An excellent way to experience local cuisine is to create a picnic from ingredients purchased at small shops throughout the country. Search out bakeries, fromageries or cremeries (cheeses), epiceries (small grocery with vegetables and drinks) or alimentations (grocery stores with veggies and beverages), as well as patisseries – each has something delicious on offer!
From its inception in the 1950s, this restaurant has attracted an impressive list of guests including actors Roger Moore and Michael Caine as well as French film star Yves Montand. Chef Christophe Pele offers authentic bistro cuisine.
Arpege
Arpege, known for its fresh seasonal produce from local farms and gardens, is a temple dedicated to vegetables. Chef Alain Passard caused quite an uproar in culinary circles when he decided in 2001 to focus solely on vegetarian cuisine; this decision caused quite an uproar within culinary circles at that time; meat dishes have since returned onto the menu, though vegetables remain an essential element.
Food here is light, vibrant, and colorful – an echo of Chef Pascal Passard himself! His passions shine through in each detail: from guitar strings bursting out of pear wood panels to menu items featuring musical iconography.
While the food here is delicious and luxurious, it can also be very costly. A reasonable option would be lunch tasting menu which costs approximately $80 per person with wine included; while for dinner Earth and Sea tasting menu costs slightly more but still less than $300.
L’Arpege stands out as an exceptional restaurant due to its willingness to deviate from haute cuisine norms to please diners who appreciate its capriciousness. In a world where restaurants try hard to enforce predictability, it is refreshing to find somewhere which embraces it instead.
La Colombe d’Or
Startling transformation has taken place since 1920 when this three-room boite was established above a paysan bar in France. Over time, its three rooms expanded into 25 and eventually even an auberge with 25 guest rooms – now considered one of France’s premier restaurants. The Roux family encouraged artists, in exchange for lodging and meals, to hang their canvases around the walls, eventually amassing an impressive art collection including pieces by Matisse, Miro, Picasso, Braque Leger Signac Cesar! All are present both inside this iconic establishment!
Rustic cuisine at this restaurant adds an artistic flair, featuring dishes such as truffle salad with arugula, melons and Parma ham salad, or grilled snails in Provencal sauce.
Today, this small buckwheat-colored auberge is a favorite among celebrities and the jet set, including Jerry Hall and Rupert Murdoch who have both dined here. During Cannes film festival chauffeurs provide transport for producers, directors and celebrities for discussions over lunch or dinner on its terrace swathed with cypress trees.
Les Palmiers
Les Palmiers is renowned for its sophisticated atmosphere, exquisite menu of classic dishes and carefully chosen wines – the ideal setting for an unforgettable date night or get-together among friends.
Les Palmiers offers travelers an authentic Saint-Tropez experience without breaking the bank, while still enjoying central location just steps from port and Place des Lices. Their customer rating of 9.7 speaks volumes of its friendly staff and inviting garden as places for relaxation.
Les Palmiers rooms boast flat-screen televisions, mini-fridge-bars and private bathrooms featuring features like dressing gowns. Furthermore, there is free WiFi throughout the hotel as well as a cozy bar and 24-hour front desk available to provide assistance for guests.
Table
Via Carota’s team have revived The Table with a menu of French bistro classics for all meals of the day: breakfast (and Instagram-friendly) standouts include delicately steamed eggs with prosciutto or smoked salmon; lunchtime favorites include French onion soup, steak frites and lapin a la moutarde (“rabbit in mustard sauce”).
Romain Paumier, former Chef at Restaurant Daniel, takes pride in using only top-quality ingredients when creating his dishes and emphasizes simplicity when cooking them to allow their true beauty to come through. Pair your meal with wines from Southwest France and Spain from his extensive wine list for an experience you won’t soon forget!
Room is small and service can be slow, but still worth visiting to sample dishes such as poulet roti with foie gras jus and delicious fries, Dover sole a la plancha “like my grandmother made,” or dessert featuring meringue suspended in cream (think Lucky Charms on steroids!). In the evenings the restaurant offers table d’hote dinners where each guest in a Chambre d’Hote can dine together at one table d’hote meal that comes included with their vacation stay.
