Cannes - When Hollywood comes to town the seaside resort of Cannes seems to transform into a giant car park for Ferraris.
Big swinging wallets and humble celebrity watchers alike arrive in droves for a sniff of stardust as Europe’s most glamorous seafront, Boulevard de la Croisette, fills up with the world’s most glamorous people.
As the cameras prepared to roll on the 69th Cannes Film Festival last week amid a fanfare of flashbulbs and red carpet, the super yachts of the über rich are jockeying for position in the Vieux Port as the town’s hotels ratchet up their prices.
Back on La Croisette you can’t fail to bump into Quentin Tarantino, Roman Polanski, Sharon Stone and other giants of the celluloid set: their handprints and signatures are moulded into the trottoir outside the Palais des Festivals, near the red carpet zone.
But expected in the flesh this year are Julia Roberts and George Clooney, who star in The Money Monster, and Jodie Foster who directed them; Charlize Theron who stars in The Last Face, with director, Sean Penn; Kristen Stewart, Keanu Reaves, Ryan Gosling, Gérard Depardieu and Steven Spielberg. The A-list roll call is long and impressive. Woody Allen is expected back in town, as is Marion Cotillard.
So where to do you go to catch a glimpse? In my quest to find out more I did the rounds.
First I lunched at Park 45, the Michelin-starred restaurant of the Croisette’s five-star Grand Hotel, where more than a smattering of glitterati head for a working lunch during the festival.
I manfully worked my way through a gamut of crustaceans – vividly presented, explosively tasty – before veal sweetbreads and cutlet, plus an apple deconstruction partially cloaked in gold leaf for dessert.
Joris Lebreton, the front of house manager, was equally tight-lipped.
The Grand Hotel’s beach, La Plage du Festival, will be open to the public for some stargazing, and offers beachside tables for lunch.
To work off the chef’s creations I cycled over to Cap d’Antibes to the Hôtel du Cap Eden Roc, for an afternoon cup of tea.
This is where Clint Eastwood, Leonardo DiCaprio and Tom Cruise like to hang out, and inspired F Scott-Fitzgerald’s Tender is the Night.
I got within 50m of the door before being escorted off the premises by two ex-military types. My question about a peek at the guest list fell on stony ground, so I left before suffering the same fate.
Next I went to the Villa Archange, a two Michelin-star spot in uptown Le Cannet, where I had dinner in its adjoining and more affordable alternative, Bistrot des Anges (the food’s from the same kitchen and there’s more of it).
Chef Bruno Oger cooks for the stars and jury every day at the Palais des Festivals, and will be in charge – for the sixth year on the trot – of the opening night gala dinner for 700.
Despite the pressure of planning this, he came and joined me. He was rather more welcoming than the Praetorian Guard at Eden Roc, and showed some snaps of himself with Spielberg, Nicole Kidman and Quentin Tarantino.
Oger said: “It’s possibly the most prestigious dinner of the year anywhere in France but it’s a bit nerve-wracking getting 2 100 courses served in the space of 90 minutes.”
However, he has a few helpers: 40 in the kitchen and 100 waiting at table.
I went for a nightcap at the historic art deco Martinez on the seafront, where who should I meet but Ettore Zito, an old friend and director of photography who has worked with some of the biggest names in the business.
Ettore, who has a house in Cannes, was taking a break from making a war movie in Naples.
“You haven’t got a hope of getting in here during the festival unless you’ve got an invitation. It’s like Fort Knox.”
A photo posted by Festival de Cannes (@festivaldecannes) on May 15, 2016 at 8:20am PDT
That’s because Bruce Willis, Robert Pattinson and Eva Longoria stay here. Meanwhile, Robert De Niro and Matthew McConaughey prefer the five-star comfort of the neighbouring Majestic Barrière.
No visit to the area would be complete without a look at Nice, the regional capital.
I cycled down from Cagnes and tootled along the Promenade des Anglais to the old town and the port before spotting what must rank as one of the most startling locations anywhere for a restaurant.
Le Plongeoir is built into the dramatic cliff along which the Lower Corniche wiggles its way across to Italy. A walkway leads to the top of a column of basalt that rises out of the bay and part of the restaurant is perched atop, next to the stylish art deco diving boards.
Seafood is its speciality and I had an excellent lunch of langoustine and seabass before following the stunning coastal route back to Cannes, a flat easy ride past Antibes and the portals of Tetou restaurant at Golfe-Juan, where Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie celebrated their last festival night five years ago, and where Robert Pattinson has been seen tucking into bouillabaisse.
I decided to stop for a beer at the Bar du Marins just off the rue Meynadier in the centre of Cannes. This is an old-fashioned cheap-as-chips filling station and is where I met scripwriter and novelist Bruce Wagner a couple of years ago when his film, Maps to the Stars, was tipped to win the Palme d’Or.
Perhaps the best located bar for star spotting is Le 72 Croisette, smack opposite the main entrance to the Hotel Martinez. You can sit on the pavement and count them in and count them out as the bigwigs come and go to the various private functions.
You are likely to be bothered by pigeons on the scrounge but it is an otherwise agreeable spot for an apéritif.
The next morning I took a stroll down to the Marché Forville before heading up the steep restaurant-lined rue St Antoine to the medieval village of Le Suquet.
A photo posted by Festival de Cannes (@festivaldecannes) on May 13, 2016 at 8:30am PDT
At the Old Fountain I met with Ettore for a coffee at Los Faroles, a great locals’ bar and restaurant, before visiting the 11th century fortress and the church of Notre Dame d’Espérance, and the archeological Musée de la Castre up at the top of the village.
Here the esplanade offers exquisite 360° views of Cannes, and is an absolute must.
If you want sensational but affordable Michelin-level cooking try Bistrot l’Etage, where you get a three-course meal for £25 (R546).
This is owned and run by the legendary Stéphane Raimbault, whose two-star L’Oasis is downstairs, and shares the same kitchen.
His culinary empire of two restaurants, a shop and a cookery school, is in La Napoule, a pleasant stroll from Cannes along the beach, or one stop on the train.
L’Etage offers rand for rand the best cuisine anywhere around, with hearty portions and a good affordable wine list. You can also choose items from the two-star Oasis with a 30 percent reduction.
“One place they will be heading this year is Paloma because it’s just landed its second Michelin star,” said Ettore. “It’s currently the hottest ticket.”
So my last port of call was Mougins, a short taxi ride up to chef Nicholas Decherchi’s recently opened gastro palace looking out across the wooded hills and Bay of Cannes. It was worth the trip: a perfectly executed three-course lunch for e45 (R776).
You don’t have to be loaded to eat stars with the stars, even in Cannes. But it sure helps.
Daily Mail