The opening of the Festival de Cannes
marks the unofficial start of summer along the French Riviera. From May
17th through the 28th the concrete sprawl of La Croisette becomes
electrified in movie star magic and the Majestic Barriere and Carlton
prove the top hotel addresses in town with their swish piers and newly
kitted rooms. For those who don't actually have to stay in Cannes,
nearby Le Colombe d’ Or
in the hills just outside of town is the most stylish of family-run
hotels once favored by Calder, Picasso and Matisse - who all left behind
magnificent works of art.
With its branded spaces like Magnum Beach and L'Oreal Plage to be-seen
parties by Moschino, Chopard and Netflix, days spent in Cannes include
plenty of corporate promotion that's lost once you leave the area
directly around Palais des Festivals. It's here that you’ll find
glamorous lunch spots like Tetou with its legendary bouillabaisse or Ecrin Plage with its same-day catch grilled seafood and preening terrace, best at 2pm. There's also the more charming maison of L'Antitote
by local chef Christopher Ferre who delights with farm-to-table cuisine
with a Provenical twist. This year's films to see include Tilda
Swinton's 'Okja' or Sofia Coppola's 'The Beguiled' starring Nicole
Kidman, Kirsten Dunst and Colin Farrell.
By night, the haute cuisine scenes of Cannes come alive with
Hollywood stars and big-spending producers that book into 2-star La Palme d'Or at the Martinez and Le Park 45 for showy dinner soirees. We prefer the slightly less formal cuisine of Table 22 by Noel Mantel or a drive into Cap d'Antibes to Le Bacon owned by the the Sordello family who can get you into the The Bellini Bar
at the Hotel du Cap afterward. And for nightlife, Cannes defines the
pump and thump of summer partying along the Cote d'Azur as Gotha
previews its upcoming high-season playlist with Fetty Wap, Martin
Solveig and A$AP Rocky while pop-up by 1Oak, Cirque du Soir and Cosy Box
entertain the 2am masses of this year’s festival.
