Where To Eat on the Beach in Cannes (2024)

Cannes, the beautiful city on the French Riviera, has some of the best restaurants in the South of France. Cannes offers something for all palates — yes, there are a lot of expensive, high-end venues, but check out my guide to visiting Cannes on a budget if you are looking for more cost-effective ways to make the most of the city. But one thing is certain: a trip to Cannes wouldn't be complete without at least one meal on the golden sand overlooking the sparkling Mediterranean Sea. Here are some of the beach eateries I enjoyed on my most recent trip last month (plus a couple of bonus recommendations from previous stays).

L'Écrin Plage

Located near Port Pierre Canto, a short walk from the Croisette and the city centre, L'Écrin Plage is an elegant beach restaurant with a great surf-turf menu and delicious cocktails. The service is excellent too. 

During our recent visit, I started with a super-spicy frozen margarita and then sea bass tartar, served with mango and passion fruit, which was as tasty as it was colourful. My dad and I shared the sole for our main course and it was exquisitely cooked. The menu includes lots of creative salads and pastas, if you don't fancy meat or fish. And for dessert, definitely go for the beautifully presented île flottante, which my mum had. 

It was a hot day but we felt very relaxed under the parasols. And after lunch, we retired to the transats (deck chairs or sun loungers) — as featured in the top photo — to continue our relaxation. 

L'Écrin is on Bijou Plage, one of my favourite beaches in Cannes — and one that's, handily, on a few minutes' walk from my parents' apartment. It's a lot less busy than Plage Zamenhof and the other Croisette beaches. The sand is soft, the turquoise water is calm and clear and you can enjoy the views out to the distant Esterel Mountains. A very fine place to sip a perfectly mixed Old Fashioned!

NB: The French word écrin translates as 'jewellery box,' which is very appropriate given that bijou means jewel — and it really is a jewel in Cannes' glistening crown!

L'Écrin Plage is located at Port Pierre Canto, Boulevard de la Croisette, 06400 Cannes.

Bijou Plage

Right next to L'Écrin on — you guessed it — Bijou Plage, the restaurant of the same name has been a family favourite of ours for many years. It's changed a lot since our first visit but I really like the current incarnation. It's a little more relaxed than L'Écrin and also may work better if you have kids with you as we did — the charming wait staff happily accommodate younger guests. 

The menu includes a mix of fresh sea food, meat and veggie dishes from the grill and Neapolitan pizzas. (I've often been disappointed by pizza in Cannes, but these were really good!) My dad and I shared again — the côte de bœuf this time — and it was delicious: flavoursome, perfectly medium rare (à point) and with insanely moreish fries.

Once again, we moved to the transats after lunch. Bijou Plage has a very fine cocktail menu (not surprising given their parent group) and the Greek Smash (gin + Skinos + lemon juice + basil syrup + Absinthe) really hit the spot. I was also talked into having an Old Fashioned too — well, it was my final afternoon in Cannes before flying back to London.

Bijou Plage is a fantastic beach for swimming and the gentle, clear waters are great for kids. As my parents have a lot of beach kit — chairs and umbrellas of all descriptions — we don't usually visit the 'beach club' parts of the beach restaurants so it was a real treat to do so twice.

Bijou Plage is located at 110 Boulevard de La Croisette, Square Verdun, 06400 Cannes.

Picnic on Plage Zamenhof

Looking for a more budget-friendly option for a beach meal in Cannes? Why not make up a picnic and enjoy it on Plage Zamenhof, the public beach nestled into the eastern curve of the Croisette? Head to Marché Forville, the Provençal market, to stock up on fresh produce or just follow your nose in Rue Meynadier or Rue Hoche to find freshly baked baguette, juicy rotisserie chicken or all manner of sweet treats.

My mum prepared a delicious picnic for us to enjoy on the beach before watching the fireworks display. We had filet de bœuf, new potatoes, salsa verde and roasted peppers, followed by the juiciest strawberries. Still hungry? Grab an ice cream from one of the many stalls along the Croisette.

There are often fireworks displays on summer evenings — check the website of the Festival d'Art Pyrotechnique for more details. The festival had technically already ended when we were there (England, we learned, won the Public Prize for their display several weeks earlier) but there was a special display, created by a Chinese organisation, to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the Libération of Cannes (earlier in the day, I had also watched US army jeeps parade down the crowded Rue d'Antibes and the Croisette).

Plage Zamenhof is located on Boulevard de la Croisette, 06400 Cannes.

Miramar Plage

When I was in Cannes last summer, we had a beautiful dinner at Miramar Plage, which is in the heart of the Croisette, between the iconic Martinez and Carlton hotels (either of those would also be a wonderful place for a splurge meal and/or beach day). We enjoyed guacamole (made at the table), ceviche and an impeccable steak-frites. The service and the ambiance were really special, especially as we were treated to a gorgeous sunset, the pinks and oranges contrasting with the moody Esterel Mountains.

Miramar Plage is located at 64 Boulevard de la Croisette, 06400 Cannes.

Restaurant La Guérite

Located on Île Sainte-Marguérite, the small island 1km off the Cannes coast most famous for once housing the prisoner known as the Man in the Iron Mask, La Guérite offers a luxury dining experience in a very unique setting. Its name means 'sentry box' and it sits at the foot of the Fort Royal on the island's north coast. You will definitely need to book in advance — we couldn't get a table this time but I still have happy memories from my meal there a few years ago. 

The journey starts with a private boat shuttle from Port Pierre Canto. Then, dive into the menu at the beach-side restaurant. You don't have to have fish but you probably should — the lobster was divine, but the creative entrées were excellent too. After you've eaten, sleep off your food coma on one of the sun loungers on the small stretch of sandy beach.

If La Guérite is fully booked or out of your budget, you can still visit the island. Pack a picnic and take a 15-minute boat ride from Cannes (you can also book online through GetYourGuide). Much of the island's shore is rocky so bring waterproof sandals or water shoes, if you have them. And it won't take long to find your perfect picnic spot on the small but lovely island.

La Guérite is located at Île Sainte-Marguerite, 06400 Cannes.

Looking for more Cannes inspiration? Check out my guide to Cannes on a 50 euro budget; my Cannes long weekend guide; and all of my other Cannes posts.