The tables that matter on the Croisette, the quieter ones beyond it, and how to plan dinner around the screenings
The restaurants Cannes Film Festival regulars book are as much a part of the fortnight as the screenings. Deals are discussed over lunch on the beach, premieres end with dinner on a terrace, and the most requested tables in town are booked long before the programme is announced. Knowing where to eat, and when, is what keeps the evening working around the red carpet rather than against it.
For twelve days in May, Cannes operates on a different rhythm. Lunch runs late, dinner starts after the evening screenings, and many beach restaurants and hotel terraces become private venues for studio and brand events on certain nights. A restaurant that is easy to book in April may be closed to the public on the evening you want it.
That makes flexibility valuable. Lunch is often easier to arrange than dinner, the middle of the festival is calmer than the first and last weekends, and a table slightly away from the Croisette can offer a far better evening than a crowded one at its centre.
The beach restaurants along the Croisette and at Palm Beach define the festival’s daytime scene.
Our guide to LPM Dubai describes the dishes that made La Petite Maison’s name, most of which appear on the Cannes menu too.
The hotels along the Croisette each have restaurants and terraces that come into their own during the festival, combining a view of the bay with the convenience of staying a few steps from the Palais. For guests staying on site, a hotel table is often the simplest way to dine well on the busiest nights, when moving through town takes far longer than usual.
Plan dining at the same time as the rest of the week. Decide first which evenings are taken by screenings or galas, then place the dinners that matter most on the nights that are free. Book lunch at the beach restaurants rather than dinner if the evening is full, and keep at least one night for Antibes or the hills. If you are still arranging access to the festival itself, our guide to Cannes Film Festival tickets explains how invitations work.
Share your festival schedule, and your Private Advisor will plan the tables around it
Some of the best evenings of the festival take place a short drive away.
Antibes, around twenty minutes along the coast, has become a favourite with festival regulars who want to leave the crowds behind, with Mamo Michelangelo long known as a late-night address for the film world. The hilltop villages behind Cannes, including Mougins, offer terraces with views over the coast and a quieter pace. For a long lunch, Cap d’Antibes and the islands off Cannes are reachable by boat.
For restaurants recognised across the region, the MICHELIN Guide is the most reliable independent reference.
For a group, or an evening that needs complete privacy, a private chef at a villa or on a yacht is often the best option of all. It removes the pressure of fixed reservation times on crowded nights and allows the evening to run around the screening schedule. Private dining rooms at the grand hotels offer a similar result without leaving town.
As early as possible, ideally when accommodation is confirmed. The most sought-after tables are requested months ahead, and some restaurants close to the public on nights reserved for private events
Most go to the beach restaurants and hotel terraces along the Croisette, or to Palm Beach. Regulars who want a quieter evening often head to Antibes or the villages in the hills
Usually, yes. Lunch at the beach restaurants is often easier to arrange than dinner, and it is where much of the festival’s daytime business takes place
Yes. A private chef at a villa or on a yacht is one of the most flexible options during the festival, particularly for groups or evenings that follow a late screening
