In the summer, the markets in the South of France are at their best. There are a dozen kinds of plump red, green, and yellow tomatoes, shiny baby eggplants, pungent bouquets of basil, vine peaches, wild strawberries, ripe purple figs, and juicy lemons as big as tennis balls. And when it comes to food in and around Saint Tropez (you may remember that it used to be a quiet fishing village without yachts), the Mediterranean is full of seafood. When you add all of that up and then head out into the vineyard-covered countryside for fine, sun-drenched local wines, the answer is clear: trends come and go, but there are always a huge number of ways to please your taste buds. Here’s a list of restaurants with fresh, locally sourced food and creative international dishes that stand out from Saint Tropez’s typical, loud dining scene and let you focus on what’s on your plate.
Bello Visto
Chef Sylvain Humbert’s elegant but unpretentious flower-lined terrace restaurant sits on top of the quiet medieval village of Gassin, which is an eight-kilometer drive from St. Tropez. Don’t bother to show off your summer finery here, because everyone is looking at the delicious terroir dishes that he makes. As an appetizer, you can try homemade duck foie gras with apricots and thyme from their garden or octopus that has been slow-cooked in white wine. Expect tasty dishes in the Provencal style, like sea bass with eggplant, fennel, and olives, and a Grand Marnier tangerine soufflé to top it all off. Sit around with a Bandol vieux marc after dinner until the sun goes down over the yacht-filled Mediterranean and the blue foothills in the distance.
Le Kikouiou
This bamboo shack in the vines is tucked away on a narrow country road near the Plage de l’Escalet. It’s a place where locals and well-off internationals go to drink iced Mojitos at sunset. Some of the best dishes are the homemade truffle pizza with a dollop of crème fraiche, the citrusy salmon tartare, the perfectly grilled Angus steak with crispy fries, and the homemade apple crumble and oozing chocolate cake that your Provencal grandmother might make. The three-course set menu at Kikouiou, which comes with a glass of fruity Domaine des Tournels rosé, may be one of the best deals in town. The restaurant has been run by Laurence Dooghe and her family for 31 years.
Gigi, Ramatuelle
Gigi is the place to go for a slow lunch or dinner under the pines by the sea. It serves high-end Italian food and has a friendly atmosphere. Expect families (there’s a fun playground for kids), groups of friends eating antipasti, and couples drinking peach Bellinis while holding hands. The restaurant is run by the Parisian hospitality expert Laurent de Gourcuff (Monsieur Bleu, Girafe, Mn). You can take a golf cart to a forest behind Pampelonne with a saffron-colored canvas-shaded terrace and white tablecloths with embroidery. Here, attentive waiters scurry around with a wide variety of appetizers, such as arancini with truffle, green bean, pistachio, and pecorino salad, and stracciatella cheese, which is soft and creamy. The menu has everything from lobster spaghetti and grilled fish to meat dishes, as well as a delicious coffee tiramisu with mascarpone and a Proustian-inspired digestif that tastes just like a madeleine. If you’ve had your fill of pampelonne Beach’s delicious cuisine, it’s only a short stroll back to Villa Agave to relax in the sun and take in the breathtaking view of the bay.
