The Best Secret Places to Drink in Cannes

The restaurant on the roof of the Five Seas Hotel is perennially popular, but the rooftop bar is also well worth a visit. Unlike some of the other hotel bars in Cannes, it is accessible to the average Joe. However, you will likely still need to make sure that you look – and even act – the part to be assured of a seat. The bar offers small, light bites and the view from here is wonderful.

Bar Lalu is at the heart of Cannes’ nightlife on the rue du Commandant André – the place to be late in the evening. The bar is open all day and can take you from a Bloody Mary over a light lunch to a cheeky afternoon cocktail and into full-on evening party mode. Before you know it, it’ll be midnight. This is a much-loved mini-institution.

Le Sun 7 draws a hip and cool, youngish crowd who pack into a cosy space and dance to the sound of live DJs until the very early hours. There are two branches: one in Cannes and another along the coast in Nice. The bar is open every day (or night, really) hence the name, Le Sun 7, and mostly serves cocktails but also beer and wine. Check out their Facebook page for the latest DJ listings.

Le Brown Sugar is a quirky little place with bicycles and lamps adorning its walls. It’s intimate, with piano-bar music and, on some nights, a DJ. The bar specialises in grilled and barbecued food. Visit their Facebook page for up-to-date news and events, for example to find out when they get involved in events such as the Red Bull Air Race or hold Blues and Rock sessions.

The bar Le Vin Sur Vin is a great place to catch up with friends. The music is unobtrusive (sometimes the bar has live music in the early evenings, but on Fridays, there is background music only) and it serves great drinks and small snacks — appetisers, charcuterie platters or foie gras. The owner Bénédicte is well-known for always welcoming you with a smile and this is a great little place to hang out.

Le Tube offers something a little different to the other swanky bars in Cannes, and is a bit more hidden away. The building that it’s housed in was once a garage, and the interior is cool and trendy. The setting is New York-style and modern (think brick walls and urban decor) with temporary works of art dotted about the place – this is a laid-back spot aimed at stylish people. There’s also a restaurant here, which specialises in prime cuts of organic beef.

In the backstreets of Cannes’ Old Town, Le Suquet, you’ll find Table 22, one of the newest restaurants on the block – and the hippest. It’s a few steps off the cobbled street and while it is a restaurant, it’s also a great place to have an apéritif (a pre-dinner drink). Order something local off the wine menu, perhaps pairing it with a charcuterie or cheese plate, which will be enough to keep you going until dinner.