Insider’s guide to Cannes

What makes Cannes such a great place to live?
Cannes is known worldwide as a wonderful place to spend the summer, but there’s plenty going on all year round, from the yacht show and regattas in September to the International Games Festival at the end of February and Cannes Lions in June. For two weeks in May, the biggest stars in the world descend on this city of cinema for the film festival, and many come and go for the rest of the season. Elton John was here in August: he did a private concert at La Guérite, a beach club on Île Sainte-Marguerite, just 10 minutes by boat from Cannes. In winter, the clubs and restaurants stay open, and you can sail or go up to Isola 2000 or Auron to ski. We are an important business centre, too – Cannes hosts leading conferences in real estate, advertising and telecommunications. Nice Côte d’Azur airport, the second largest in France, is a half-hour drive away and offers direct flights to destinations across Europe, the Middle East and the US. 

What kind of property can you buy in Cannes?
The famed Boulevard de la Croisette is the place to have an apartment. It has incredible views of the Mediterranean and the Îles de Lérins, and you can find designer boutiques, five-star hotels and gourmet restaurants along its length. Apartment prices start at €35,000 a square metre, but can rise to €70,000 a square metre for a penthouse with a pool. If you’re looking for a house, La Californie is the place. You can find historic palaces in the neo-Provençal style as well as contemporary villas with pools.

Who’s buying in Cannes?
Cannes attracts buyers from all over the world, including French city dwellers looking for a better quality of life – people who have made their name in business, tech, medicine and banking. We have clients from the UK, northern Europe and Switzerland, as well as a young and active Middle Eastern audience. Americans have long been drawn to the French Riviera – the Kennedys would often come for holidays. These people bring a kind of magic.

Any exciting new openings in town?
Palm Beach, which reopened this spring, is the coolest place. It has been at the heart of the Riviera since 1928 and is now home to the first members’ club in Cannes, as well as restaurants, entertainment spaces and a waterfront pool. La Petite Maison, which serves refined Niçoise cuisine, has opened here, as has Medusa, which has a 30-strong cabaret troupe. They’re planning to revive the casino, adding a dash of James Bond glamour. La Môme Group is doing really exciting things in Cannes too – it has a beach club called La Môme Plage, several restaurants and a buzzy cocktail bar on Rue Florian. Copal, a new beach club, opened this summer – it has its roots in Ibiza and Miami, and the food, design and service are all spot-on. 

Which are your favourite places to eat and drink?
Bobo Bistro, just off La Croisette, is excellent. It has a Mediterranean feel, the kitchen staff are Italian and the food is delicious. It looks very mid-century modern – the owners sell designer furniture and it’s a trendy place to dine. 

I also love the old-school club-restaurants, institutions such as Bâoli in Port Canto. Leonardo DiCaprio just held a party there. The rooftop bar serves wonderful cocktails and there’s a DJ – though not too loud. Rooftop culture is a big thing here: at the top of the Belle Plage hotel, there’s a bar/restaurant called Bella with an amazing view – just the place to enjoy a cocktail and watch the sunset. 

Apart from the film festival, what else is there to do for culture?
We’re close to lots of excellent museums: the Musée Bonnard in Le Cannet; Musée Picasso in Antibes; the Fondation Maeght, which has incredible work by Braque, Giacometti, Kandinsky and Léger, in St-Paul-de-Vence; and the Musée National Marc Chagall in Nice. The Palais des Festivals hosts concerts and theatre, and in summer there’s Les Plages Électroniques, an electronic music festival that attracts 50,000 people each night. We also have the Festival d’Art Pyrotechnique, one of the best firework displays in the world. It’s an incredible spectacle.

What’s the shopping like?
High-end labels are all around La Croisette: Louis Vuitton, Chanel, Gucci, Hermès, all the big brands. It’s a bit like Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills, or Avenue Montaigne in Paris. My favourite wine bar and shop in Cannes, Cave Riviera, is run by Franck Verhoeven, a passionate oenophile. Whenever I want to take a client for a tasting or a drink, I go there. 

What’s your favourite thing to do in Cannes?
Playing padel with my kids, or cycling in the mountains – there’s so much to do here. Cannes is in such a great location: we are by the sea, but in winter I can get in my car, drive for 90 minutes and be at the Stations du Mercantour, skiing. Each time I fly into Nice, I see the bay with its turquoise waters, and it’s like being in the Maldives or the Seychelles. 

Portfolio recommends…
La Croisette has been a prime spot for people-watching since the days of F Scott Fitzgerald – enjoy first-rate Mediterranean cuisine and superlative sea views on the terrace at Riviera, in the recently renovated belle époque Carlton hotel, or at La Palme d’Or, in the Art Deco Hôtel Martinez, where new chef Jean Imbert pays homage to the cinematic heritage of Cannes with screenplay-style menus. Whet your appetite by checking out the movie-themed murals on buildings across town, which honour silver-screen legends from Chaplin and Monroe to Tarantino. Superchef Pierre Gagnaire has reimagined French brasserie classics at Fouquet’s, and the cobbled streets of the old town are lined with restaurants serving produce from the vibrant Marché Forville. Restore your natural balance at Spa Villa Belle Plage, where the sauna has a pink Himalayan salt wall.

SYLVAIN BOICHUT, HEAD OF OFFICE, SAVILLS CANNES
sylvain.boichut@savills.com