The Taittinger family (of champagne fame) aimed for establishing one of Côte d’Azur’s finest restaurants so with the help of Christian Willer La Palme d’Or was created in 1985. The restaurant is based on the fabulous Grand Hyatt Cannes Hôtel Martinez’ first floor. Now, almost 30 years later, Christian Sinicropi has the responsibility as the Executive Chef.

Today the restaurant is a landmark in Cannes and the Mediterranean cuisine is still of absolute top class. The art deco décor works perfect in the light dining room with windows on three sides and the added bonus of amazing views of the sea and La Croisette.

Cannes’ International Film Festival is inarguably the most famous film festival in the world and many of the movie stars stay and dine at Grand Hyatt Cannes Hôtel Martinez so it is not a big surprise to find out that Christian Sinicropi’s dedication to film shows clearly in his cuisine. The Executive Chef has also published a book called Petits Plats Grand Écran featuring 60 recipes dedicated to cinema.

So you can have a whole tasting menu dedicated to director Tim Burton and actor Johnny Depp or dishes named after blockbuster movies such as Amelie, with foie gras confit topped with gingerbread, E.T. with a weird combination of lamb and smoked eel, sweet pepper and aubergine caponata, and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory with brioche French toast with aniseed and basil chocolate. The ceramic artist Glag has designed the La Palme d’Or’s crockery according to Christian Sinicropi’s drawings to fit perfect to each dish, like the Mad Hatter Hat from the movie Alice in Wonderland.

Christian Sinicropi’s playfulness and innovative skills have resulted in some of the best haute cuisine available so La Palme d’Or is the type of restaurant you should come back to over and over again. You will never stop being surprised. The restaurant has the same name as the top prize of Cannes International Film Festival and that would have been just wrong if it was not up to the same high standards as the Golden Palm. Nothing to worry about – La Palme d’Or is gold.

Written by Andy