When I’m tired of the crowds, or just looking for a respite from the hot sun and the over-touristed streets of summertime, I love to duck into this little museum on the port that opened in 1955. It’s one of the best kept museum secrets of the French Riviera, with masterpieces that recall Saint-Tropez when it was was an active center of...
When you need to be sexy form head to toe, but still want to be able to walk, then these fashionable flat leather sandals are just what you need, and they are a part of Saint-Tropez history. For 80 years, the Rondini Family has hand made the legendary sandals at their small shop near the Places des Lice, and were...
Sometimes you just want a burger, and there is an answer to your craving in Saint-Tropez. Hiding in old town for 20 years (near La Ponche) now, the ultra casual Basilic Burger is situated on one of the quietest and prettiest squares in the village. There are a few outdoor tables, and not many more indoors, so you might have to wait,...
There’s something both old-fashioned and on trend about this little bistro just a few steps from L’Annonciade Museum and the port. Expect market-fresh dishes and comfort food favorites like steak tartare, fish and chips, burgers, croque monsieurs, salads, foie gras, goat cheese salad, and more at this reasonably priced (keeping in mind this is Saint-Tropez) and friendly restaurant. There are numerous tables...
This up market eatery manages to balance its chic location on a narrow Saint-Tropez street with a fresh and crisp blue and white interior, making it one of the best restaurants in town for a sensational Italian cuisine. Expect summer-colored cocktails, Italian and French wine, and platters of charcuterie and olives to share, which can be followed by melt in...
For a true taste of the French Riviera, venture just a little bit outside of Saint-Tropez and you’ll find Chateau Minuty, teh vineyard and tasting room of one of the region’s most popular rosé wines. The verdant countryside is gorgeous and you’ll be amazed you’re only a few minutes from all the hustle of the village. Château Minuty is a...
Nary a photo exists of Saint-Tropez without a glimpse of this peach and coral church whose Italian Baroque-style bell tower rises above the village’s red tile roofs like a stalwart soldier. The official name of the church is Eglise Notre Dame de l’Assomption and it was built in 1784 then enovated in 1990. Inside is the gilded bust of Saint-Torpes. Legend has it that in...
High above the village of Saint-Tropez the imposing Citadel looms, reminding visitors that this was once a village whose primary purpose was defense. Built in the early 1600s, this hexagonal fortress at the east end of the village is now a place to go for sweeping views over the roofs of Saint-Tropez and the surrounding coastline. It is also home to the...
Not everything about Saint-Tropez is spendy. A spectacular coastal footpath, called Le Sentier Litoral, winds all along the coast of the French Riviera, and in Saint-Tropez it is particularly wild and beautiful, passing rocky inlets and hidden bays,rounding the entire peninsula and continuing on to the beach at Cavalaire-sur-mer. Start at La Ponche and head toward the Citadel, past the cemetery...
When the roads get snarled along the Riviera, especially the road to Saint-Tropez, there is only one solution (unless you have a helicopter): Les Bateaux Verts. The Green Boats. The shuttle service (navettes) connecting Sainte-Maxime to Saint-Tropez will add peace and sanity to your vacation, and possibly save your marriage, by averting what could be a bumper-to-bumper crawl ?along a two lane coastal road...
In the heart of the old village, removed from the port traffic, mega yachts and tourists coming off the Bateaux Verts, “La Ponche” is both the name of the historic district and a hotel that the drips with old-word charm. Once a modest fisherman’s bar during the early fifties when the hotel only had three rooms, this large family home expanded...
L’Opera, with its white sails stretching between pine trees and all-white furniture has arguably the most beautiful terrace on the port of Saint-Tropez, iconic mega yacht and bell tower views. It’s an intoxicating place with head scratching art, waiters that sport t-shirts emblazoned with the words “Enjoy your fucking dinner,” and a dance-on-the-tables atmosphere that’s contagious. Time flies here. You’ll go from drinks to...
If you’re a food pilgrim, then come pay respects at the the temple of Chef Arnaud Donckele. The only three Michelin star restaurant in town, awarded in 2013, La Vague d’Or (the golden wave) is set inside the exclusive hotel Résidence de la Pinède, just outside the village on the shores of the gulf of Saint-Tropez, where yellow and white...
I return to this charming restaurant in the vines every year and it never gets old. Just 5 kilometers from Saint-Tropez, set in a peaceful location in the vineyards just below the perched village of Gassin, La Verdoyante is an old wine farm built around 1890, and has been in the Mouret family for generations. It was transformed into a...
If Saint-Tropez has a French brasserie version of “Cheers,” this would be it, even if not everyone will know your name. This friendly and busy spot manages to be packed all day with regulars and tourists, but if you skip the usual dining times (for example eat a later lunch), you might be able to grab a a seat out front...
There are nightclubs on the French Riviera and then there is Les Caves du Roy. This temple to hedonism is the vanguard for chic and glamorous night life on the French Riviera, located in the equally iconic Byblos hotel. It’s renowned for its DJ spinning modern music, expensive pours, over the top lights and decor, and A-list guests who line up to indulge...
Pampelonne is one of, if not THE most famous beach on the French Rivera, where the heat is on, the bathing suit tops are off, and the rosé wine and champagne flow like molten gold. In the summer you can expect to be toe to nose, elbow to elbow with other people who line up at the 20 +/- private...
Saint-Tropez’s main square and gathering spot is a hub of activity for locals and tourists who come to check out the large Provencal market that brings in vendors form the surrounding countryside to hawk produce, clothing, flowers, soap, oil and other local specialties specialties each Tuesday and Saturday. During the height of summer, it is elbow to elbow and difficult to move around...
For something different in Saint-Tropez, Journey across the Mediterranean to Morocco, and into Salama, a restaurant like a hidden genie’s lamp tucked down a narrow alley, not far from L’Annonciade museum. Flickering lanterns and the smell of mint tea transport diners to a 1001 Arabian Nights fable, where the service is as efficient as it is friendly, and the flavors are out...
The cherry red awnings and triangle tables of this famous café on the port of Saint-Tropez are as much of an icon as the bell tower that rises over the village. Pull up a red chair and enjoy the legendary people and mega yacht watching, especially from June to September when the well-heeled descend and the waterfront café provides a...