Louis-Charles Aka Brings Cinematic Elegance to Beefbar Cannes

Louis-Charles Aka has designed the new Beefbar in Cannes, marking his first collaboration with Riccardo Giraudi's restaurant group and with Barrière Hotels. The interior emphasizes natural elements and classic luxury, with orange banquettes at the back offering a vantage point to observe the entire room. Aka worked with the extraordinary southern light, which enhances the lacquered woodwork. He describes the aesthetic as "Riviera elegance, golden, slightly nostalgic," and imagines the fictional guest as Jep Gambardella from Paolo Sorrentino's *La Grande Bellezza*—someone who observes quietly. Music is central to the ethos; Aka chose John Coltrane's "Naima" for its measured, spacious quality. The design is an exercise in reduction, avoiding the loud competition typical of Cannes restaurants.