Restaurant Reviews in Cannes — 5 of Our Favourites

Read reviews of the best Cannes restaurants

Soak up the sunshine and sea breeze over lunch at the Carlton Beach Club, where local flavours, fresh ingredients and a touch of French Dolce Vita come together by the water’s edge.

Find loads of top tips and local insights in our Cannes Restaurants.

1. Top brunch and breakfast spots in Cannes

A freshly baked buttery croissant and a good coffee is a real treat when you are on holiday in France - for some reason it makes us feel almost 'French' as we sit back and relax at a café on La Croisette, watch the sun come up over the Palais des Festivals and check out the morning joggers as they trot past.

But to be honest, as good as croissants and coffee can be, nothing beats a long and lazy Sunday brunch with family or friends where you can eat good food and enjoy great company. We have a few favourites, but this is just scratching the surface of the great places to eat in Cannes.

2. L'Assiette Provencale restaurant review

Location: Cannes

When wandering along the Quai Saint-Pierre next to the Old Port of Cannes you will be spoiled for choice with restaurants, bars and cafes to enjoy an early apero, an evening meal or a late night tipple.

With spectacular views over the old port and looking across to the casino of the Palais des Festivals this strip of restaurants is an easy choice of 'where to eat' when in Cannes. On this particular evening, we choose L'Assiette Provencale restaurant right in the heart of the action.

3. Da Bouttau Auberge Provencale restaurant review

Location: Cannes

Conference weeks in Cannes are always a busy time and booking ahead for a table in a restaurant is essential. The same goes for the peak tourist season. Having said that...we were lucky enough to grab a table at Da Bouttau restaurant on a busy Wednesday night during MipTV.

The small road that leads up to the oldest part of town, Le Suquet, is lined with small boutiques, souvenir shops, bars and restaurants. The tables spill out into the street and create a lovely atmosphere for an evening drink and meal. After failing to get into a few restaurants (we had not made an advance booking) we were welcomed by the lovely hostess at the Da Bouttau restaurant.

4. La Cabane de l’Ecailler Restaurant Review

When this close the ocean, I would happily eat seafood every night of the week to make the most of the fantastic fresh fish on offer. A great way to really enjoy the catches of the day with a bit of a difference is La Cabane de l’Ecailler, a seafood and oyster restaurant just behind Canne’s La Croisette.

Here you’ll find classic seafood, as well as some Asian influenced dishes and some great platters to sample a range of shellfish, oysters and lobster.

With a great passion for fresh produce and excellent service for their clientele, the Cabane de l’Ecailler team began their venture in the fishing village Cagnes sur Mer, where they opening their first restaurant in 2010. This establishment was later awarded the ‘Titre Maitre Restaurateur’, a prestigious French title, recognising true ambassadors of home-made cooking and fresh cuisine.

Carrying their success further afield, they later opened two new restaurants in Saint Jean Cap Ferrat and in Cannes, both with exactly the same philosophy and dedication to serving fresh seafood straight from the ocean. The chefs here pride themselves in buying their produce straight from local fisherman when their boats return to port each day.

Approaching the Cannes restaurant, I passed their selection of this fresh produce on ice outside which was very effective at getting my mouth watering! Browsing the menu, I think I could have been happy with absolutely any choice, but finally settled on the fusion inspired tuna tataki dish.

This was preceded by a deliciously fresh amuse bouche of tartare of crab with a citrus mayonnaise on a bed of cucumber and kiwi.

The main following shortly afterwards and was cooked to perfection and the wok fried vegetables were a great crisp accompaniment to the tender fish.

I finished off with a crème caramel infused with genepi –a flavour that I would more usually expect when up in the mountains, it was really enjoyable to sample the strong digestive used in a completely different way.

There is a great variety of seafood on offer at the Cabane de l’Ecailler, making it a great option for a group wanted to sample lots of different things. Equally, the fantastic décor and lovely lighting make it the perfect choice for a romantic dinner or special occasion.

Platters at dinner time range from 24€ to 72.50€ per person and a three course menu is on offer at 45€. They also have a varied sushi menu and the option to ‘create your own’ platter, so there really is something for everyone.

5. Café culture in Cannes

For the French, the idea of 'café culture' goes back centuries, when the great thinkers, poets, philosophers, artists and even the revolutionaries of France would gather in their local café to debate, share and plot.

Further developed in the 19th century, the Café Society as it was then known, was the description for the 'beautiful people' and 'bright young things' who gathered in fashionable cafés and restaurants in New York, Paris, and London. In the late 1950s, this crowd became the 'jet set', replacing the 'café society' and travelling further afield to throw their parties and gather together.

Regardless of what we call them today - jet set or café society - the French Riviera has them and is most definitely where the elite come to meet, to see and to be seen. The quintessential French café in Cannes has seating indoors and out with small round tables where locals and tourists flock to soak up the atmosphere and sip on a small cup of coffee.