The Film Scout Guide To Cannes

Food and Drink

by Jim Byerley

For those on expense accounts, Cannes is presently represented in the Guide Michelin (that's the culinary Bible that awards stars (*, ** or *** ) to deserving dining establishments) by a couple of restaurants that sport two stars. La Belle Otero sits high atop (the 7th floor) the grand Carlton Hotel. It has a sumptuous, but rather undistinguished, decor. Food, too, is competent and tasty, but hardly fall-out-of-your-chair memorable. Recommended dishes include the loup roti au Parmesan and the pigeonneau grillees a la marjolaine. La Palme D'Or sits high atop the second floor of the venerable Martinez Hotel and offers a view of the always busy, palm-lined Croisette. Specialties include a salade de pigeonneau with fois gras, the filet of rouget and the impossibly tender lamb from nearby Sisteron. Prix fixe menus (wine not included) are available at both establishments for just under 600 F.

There are numerous less costly dining experiences awaiting the festival goer. Mere Besson isn't exactly cheap, though the hearty food has a decidedly peasant slant. Try to dine on Friday when the specialty is Aioli, that's heaps of streamed cod and vegetables served with a side dish of ultra spicy garlic mayonnaise. Reservations a must. Up the narrow rue St. Antoine in the old section of Cannes are numerous attractive places...Le Mesclun, La Mirabelle, etc. Les Semailles has one of the more ambitious menus in this part of town and it has a charmingly decorated Provencal interior. Prime tables, however, are those outside on the pedestrians-only street where you'll have a front row seat to cruise the passing parade. Beware of the fire-eater who may stop to entertain table side, unless you like your filet well-done. Another popular spot is Le Maschou. It's a tiny place where you'll sit elbow to elbow and wonder how they stuff all those raw, fresh vegetables into one little basket. No menu here, but you do get a couple of choices for the main course, usually pigeon or lamb. By the time you finish your expresso, you'll be intimate with the diners at the next three tables.

The Rue Felix Faure is lined with moderately priced restaurants, mostly specializing in fresh seafood, like Caveau 30 and Chez Astoux. They display the still wiggling shellfish out front so you can do some comparative shopping before selecting a spot. The beach restaurants are plentiful too and are distinguished one from another by their color schemes. They all have similar menus (from Ondine to Rado Plage) and you can certainly find a decent salad Nicoise there. A bottle of Chateau Minuty rose goes down nicely here, as you watch the yachts bobbing off shore and the sunbathers oiling up just steps away on the sand. Overlooking the harbor is the more upscale Gaston et Gastounette with a prix fixe menu for 195 F. They too specialize in Mediterranean fish and reportedly have one of the best wine lists of all the seafood houses.

If your tolerance for French food is low and your cholesterol high, there are Chinese, Vietnamese and Greek alternatives, but there is also the marvelous Le Restaurant Armenian. It's at the quiet end of the Croisette, past the Martinez in the residential section. There is one menu only, but it is a dazzling array of ethnic dishes like dolmas, beleks and kechkeg that just keep coming and coming and coming. Reportedly the favorite restaurant of entertainer Charles Aznavour, it was recommended to me by Marcie Bloom of Sony Classics. If you are really stressed, La Pizza on the harbor does a commendable pie that could hold its own in Naples.

The choices for foodies outside the Cannes city limits are staggering. An absolute must is lunch (providing it's a sunny day) in the nearby hill town of St. Paul de Vence. The hotel/restaurant Colombe D'Or sits across from the busy boule court, before you actually enter the city gates. In an area of high tourist density, Colombe D'Or is an oasis of refinement, good food and great art where Yves Montand and Simone Signoret were once seen nibbling hors d'oeuvres together. The terrace overlooks a charming valley and is shaded by age old trees. The house appetizer is not to be missed. It includes marinated fishes, vegetables, charcuterie, olives, etc., etc. There is barely enough room on the table for all the dishes. A piece of grilled fish or an omelet is about all you can stomach after this extravaganza. Hope you haven't booked dinner back in town. Check out the hotel's languid pool and the amazing collection of contemporary art (Picasso, Rouault, Miro, Leger) hanging inside before leaving. Another lunch destination for the well-heeled is the Pavilion Eden Roc. That's the seaside restaurant of the legendary Hotel du Cap. The buffet lunch is extravagant and we weren't far off when we joked "All you can eat for $1000." No credit cards!

The hill town of Mougins suffered a great blow last year when Michelin lowered the boom and took away most of the stars in town. The very pricey Moulin de Mougins (home of celebrity chef Roger Verge), which has been causing diners to grumble for years, was finally demoted from three to two stars. Quell horreur! Quell scandale! The utterly charming Ferme de Mougins was demoted too (from one star to none), but remains one of the most romantic venues imaginable. Relais a Mougins (which has recently lowered its prices considerably) is also starless, as is the rather newly renovated Les Muscadins. The latter has some of the most picturesque hotel rooms (eight to be exact) in the vicinity for those seeking peace and quiet. Also showing lower prices (and no star) is the quaint former mill, L'Amandier de Mougins. Best bets today are the lower priced bistro Feu Follet and the cave-like Bistrot de Mougins. Simple food at realistic prices.

Another hill town easily accessible by taxi from Cannes is Biot. Famous for its pottery, this village sports two starred restaurants. Auberge du Jarrier is a reliable one star, but even more beautiful is Les Terraillers. The raviolis de fois gras will make you swoon, as will the fondant tiede au chocolat sauce Suzette. Mon Dieu! Another popular destination is the Vignette Haute in Auribeau Sur Siagne. It seems a bit Disneyesque since it was completely rebuilt after a terrible fire. The live farm animals are still visible (behind a glass wall) while you snack on some of the tastiest rillette on earth. Some find it difficult to eat the lamb on their plate, while watching an adorable little one frisk about nearby. He may well be tomorrow's plat du jour.

Some of the best bouillabaisse to be had anywhere is at Tetou in Golfe Juan. It is usually crammed to capacity with stars and moguls during the Film Festival. From the outside, it appears to be a mere roadside diner on the beach. Inside, however, the red, white and blue nautical decor is the height of casual sophistication. Try ordering the bouillabaisse sans lobster to save a few francs (they don't take credit cards, so bring a bag of cash) and save room for the astounding confiture dessert. Fried beignets dusted with sugar are served with six large jars of homemade jams. Next door is Nounou. The two places look interchangeable from the outside, but Nounou, though half as costly, lacks the sparkle that has made Tetou into a local legend. Superior sea food can also be found in Cap d' Antibes at Bacon. This elegant place brings to mind Southern California, though the view across the bay to Antibes is strictly Francais. The perfect meal here? That's easy. The fois gras salad, one of the local fishes simply grilled with fennel, then drizzled with olive oil, all washed down with the tasty white wine from Bellet and followed by the heavenly frozen nougatine. Perfection, but you will pay dearly.

Two other luxury destinations are L'Oasis in La Napoule and Chateau du Domaine St. Martin high in the hills beyond Vence on the route to Coursegoules. L'Oasis was sold to the Japanese a couple of years ago when its chef Louis Outhier turned in his toque. The garden-set restaurant is still quite good having been demoted to two stars from the ultimate three. Go for the prix fixe menu (350/650F) to get a representative sampling of the chef's creativity and choose your dessert from the sweet trolley. The L'Oasis lemon meringue tart is legendary. A world away from the hustle and bustle of Cannes is the idyllic Domaine St. Martin. The view from the terrace is spectacular as one can see the coast line all the way to Nice. Mountain fogs come swirling in from time to time making you feel even more like you are on top of the world. Specialties in the dining room are risotto Milanese au fois de canard and the bouquet of langoustines et rougets. The quiet is blissful and there are 14 rooms if you decide to stay overnight.

Those planning to attend the Cannes Film Festival should start searching for an in-town hotel room right now, if it's not already too late. They are not easy to come by. Neither are tickets to screenings, unless you are a registered industry employee. Even then there are no guarantees. The Delta flight to Nice is certainly the easiest way to arrive, but should be booked far in advance. Celebrities do attend the event in record numbers and the glitter level is continuously high. All that glitz and star gazing can certainly stimulate the appetite. Where shall we eat, ce soir?