Lounge attitude
It’s the trend of today. Before dinner, an apero in a lounge bar is essential, with ad hoc decor, cocktails and background music…
If you haven’t already tested the experience, beware ! Once you get a taste for it, it’s not easy to do without it. First stage, choose the setting. From Cannes to Nice, regulars invariably meet up around 7 p.m. for 90 minutes (or more) of relaxation over drinks. A preamble to dining which allows one to start the evening in festive spirit. Rule N° 1, subdued lighting, rule N°2, music, rule N°3, couples. Singles do indulge, though they don’t form the majority in this type of get-together. In Cannes, four addresses, and as many styles. The 3.14 Hôtel, known for taking its clients on a trip both in the decor of its rooms and the cuisine proposed by its chef, prolongs the experience at the bar. Jojo conjures up world cocktails that you can also sip in a small lounge, for greater intimacy. Almost an Irish pub, Au Bureau has a DJ fond of real classics as well as screens for fans of sport. At the Sun 7 Café, rock, techno and pop set the mood. Those with a weakness for champagne should try the noble “champagne cocktail”. As its name suggests, 4 U offers a DJ + cocktails + service + lighting ; so say its owners. The house concotion, the Mojito, reminds us that the boss is a fan of Cuba, and the music veers from soft techno to Latino. The Old Town of Antibes is home to L’Endroit with its discreet façade and trendy clientèle. Here, make way for rock, techno, pop and groove, even jazz, it all depends… Same goes for the drinks : from classics to the unexpected. The latter taking the form of champagne with red fruit syrup. Off to Nice, well-stocked with addresses propitious for relaxing at the fall of dusk. Those who already have one foot in the future walk through the air-lock at the Hi Hotel, meeting up to order a Kir Hi or a limited-series beer. On weekends, national or international DJs stage electro evenings. Among Nice’s must addresses, Le Before and Le Karpedie’M. The first, which is full every night, is a model of the lounge bar. It’s all there, nothing clashes. Le Karpedie’M prides itself on an American bar, though you can sit down at a table for a quiet chat with friends. On a completely pink wall there’s a list of cocktails, traditional or fashionable, served with an assortment of sweets. Just next door, the more cosy Shadow Bar offers lots of red velvet and delightfully sexy waitresses recalling dens of iniquity of the 1930’s. Popular, in the positive sense of the term, and trendy, of course, Les Marches has installed its lounge bar in one of its two rooms (the second being reserved for dining). Aperitifs are varied, from soft to champagne ; so far, nothing extraordinary, except that they’re accompanied by delicious “tapas”. Still in the Old Town of Nice, Le Liqwid with its decidedly contemporary decor has become the haunt of the happy few from both Nice and elsewhere. At their disposal, an impressive array of drinks, including the Liqwid Paradise and interpretations of nectars that are more or less original. Time goes by, the DJs mount the stage and the atmosphere warms up. Finally, L’Ôdace, a hang-out for chic and trendy 25-35 year-olds. On the ground floor, a sushi bar and decor that is certainly off the beaten track. A kind of buddha bar, Nicois-style, with cascades running down the wall. As initiates already know, most of these lounge bars are right next door to a restaurant with the same name. And after dinner, the evening is often rounded off with a nightcap. We’ve come full circle.
Carnet
Au bureau, 49 avenue Félix-Faure, Cannes (04 93 68 56 36). Cocktail : 8 €. Bottle : 60 €. Hi Hotel, 3 avenue des Fleurs, Nice (04 97 07 26 26). Cocktail : 10 €. Bottle : from 69 €. Le Before, 18 rue du Congrès, Nice (04 93 87 85 59). Cocktail : 10 €. Bottle : 85 €. L’Endroit, 20 rue Aubernon, Antibes (04 97 21 14 10). Cocktail : 10 €. Bottle : 85 €. Le Karpedie’M, 14 rue Benoît-Bunico, Nice (04 93 53 42 49). Cocktail : from 8 €. Bottle : 65 €. L’Ôdace, 29 rue Alphonse-Karr, Nice (04 93 82 37 66). Cocktail : 14 €. Bottle : from 100 €. Le Shadow Bar, 12 rue Benoît-Bunico, Nice (04 93 85 14 68). Cocktail : 8 €. Bottle : 70 €. Les Marches, descente du Marché, Nice (04 93 16 21 53). Cocktail : 8 €. Bottle : 80 €. Sun 7 Café, 5 rue Docteur Gérard-Monod, Cannes (04 93 39 38 70). Cocktail : from 6 €. Bottle : from 60 €. Le Liqwid, 11 rue Alexandre-Marie, Nice (04 93 76 14 28). Cocktails : from 11 €. 4U, 6 rue des Frères Pradignac, Cannes (04 93 39 71 21). 3.14 Hotel, 5 rue Einesy, Cannes (04 92 99 72 00). Cocktails : de 12 € à 18 €. Champagne : de 90 € à 450 €.
Par Cécile Olivéro.
