WHERE TO EAT IN & AROUND CANNES

I am always being asked where people should eat in Cannes or nearby. So I'm going to add favourite places as I think of them. Here's a few to kick off with.

IN CANNES ITSELF:

Wonderful trad French food at La Mere Besson just behind the Croisette. There is a special dish for each day of the week. You must book especially during festivals.

Fish at Gaston & Gastaunette on the port near the town hall. They are a bit uptight but the food is great and it's a nice walk along there from the Croisette.

Sugart, in Le Suquet (the old town) at 2 rue des freres. This is the only place in the old town with a substantial terrace/garden to lounge about on. It is also arguably the only place in Cannes to get healthy food including wonderful juices, although they also do what Alex Drosin claims is the best club sandwich he has ever eaten. Considering he is American and lives in hotels, that's saying something.

Le Maschou, also in Le Suquet (on rue St Antoine) and not far from Sugart. All the film and telly execs adore this tiny restaurant, which does lovely French food. The meat cooked in the charcoal oven is particularly tasty.

Pete's sushi at the Century Beach Club (only during the film festival)

The foie gras pizza at the Gray d'Albion beach

Vietnamese food in the back streets off the rue d'Antibes

Le Baoli for the late night scene and dancing, but not for the food (avoid the sushi in particular)

Quick, tasty pizza & pasta at Vesuvio near the Martinez

Tantra is ok for overpriced fusion food and fun music

FURTHER AFIELD:

Lunch at La Colombe d'Or in St Paul de Vence. Packed with priceless art, utterly romantic AND star-studded to boot. What's not to like.

Le Figuier de Saint Esprit on the sea wall in old Antibes: chef patron is the former Michelin starred chef from the Juana I think. Book ahead to get a table on the terrace beneath the eponymous fig tree. Expensive.

Michelin-starred food at the Moulin de Mougins

Gastro in a fairytale castle at Le Cagnard in Haut de Cagnes, a medieval village just before Nice

La Mere Germaine in Villefranche

Romantic gaslit medieval style banquet at La Vignette Haute in Auribeau-sur-Siagne, which is quite the most bonkers hotel i have ever seen.

All the food at Le Cap, the beach club of the Juana hotel in Juan les Pins where it joins Cap d'Antibes (the restaurant at the Juana is great too but it's more grown-up)

Quick, tasty pizza & pasta at Vesuvio near the Casino in Juan (same owners as the one in Cannes but more modern with lots of outside seating)

The tiny artichoke ravioli, the caramelized salmon or any of the other fish dishes at the Cesar restaurant at the the Keller, Plage de la Garoupe, in Cap d'Antibes

All the beach restaurants in Juan-les-Pins town look romantic at night but are a bit crap. However me and my girlfriends raher like them because you can down a cocktail and a bit of sashimi or a pizza with your feet in the sand, and then scoot back to the shops which in high season stay open til at least midnight.

There's a place I love in Mougins but forget the name, will ask Cath. Chef/owner is called Alain and it's near the Mairie!

Enjoy...

And for more Cannes tips (getting there, where to stay, where to find wi-fi etc), hit http://www.cannes-or-bust.com