Dining in and Restaurants in St. Tropez

Some of the best restaurants in St. Tropez lurk in the lavish hotels. Le Byblos may be the most famous, but l'Olivier in Bastide de St. Tropez is marvelous as well. La Scala, part of l'Hôtel le Baron, has some truly delicious fish and meat dishes to be enjoyed in the intimate indoor dining room or outdoors on the porch.

There are other less-expensive, less-exclusive but still tasty options in town, especially if you wander along some of the narrow cobbled streets in the old section. Emiliano Restaurant offers some well-presented Asian fusion dishes, served on a patio, covered terrace or indoors.

Chez Fuchs is a cozy Parisian-style bistro with some delicious French fare. Through the open kitchen you can see the all-women chef contingent preparing wonderful mainly-seafood dishes.

By the way, don't short change lunch. Try La Table du Marché, where the menu changes everyday. You can dine in or buy baked goods at the patisserie and take them with you back to your villa.

Another fabulous lunch spot ~ in a setting even more appealing ~ is Bistro des Lices on the square of the same name. Eat outside and watch locals play boules or shop at the market (Tuesdays and Saturdays), or enjoy a relaxed meal indoors in what amounts to a sumptuous dining room. Light lunches, such as tuna carpaccio or goat cheese terrine with vegetables and fresh basil, are quite wonderful here.

Historic Café de Paris benefits from a prime outdoor location along the quay. People-watching here remains fabulous after all these years, and as such the restaurant relies on its reputation and location—but don't dine here expecting speedy service or memorable food.

If you're on the beach, you have a number of options. Lunchtime at Club 55 is a casual yet glamorous affair, enjoyed in a thatched roof, open-air setting. Some people prefer to sit closer to the sea, in the smaller area encircled by driftwood walls.

For a more romantic luncheon near Pampelonne beach, try L'Esquinade. It's the perfect place to enjoy fresh fare as the waves lap the shore just a stone's throw away. And when the weather gets chillier, there's a roaring fireplace to set the mood.

There are four good open-air restaurants outside of St. Tropez in Gassin, all of which offer similarly appealing menus and breathtaking views: Le Micocoulier, Restaurant Vieux Gassin, Le Pescadou, and Bar Hôtel Bello Visto.

Of course St. Tropez truly comes to life later in the evening, when the famous and fabulous descend on the nightclubs once they finish dinner.

VIPs head straight for Les Caves du Roy in Byblos, where they get treated like stars...or at least get the opportunity to mingle with those who really are. The newly remodeled Papagayo is giving Byblos a run for its money, however. The bar right in the harbor has live music and dancing until five a.m. The Loco, right across the street, is another hotspot.

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