8 Best Restaurants in Cannes, The French Riviera

You wouldn't expect to find a restaurant with two Michelin stars set in a residential area, 10 minutes by car from La Croisette, but Bruno Oger promises you an unforgettable evening in this très cozy spot surrounded by centennial trees and gardens. Yes, it's pricey (à la carte from €130 and the two set menus are €230 and €350 without drinks), but you'll have bragging rights that you and Robert De Niro have shared the same chef. That's right, Oger is official chef of the Cannes Film Festival. If this is beyond your means, opt for the three-course menu (€49) at Le Bistrot des Anges (Michelin Bib Gourmand), under the same management. While waiting, sink into an armchair, and watch the fashion parade at L'Ange Bar.

A beacon to all fish lovers since 1953, Astoux et Cie Brun deserves its reputation for impeccably fresh fruits de mer. Well-trained staffers negotiate cramped quarters to lay down heaping seafood platters, shrimp casseroles, and piles of oysters shucked to order. Open 365 days a year with nonstop service, it is noisy, cheerful, and always busy (so don't expect rapid service). Arrive early (noon for lunch, 6 pm for dinner) to get a table and avoid a line.

Could it be that Cannes finally has an eatery where good food and friendly service come together? Come for une verre on the terrace or a meal in one of two interior rooms, one modern and the other traditional, where the steak-house menu offers more than just grilled Argentine black Angus, Australian Wagyu, and Kobe beef—there are also fish and seasonal vegetarian dishes, as well as plenty of French and world wines.

When chef Jean-Paul Battaglia decided to set up shop in Cannes, gastronomes were delighted, and he does not disappoint—so much so that it’s not uncommon for tourists to eat here more than once during their stay. The roast beef is succulent, and the spicy lobster has just the right kick. L'Affable is always packed (and often noisy), so reservations are essential. Note that dinner service is a €53 fixed-price menu with lots of tempting choices, ditto for lunch (€28 and €32).

La Brouette de Grand'Mère built a following as a charming hole-in-the-wall with a true-blue bistro menu, and although the restaurant has changed its name and location, it has kept its €55 three-course menu that includes wine, fizzy water, a shot of vodka, as well as surprisingly tasty food. It feels especially right in winter.

If you're tired of choosing from complicated menus, visit this long-popular restaurant in Le Suquet, where you only have to decide what kind of meat you want. Every dinner starts with a gigantic basket of whole raw vegetables—to be cut up and dipped in a selection of sauces—and grilled bread, and then come the generous servings of charcoal-grilled beef, lamb, or chicken (there's also a meat-free menu). With a low, wood-beam ceiling and only a few tables (draped in pink), Le Maschou (meaning "small pretty house") is a favorite during the Cannes Film Festival, when the 60-day matured prime rib is as hot as the red carpet.

When Hell’s Kitchen presenter and chef Arnaud Tabarec left to open Beam! in Toulon, Lori Moreau stepped in at this trendy restaurant occupying the fifth floor of a former post office with fabulous views over Le Suquet. She shortened the menu, but there is still a good selection of fish and vegetarian dishes, as well as beef and chicken options. There’s also a stellar brunch menu if a lazy Sunday appeals.

In a city where style often wins out over substance, food lovers treasure this Suquet eatery, run by Noël Mantel, who, among other top-notch jobs, worked with Ducasse at Louis XV in Monaco. The contemporary setting harmonizes with the exquisitely detailed Mediterranean cuisine on the seasonal prix-fixe menus (€39, €49, or €60).