A cocktail of new features at the Hôtel Barrière Le Gray d’Albion Cannes

The bar at the 4-star Le Gray d’Albion in Cannes has had a complete face-lift this winter, involving the complete remodelling of the hotel’s two lower floors between December 2017 and March 2018. The bar is now one of the key areas on the ground floor, forming a vast open space with the Concierge Desk and Reception and offering a single area for guests.  

A fusion of wood and chrome 

To create this open, convivial ambience, architect Alexandre Danan has chosen to demolish the walls around the bar so that it is open to the rest of the hotel. Walls have been removed, leaving space for strips of American walnut resembling a Persian blind as well as a large glass window opening on to the main staircase which leads to the restaurant’s hotel, La Terrasse du Gray. This fusion between the bar, lobby and reception area creates an easy connection between the different areas, where the tables from one space can be used for different purposes according to the requirements of our guests.  

This new layout is in complete harmony with the hotel’s brand-new decor – a contemporary look created by the use of lightly veined false marble, topstitched brown leather, greyish-beige textiles and, of course, the dark wood which runs from floor to ceiling and is used for the tables and large banquettes. 

Wine, cocktails and gourmet snacks 

So what’s on the menu in this delightful setting? To start with, some very fine wines. The two large wine cabinets flanking the counter are an inviting sight, with their chrome and glass providing a striking backdrop for the superb wines stored in them. Or you might prefer a cocktail, such as a classic Margarita, Mojito or Bellini – or perhaps one of the house specialities, five signature cocktails created by Emanuele Balestra, the Bar Manager at the Barrière Cannes Resort. 

A true alchemist, this talented mixologist successfully combines the strong flavours of alcohol with the more subtle flavours of the herbs which he grows at La Terrasse du Gray or in the Majestic’s vegetable garden. He infuses his vodka with Taliouine saffron, Morocco’s “yellow gold”, as he delights his guests with his unique Caïpiroska. He slips camomile into Campari to reinvent the famous Negroni. He adds hibiscus and violet to a Cosmopolitan to make a Cosmofestival. And he softens a Bourbon with a drop of honey taken from his own hives and flavoured with Calabrian bergamot.

Added to all of this is the bar’s “Sur le pouce” menu, a selection of hot and cold snacks available from 11.30am to 6pm. The menu includes dishes such as quinoa salad with goji berries, orange and mint; warm courgette soup with yellow curry; a selection of Corsican charcuterie (coppa, ham, saucisson); mature cheeses served with socca crisps; beef parmentier with roasted hazelnuts; fresh salmon, spinach and Petit Paris in a creamy ginger sauce; and apricot pavlova with sweet almonds.