Saint-Trop, over the top !

The peninsula awaits you... Offering pleasure, discoveries, the beaches, cafés and restaurants.

It’s the tradition : every year, all summer long, Saint-Tropez puts on a show. Partying starts here as soon as you get out of bed, ie. around 11 a.m. When the sun reaches its zenith, an aperitif is obligatory at Sénéquier’s, this year celebrating its 120th anniversary. For the occasion, the decor has been treated to a facelift by Noé Duchaufour Lawrance ; still in red, but now with a terrace that extends inside. Just think, from where you’re sitting, Colette, Signac, BB, Vadim and so many more have all admired the yachts sailing in or out of the port. In such a setting, a simple mineral water takes on a new dimension. Then off to the beach. Among the many options : La Voile Rouge, a real nightclub in the middle of the day, distilling a velvety ambiance until tea-time, then letting rip and becoming totally wired after 5 p.m. Still very much in, Club 55 is one of the most renowned beaches on the Bay of Pampelonne. Plan to flaunt appropriate apparel, chic and trendy. Discretion is, however, also possible on the peninsula. As proven by Nioulargo, which adds a touch of elegance. When stomachs begin to growl, there’s a Mediterranean menu of Italian inspiration in the restaurant, Asian cuisine, or rather Indo-Chinese, at Kailargo. Far from the sumptuousness of Pampelonne, Pearl Beach with its mattresses and teak sun-loungers opts for escapism. Same goes for the restaurant and lounge bar ; all the tables offer a non-stop spectacle of the Deep Blue Sea at different times of day. Dishes with Mediterranean savours and the occasional foreign influence are served on the beach, in the gardens or at the restaurant. After a little laid-back sun-bathing, it’s time to plan one’s evening. Apero 2, pre-dinner. For which there’s a good choice of fine addresses. If you want to stay in exotic mode, opt for Banh-Hoi and its black and red decor. A choice of Vietnamese and Thai specialities. On the strength of his success, Hervé Larribe has now launched Le Comptoir du Banh-Hoi with a Chinese-Japanese atmosphere, an impressive zinc bar, Indo-Chinese and Japanese dishes. For those who want to avoid places where one simply must be seen, La Table du Marché is the choice. Christophe Leroy’s chic bistro has its fans, and for good reason. A stone’s throw from the Place des Lices, you can sit down from morn till night, for snacks or dinner, but with market-fresh ingredients whose taste is not obliterated by heavy sauces. Le Caprice des Deux also preserves the privacy of its guests. The decor has been revisited and the menu proposes dishes from both Provence and south-west France. An absolute must, the “terrine de foie gras” with onion jam, or roast duck with fresh figs.

About turn, off we go to explore “Tropezian” ports-of-call. Within striking distance of the Place des Lices, the Spoon Byblos. A circular bar in stainless steel and “pâte de verre”, the inevitable VIP corner with inviting sofas, it’s all there… In the kitchen, Christophe Fiorino steers his way around the Med, with stopovers in Liguria, Andalucia and even the Maghreb. You’re ultra-trendy ? Le Bistrot too. Its chef, an ex-Messardière, has swapped regal recipes for others better suited to its lounge-bar ambiance. Franck-Louis Broc sprinkles his culinary offerings with spicy notes, but also proposes great classics such as oven-baked sea-bass with vegetables. At the far end of the harbour, the only star-rated address on the peninsula pays no heed to trends, though the trend is precisely to book a table for Laurent Tarridec’s cuisine at Leï Mouscardins. Relish to the very last spoonful his olive soup with almond milk, yield to the charm of his grilled white tuna and don’t miss, for anything in the world, his royal sea-bream “en bourride”. The wisest amongst us will dine at the restaurant in the hotel where we’re spending the night. Finally, for fairytale Maharajas and Maharanis : Le Pan Deï Palais. A little corner of paradise whose menu proposes tuna sashimi, sea-bream with flap mushrooms, chocolate and caramel nems…