Whether it’s a chilled glass of bubbles at golden hour, a perfectly bitter spritz between screenings or a cocktail that stretches into a late-night deal, these are the spots where insiders land once the cameras stop flashing.
Martinez Bar
Hôtel Martinez
73 Boulevard de la Croisette
Martinez Bar, courtesy of Martinez/Boby
A vinyl-forward speakeasy that opened in March 2025, Martinez Bar has quickly become the room of choice for the crowd that finds the hotel lobbies too exposed. The room is intimate without feeling small, close but not claustrophobic and good for the kind of conversations Cannes runs on. The signature Black Swan with Cîroc vodka, apricot liqueur, sambuca, a single coffee bean is exactly the kind of drink this room deserves. Rare vinyl spins well past midnight, and so do heads and the industry chatter.
Carlton Beach Club
Carlton Cannes, a Regent Hotel
58 Boulevard de la Croisette
Carlton Beach Club, courtesy of Carlton
At Cannes, the question isn’t whether you’ll end up at the Carlton Beach Club — it’s how long you’ll stay. By late afternoon, the pontoon fills with producers, studio executives, filmmakers and the occasional model who has wandered in from a yacht. The order is instinctive: Provençal rosé, something from the grill and a seat facing the Mediterranean. During festival season, the beach club becomes a natural extension of the Croisette, filled with long lunches, industry conversations and sunset sips overlooking the bay.
Campari Lounge
Palais des Festivals et des Congrès
1 Boulevard de la Croisette
Campari Lounge, courtesy of Campari Lounge
Now in its fifth year as an official Cannes partner, Campari has made the Lounge one of the most coveted invites on the Croisette. Positioned inside the Palais des Festivals with a direct sightline to the red carpet, the space runs filmmaker conversations and live podcast recordings during the day, then shifts into a proper cocktail scene by evening. The signature drink this year is the “Red Carpet, Cannes Edition,” a Negroni riff made with hibiscus-infused Campari, bitter chocolate vermouth, and Courvoisier VSOP.
Le Speakeasy Cannes
22 Rue Latour-Maubourg
Le Speakeasy Cannes, courtesy of Le Speakeasy Cannes
Once dinner service fades, Le Speakeasy Cannes turns into one of the festival’s liveliest late-night scenes. Tucked just off the Croisette, the supper club-style venue draws a crowd who is looking for something more hedonistic than the hotel bars. Espresso martinis and champagne cocktails are frequent orders as live music spills across velvet banquettes and candlelit tables. By midnight, the dinner set has given way to dancing, and last call doesn’t come until 4 a.m. or until dawn, depending on the vibes.
Eden-Roc Restaurant Terrace
Hôtel du Cap-Eden-Roc
167 Boulevard J.F. Kennedy, Antibes
Eden-Roc Restaurant Terrace, courtesy of Hôtel du Cap-Eden-Roc
No Cannes trip feels complete without cocktails at Hotel du Cap-Eden-Roc. The legendary Antibes property is where longtime festival regulars looking to escape the chaos of the Croisette. At the Eden-Roc Restaurant terrace, classic martinis arrive cold and unrushed, the olives are delicious, and the Mediterranean stretches out past the pine trees. By late afternoon, those who know show up and settle at shaded tables as servers glide across the terrace, carrying trays filled with sunset-ready Negronis.
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