Il Grande | Palm Beach | HugoToro

Il Grande bridges Palm Beach’s storied past and its contemporary revival. I wanted to create a place where food, music and architecture come together in a complete moment. A place to fall in love, just for a night..Here, red sets the tone as the past brushes against the future, blending polished wood and raw concrete into an architectural cocktail where glamour meets boldness in a dialogue between day and night.
Hugo Toro

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Under the iconic seven-metre dome of Palm Beach Cannes, Il Grande makes its debut as a bold new dining destination inspired by the glamour and hedonism of 1960s Italy. Designed as a theatrical, late-night restaurant, Il Grande blends vintage allure with contemporary edge, redefining Riviera dining through its immersive design and Italian-inspired cuisine by renowned chef Yiannis Kioroglou, and an al fresco terrace perfect for dining under the Riviera sky.

Created by French-Mexican Artist-Architect Hugo Toro, the design pays homage to Palm Beach’s golden age of sultry soirées and midnight celebrations. Toro imagined Il Grande as a candlelit world of passion and shadow, shaped by a palette of deep reds, burnished golds, and a recurring motif of “poisoned flowers, ” a poetic nod to Romeo and Juliet.

Live music alongside R'n'B and hip hop beats enhance the cinematic atmosphere, while the discreet, hidden bar Flash, open on weekends, extends the theatrical world of Il Grande into a secret, intimate space for cocktails, music, and late-night gatherings.

Il Grande is conceived as a “Gesamtkunstwerk” - a complete, immersive work of art where every element contributes to a unified narrative. Within the towering rotunda, Toro balances grandeur with intimacy through retro jacquards, sculptural concrete columns, lacquered furniture, and hand-blown Murano chandeliers. Every piece, crafted in collaboration with French artisans, reflects meticulous attention to detail.

The space unfolds like theatre, revealing itself in acts: a mezzanine inspired by opera balconies, a hidden lovers’ table tucked discreetly away, and restrooms designed as an integral part of the scenography. Even the terrace extends the vision, imagined beneath what Toro calls a “blood-red moon, ” ensuring the entire venue immerses guests in a cinematic, emotionally charged experience.

Il Grande is now open Wednesdays - Mondays for dinner from 7:30pm - late, welcoming diners and private events for up to 450 guests, introducing a new chapter of Riviera hospitality through cinematic design and sensorial storytelling.

Photography: William Jess Laird

Photographer’s Website / IG: www.williamjesslaird.com / @william.jess.laird