We do like to be beside the seaside !
Between a morning spent sun-bathing and an afternoon snooze, you have to think about lunch. Lunch on the beach, of course ! Follow the guide to our six favourite spots...
It’s undoubtedly “the” event of the summer here in Nice ! The opening of Hi Beach, five years after that of the Hi Hotel. In place and stead of the Forum, Hi Beach offers an innovative concept, still under the expert guidance of Matali Crasset, Patrick Elouarghi and Philippe Chatelet. For fans of (sun)bathing, it deploys the art of the beach in all its forms. Here, the art of living between the town and the Med takes on all its meaning. A chic, seafront “brasserie”, the restaurant will reflect the reputation won by the hotel by proposing a cuisine based on fresh, and often organic, ingredients. At the helm, a certain Keisuke, the man of the moment, who also officiates at the snack. Worth noting, a choice of smoothies and bio fruit juices, milk shakes, infusion ices and drinks free of preservatives and chemical products. An unusual bonus, the restaurant will stay open in the evenings, and from 6 to 10 p.m. you can sip a cocktail while listening to jazz or electro music before settling down to dine. In Cannes, Rado Plage plays the part of a venerable ancestor ! In 1958, everything was blue. In 2008, everything’s sand-coloured, with a woman’s face like a watermark on the logo, sun mattresses and parasols. In its restaurant, this lovely 50 year-old, the oldest beach in Cannes, proposes classic cuisine revisited, 21st century style. Menus change every two weeks and, depending on the market, “à la carte” dining features a tartare of raw sea-bream, finely chopped with lime and ginger, fresh grilled sea-bass fragrant with thyme from Provence or a “paillarde” of grilled veal. Very trendy, the “Coin Minceur” gives priority to taste and low calories. Between the brand new and a great classic, Hi Beach and Rado Plage, four addresses as different as they are appealing. In Eze, Anjuna Plage - or how to get away from it all without leaving shore. In both the decor and the food, you set off on a trip around the world. In these dishes, Asian fragrances rub shoulders with traditional or Spanish fare. The new chef has arrived straight from Pic, a reference if ever there was one. At the entrance to Cap d’Antibes, at Juan-les-Pins, the Beach Resort Les Pêcheurs opened its private beach and restaurant in April, as usual. Lunch is savoured in the shade of a bower on pilings above the sea, with the Lérins Islands right in focus. At the heart of the Bay of Cannes, facing the Estérel hills, ZPlage, the private beach of the Martinez Hotel, shares out its sun-loungers between the sand and the jetty. The two chefs, Christian Sinicropi and Frédéric Greffet, are innovating this summer by proposing recipes that inspire cool sensations and “healthy eating” : Saint-Jacques scallops with lemon and banana, Alaska King Crab with Greek yoghourt and Chinese sauce, plus, of course, a wide choice of dishes prepared in the wok (chicken, beef, shrimps…). Bewteen Pop and Zen, 3.14 La Plage carries the torch for what has made the 3.14 Hôtel so successful : atmosphere, colour, a modern style. The menu opts for variety and a “soft” approach : oven-baked cod with asparagus and beans in a wafting scent of coconut milk, veal medallion with a gratin of Parmegiana and purée with olive-oil.
Carnet
Anjuna Plage, 28 avenue de la Liberté, Eze-sur-Mer (04 93 01 58 21). Carte : environ 60 €. Beach Resort Les Pêcheurs, 10 boulevard Maréchal-Juin, Juan-les-Pins (04 92 93 13 30). Carte : à partir de 20 €. Hi Beach, 47 Promenade des Anglais, Nice (04 97 07 26 26). www.hibeach.com. Rado Plage, La Croisette, Cannes (04 93 94 20 68). Menus : 16,50 et 26,50 €. Sushis et makis : 24 € l’assiette de dégustation. Carte : environ 50 €. ZPlage, La Croisette, Cannes (04 92 98 74 22). Formule Z. inspiration & dessert du moment ou glace : 35 €. 3.14 La Plage, boulevard Croisette, Cannes (04 93 94 25 43). Menu Saveur : 26 €. Menu Plaisir : 34 €. Carte : environ 50 €.
By Cécile Olivéro
