Jean Imbert at La Palme d’Or
And what if, ultimately, there was nothing more obvious and natural for Jean Imbert than to explore, in his turn, the magic of Cannes? He, a film enthusiast since childhood, nurtured on the big screen and iconic films at home, but most importantly connected to the Cannes Film Festival since always, where he started cooking at 16, amidst the bustling back kitchens, while sneaking into official screenings discreetly, between restaurant shifts on the Croisette?
One year after taking over the stoves of "La Plage du Martinez," and more broadly, the entire kitchens at Hôtel Martinez, this emblem of La Croisette that needs no introduction, Chef Jean Imbert unveils today his gastronomic restaurant within the historic "Palme d'Or." An opportunity for him to write a new chapter in his culinary journey, during the Cannes Film Festival, but not only, as the restaurant will be open year-round.
"I began working at 16 in Cannes, cooking while attending films whenever possible. So it was inevitable that one day I would open a restaurant here. I wouldn't have done it anywhere else but in such a symbolic and emblematic place as Hôtel Martinez in Cannes."
An obvious choice, therefore, for Jean Imbert—immersed in westerns, film noir, and classic gangster films—who would dream about what might be happening on the first floor at Hôtel Martinez when the festival jury gathered clandestinely each year during the Quinzaine. Irony of fate… or not really: on May 13, the eve of the Cannes Film Festival opening, it was indeed at "La Palme d'Or" that the jury convened, as a symbol.