Under the iconic seven-meter dome of Palm Beach Cannes, a hotel and casino on the French Riviera, a new restaurant channels the glamour and theatricality of 1960s Italy through a contemporary design lens.
Il Grande, conceived by French-Mexican artist and architect Hugo Toro, offers what he describes as a cinematic Italian dining experience.
The two-story restaurant unfolds within a grand rotunda, its design anchored by a saturated palette of deep reds and burnished golds. A “poisoned flowers” motif blankets the interior and serves as an ode to Romeo and Juliet. The motif appears on carpet, wallpaper, and seating, creating a color-drenched environment that feels dramatic and cohesive. Overhead, a burnt orange ceiling capped with lacquered molding recalls the geometry of a garden trellis, reinforcing the sense of enclosure and ornament.
Retro jacquards, sculptural concrete columns and lacquered furnishings add depth and texture to the space. Hand-blown Murano glass chandeliers, developed in collaboration with French artisans, provide a luminous focal point while reinforcing the project’s ties to Italian craft traditions. A mezzanine inspired by opera balconies overlooks the dining room, adding verticality and theatricality to the guest experience. At the bar, floor-to-ceiling brass shelving introduces reflective warmth and a sense of grandeur that anchors the room visually.
From the intensity of the main dining room, guests transition outdoors to a terrace designed to evoke an Italian garden. Sage green pergolas stretch over curved banquettes, their trailing plants creating both shade and subtle separation between dining areas. Warm, low lighting from midcentury-style lamps softens the environment after sunset. Wrought-iron dining chairs, topped with burnt-orange cushions, echo the interior color palette.
A discreet door inside Il Grande leads to FLASH, a hidden speakeasy open on weekends. Here, Toro continues the saturated color while upping the tactile ante. Onyx, hammered copper, varnished wood, travertine and custom metals layer into a textured environment centered around a glowing bar clad in backlit aluminum blades. Mangrove-inspired carpets, animal-pattern jacquards and pleated leather banquettes overwhelm the senses, which are then calmed by curtain-covered walls with integrated lighting offering a cocoon-like atmosphere.
“Touch is essential,” Toro says. “Guests are invited to feel the surfaces — the pleated leather, the wood, the metal. The architecture reacts to human presence.”
Every element in FLASH is custom, from the furnishings to the finishes. Music programming is integral to the experience, beginning with lounge-style ambience and gradually building into a more energetic late-night atmosphere. The space can accommodate up to 200 guests for private events and can be fully or partially privatized, with tailored cocktail menus, curated music selections and dedicated technical support.
Images courtesy of Il Grande
