The Best Bars, Clubs and Pubs in Cannes, France

Perhaps the most well-known nightspot in Cannes, Bâoli is a lavish bar, restaurant and club rolled into one. If you’re lucky enough to gain entry, prepare to spend an eye-watering amount while rubbing shoulders with models, actors and millionaires in the Asian-themed space, backing out onto a garden of palm trees. Expect potent fruit-infused cocktails that will get you up on the dance floor when it all kicks off around midnight.

Le Panorama Rooftop is atop the luxury JW Marriott Cannes on the Promenade de la Croisette, making it the perfect spot to enjoy afternoon cocktails under the Mediterranean sun. With temperatures reaching about 28C (82F) in summer, you’ll appreciate its refreshing pool too. Visiting during the annual summertime Festival Pyrotechnique Cannes? There’s no better place to watch the show, so book a table well in advance.

Chrystie draws the after-work crowd in for its cocktails and nibbles, such as truffle pizza and mini black angus burgers. Start the evening at its central bar, which later transforms into a cabaret spot and club. You’ll be pleased you lined your stomach before the evening of partying commences.

Zoa occupies a prime position opposite Cannes’s renowned Palais des Festivals, making it a hotbed for the most glamorous clientele in the city. Tuck into sushi, Mediterranean or Southeast Asian specialities, then make your way to the dance floor and enjoy DJ sets and live music until 2.15am. While the party is popping every night of the week, bookings are highly recommended, as it’s unlikely you’ll get in without one unless your surname is DiCaprio.

Morrison’s Irish Pub might be the complete antithesis of the glamour and excess associated with Cannes, but that’s not to say it’s your run-of-the-mill Emerald Isle bar either. As the oldest Irish pub in the city, it attracts hordes of sports fans thanks to its big-screen TVs, while ladies night, happy hours and open-mic nights are also regular occurrences. What’s more, all of the bartenders speak English and can pull the best pint of Guinness in town.

A popular hangout for the rich and famous during summer – particularly during the Cannes Film Festival – Palm Club Cannes (formerly Gotha), on La Croisette, books some of the most happening names in music. International artists such as Dr Dre, Snoop Dogg and David Guetta have played at the venue. But the door policy is tight: guys can’t get in without girls, and the dress code is smart.

If you’re a jazz lover, visit Cotton Club Cannes, within the wine bar of Auberge Provençale da Bouttau. Among the narrow streets in Le Suquet – the oldest district in the city – this intimate lounge plays live jazz, blues and soul music on Friday and Saturday evenings. So, order a chilled glass of rosé and consider date night sorted.

It doesn’t get more Cannes than the Carlton Cannes’s main bar, which is the place to be if you want to hobnob with celebrities outside a nightclub. The decor is modern with a belle époque aesthetic, while mixologists make cocktails as classy as the well-heeled clientele frequenting the bar. Try the Lady Carlton cocktail – created to honour an English lady – if you’re not watching your euros. Looking to visit soon? Unfortunately, you’ll have to wait. The hotel is shut for renovation until 2023.

This is an updated version of an article originally by Alex Ledsom.

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