3.14 Plage

Plage 3.14 sits on the seaward side of the Croisette at number 63, the beach arm of the hotel of the same name, and it is one of the few Cannes beaches that does not shut for winter. The sand is groomed flat and the water shelves slowly, but the layout is what sets the place apart: instead of rows of raised loungers it lays oversized mattresses directly on the ground, so the front of the beach reads as a lounge floor rather than a sunbed grid. Turquoise and pink furniture carries the same idea into the restaurant. Cooking is run by Bruno Laplace and Frederic Nortier, who shop the Cote d'Azur markets and build the carte around what is in season, with a weekday market menu for anyone who wants lunch without the full Croisette bill, and gluten free desserts made in house. A resident DJ plays through the afternoon; in the evening the club brings in live musicians rather than switching to a club set, which keeps dinner conversational. Because it trades all year it is also one of the more reliable spots on the Croisette for a January lunch facing the Esterel. Expect private takeovers during festival weeks.