Located inside the iconic Palm Beach Cannes on Pointe Croisette, Zuma Cannes has quickly become one of the most glamorous Japanese fine-dining destinations on the French Riviera since opening during the Cannes Film Festival in 2024.

Part of the globally renowned Zuma created by Rainer Becker and Arjun Waney, Zuma is known for its sophisticated contemporary izakaya dining concept — a style of Japanese cuisine designed for sharing and social dining.

The Cannes venue beautifully adapts this philosophy to the Riviera lifestyle. Designed with natural stone, warm wood and refined architectural lines, the restaurant blends Japanese minimalism with Mediterranean elegance. One of its most striking elements is the large terrace overlooking the Croisette, where intricate latticework merges indoor and outdoor spaces in the Japanese design concept of “Shakkei” — borrowed landscape, allowing the surrounding sea views to become part of the dining experience.

Guests enter through a dramatic low-ceiling passageway, a subtle architectural transition designed to leave the outside world behind and step into Zuma’s immersive atmosphere. Inside, the restaurant reveals several distinct spaces — a vibrant main dining room, an elegant sushi counter, a robata grill where chefs cook over traditional Japanese charcoal, and private dining areas for exclusive gatherings.

Open exclusively for dinner, Zuma Cannes transforms into a lively evening destination where resident DJs create a sophisticated Riviera nightlife atmosphere, attracting international guests, film industry figures, and celebrities, particularly during the Cannes Film Festival season.

During my recent visit for Porterium Magazine, I experienced a curated degustation menu beginning with a refreshing passion fruit margarita, followed by delicate miso soup and spinach with sesame sauce, a classic Japanese dish with nutty depth.

The tasting continued with crispy squid with jalapeño, offering the perfect contrast between crunch and gentle spice. A beautifully balanced salmon tartare topped with roe, served with crisp rice crackers, added a refined textural element.

From the raw bar, highlights included yellowtail with ponzu sauce, fresh and citrusy, and tuna tataki, lightly seared to enhance its rich flavour. The spicy yellowtail maki added a lively and playful touch before the warm course of grilled salmon with broccoli, which concluded the savoury part of the menu with comforting richness.

Zuma Cannes also presents a number of celebrated signature dishes from the global Zuma repertoire, including sliced otoro with smoked tomato dashi and oscietra caviar, Chilean seabass croquettes with ginger chilli dressing, and an exclusive beef tartare with sansho pepper, myoga and black truffle, theatrically prepared tableside for guests.

Dessert offers a delicate finale with the exotic fruits pavlova served with cherry blossom chantilly and mango sorbet, a light and elegant end to a Riviera summer evening.

With its fusion of Japanese culinary precision, Mediterranean elegance and vibrant nightlife, Zuma Cannes has quickly positioned itself among the most desirable fine dining restaurants in Cannes and on the Côte d’Azur.

For Porterium Magazine, Zuma Cannes represents a destination where global gastronomy meets Riviera glamour — an essential dining experience for lovers of contemporary Japanese cuisine visiting Cannes.

Zuma Cannes
Palm Beach Cannes, Pl. Franklin Roosevelt, 06400 Cannes, France
+33 4 12 38 12 38
zumarestaurant.com