and Reynald's menu features refined dishes inspired by seasonal ingredients. The atmosphere changes radically as soon as one leaves the legendary Croisette. Addresses become more authentic, gaining in congeniality what they lose in terms of a view. La Table du Chef revisits the bistro style : seasonal produce prepared by a chef with deep respect for classic French recipes. Somewhere between a bistro and a brasserie, L’Affable plays on elegance and comfort, with a setting composed of leather, marble, wood and glass. Chalked up on the slate, a “barigoule” of artichokes with basil and other treats based on what's freshest at the market. A reference in Cannes on the subject, La Cave serves real bistro cuisine, authentic and tasty. On Rue de Bone, Shiloh is a meeting-place where art-forms, both visual and gustatory, meet up for the duration of a gourmet break. The chef defines his cuisine as creative and tasty, with Asian and Oriental influences and a smattering of tradition. If you like gardens in town, you’ll like Côté Jardin. Here, Philippe Treffot proposes “cook’s cooking”, as he calls it. This former acolyte of Ducasse and Lenôtre borrows inspiration from recipes concocted by his mother and grandmother. His classic : seared prawns with a frothy juice, chocolate madeleines for dessert. Then, if you want the very best fish, and especially shell-fish, the locals will tell you to head for Astoux, and nowhere else ! Their platters are impressive, their reputation second to none. Just feel like a snack ? Head for Volupté where you'll find delicious savoury bread rolls, to be sampled with fresh fruit juice and an amazing selection of teas. Or Bistrot Casanova, which has a fine selection of salads and pizzas to savour on the terrace while watching the bustle of life in Cannes.
Adress book
L’Intercontinental Carlton Cannes, 58 La Croisette (04 93 06 40 06) Plage 3.14, La Croisette (04 93 94 25 43) ZPlage, 73 La Croisette (04 92 98 74 22) Félix, 63 La Croisette (04 93 94 00 61) La Petite Maison de Nicole au Majestic Barrière, 10 La Croisette (04 92 98 77 00) La Scena, 50 La Croisette (04 92 99 70 00) La Villa Romana, 61 La Croisette (04 93 38 84 53) Le Bio et le 360°, 1 boulevard Jean-Hibert (04 92 99 73 00) La Table du Chef, 5 rue Jean-Daumas (04 93 68 27 40) Astoux, 43 rue Félix-Faure (04 93 39 06 22) L’Affable, 5 rue de la Fontaine (04 93 68 02 09) La Cave, 9 boulevard de la République (04 93 99 79 87) Shiloh, 4 rue de Bone (04 93 99 48 71) Côté Jardin, 12 avenue Saint-Louis (04 93 38 60 28) Volupté, 32 et 41 rue Hoche (04 93 38 20 41 et 04 93 39 60 32) Bistrot Casanova, 4 bis rue Hoche (04 93 38 30 06).
By Cécile Olivéro
