St. Tropez has never been just a dot on the Riviera — it’s a theatre of appetite, a place where lunch is as much about posture as it is about plates, and dinner can feel like stepping into a screenplay. Here, food is never just food: it’s a backdrop for flirtations, negotiations, and the delicate art of being seen.
This season, the village hums with new openings and polished staples, each serving its own version of the Tropezian fantasy. We’ve distilled the scene into four unmissable tables — each one a mood, a setting, and a menu worth venturing out to Pampelonne or crossing the Place des Lices for.
The Elegant Lunch
It’s impossible not to slow down here. Tables sit directly on the sand, shaded by canvas, the sea just a few paces away. The menu feels light but indulgent — think chilled lobster salad with citrus vinaigrette, grilled Mediterranean sea bass, and burrata crowned with ripe local tomatoes. Desserts are airy and photogenic — a fig tart here, a perfect scoop of sorbet there. The real magic is in how the food matches the rhythm: nothing rushed, every course arriving just as the conversation turns to “Should we order another bottle?”
The Beach Club Party
Still the most photogenic mayhem on Pampelonne. The soundtrack swells with the afternoon, the rosé is poured as though on tap, and the menu is surprisingly well-calibrated for a crowd that might be dancing in between bites. Sushi platters and ceviche lead into grilled lobster, truffle flatbreads, and steaks designed for sharing. By dessert — maybe the famous oversized fruit boat — you’re part of the performance whether you intended to be or not.
The Newcomer
New, but instantly at home in St. Tropez’s constellation of tables. A lush garden setting and candlelight set the scene for a menu rooted in Italian precision and generosity: handmade tagliolini with summer truffle, burrata with marinated zucchini, and sea bream crudo that tastes of lemon and salt air. The pacing is unhurried, the service intuitive. It’s a restaurant that makes you feel like you’ve stumbled into something private, even if the reservations book is full.
The Discreet Dine
A palm-framed pool and low-slung rattan chairs make Odette feel like a private club you’ve been quietly invited to join. The menu is lean but thoughtful — seared tuna with sesame, zucchini blossoms stuffed with ricotta, Provençal vegetables glistening with olive oil. It’s the kind of place where lunch can be silent, except for the sound of cutlery and the breeze through the garden, and no one will look twice at your table — which is precisely the point.
In St. Tropez, dining is a sport, an escape, and occasionally an alibi. This year’s guide spans the spectrum: sunlit elegance, champagne-fueled afternoons, candlelit gardens, and poolside discretion.
Choose your vibe and pick your table with care. In St. Tropez, it’s not just where you eat, it’s where your summer story gets written.