Mougins

Mougins Arguably Cannes has been the most famous resort in France since before the 20th century. In the 20th century it was modernised, with new hotels such as the Miramar and the Martinez, a sports centre, and schools. Originally it was the British who chose Cannes as the epitome of the sophisticated resort, but subsequently it became even more popular for Americans, and summer tourism outgrew winter tourism.. La Croisette is the waterfront avenue with palm trees, well known for its beaches, restaurants, cafés, shops and the famous Carlton Hotel. The old part of the town affords a good view of La Croisette. We have visited Cannes briefly several times in the course of inspecting campsites in the vicinity over the past few years, but on one memorable occasion, when attending the ABTA Convention (The first conference ever to be held in the new Cannes Convention Centre) we actually stayed there for the best part of a week. During our stay there we enjoyed morning coffees on the terrace of the Carlton Hotel although we weren’t actually staying there, and one evening I was detailed off to book “a very good restaurant for dinner” for a visiting celebrity who was to speak at the conference. Having asked the French Tourist Office for advice they suggested a couple of restaurants in the village of Mougins about five miles north of Cannes itself. Mougins is easy to reach either by car or there’s a frequent bus service from the Gare SNCF in Cannes. The village is surrounded by forests and olive groves and affords wonderful panoramic views over the Mediterranean sea and the Esterel mountains to the west. Mougins is in fact renowned for its restaurants and for the many celebrities that have lived there, including Picasso and Yves St Laurent. People come from all over France and beyond to eat at Mougins several excellent restaurants, and I was told that the most well known was Le Moulin de Mougins located in an old oil mill just outside the village, reputedly one of the top restaurants in France. However when I tried to book for my party of twelve I was told it was full! So I tried the recommended alternative, the Relais a Mougins, with a terrace overlooking the village square, and was lucky enough to get the last available table. The meal was my first taste of authentic “nouvelle cuisine” - tiny portions, but I lost count of the courses after the first six! I have to say it was an excellent and memorable meal, but I’m very glad indeed that I was able to claim back the cost of the bill! Relais a Mougins,Place de la Mairie, 06250 Mougins

Relais a Mougins & Cannes Restaurants