Food, culture, history and style drew me to Saint-Tropez. It may be a little misunderstood by those who don’t know it well, but I see it as a beautiful, small fishing town with all these amazing restaurants, cafes, bakeries and chocolateries. I love that so many of them have been in the same families for years – and I think that’s why they have so many good recipes connected with them.
Saint-Tropez definitely has something special about it, particularly the elegant old town. It still has that glamorous 1950s and 60s feel, when stars such as Brigitte Bardot were there grabbing headlines.
Autumn is a beautiful time to visit. The bay is still filled with yachts and the weather is good enough to enjoy coastal walks and cycle rides. They also have some great markets around this time of year, especially chestnut festivals – and it’s the truffle season.
Grab a slice of tarte tropézienne and you’ll get a taste of Saint-Tropez. It is a wonderful, light brioche cake with an almond cream centre. It was created by a Polish chef, Alexandre Micka, and allegedly named by Bardot when she was filming And God Created Women here in 1956. My favourite place to have it is in Sénéquier, a cafe-bakery with distinctive red awnings on Quai Jean-Jaurès, right by the harbour.
Saint-Tropez has these brilliant characters. My Elvis Pizza is inspired by a local guy called Philippe who runs an Elvis-themed street food truck. The recipe for Lucien’s Sardines comes, in part, from a friend who is a fisherman there. Cedric’s Salmon is a nod to a seriously healthy, philosophical tennis teacher who lives in Saint-Raphaël.
The flavours of Saint-Tropez are strong but very fresh. I love the ratatouille and the stuffed vegetables that you get in a lot of the restaurants. With fish, I keep things simple. In Saint-Tropez they serve sole with sauce vierge, a sharp tomato, shallot and vinegar sauce.
I’ve become even closer to the town since writing my recipe book. The locals were really helpful; we needed a boat for a photoshoot and when I met Andreas, a fellow diner, in one of my favourite seafood restaurants, La Table du Mareyeur in Port Grimaud, he said we could use his classic, beautiful boat.
The old town, especially around rue des Remparts, is romantic, with a lovely restaurant called La Pesquière. It has a terrace overlooking the sea and another room, called Lou Revelen, with a wood-burning fireplace; it’s open every day, too. Also on rue des Remparts, La Ponche is now a five-star hotel and restaurant with a sea-view terrace; the signature dish is the monkfish bouillabaisse (€45). In the 50s and 60s, it was a hangout for writers and actors such as Simone de Beauvoir and Jeanne Moreau.
The five-course tasting menu at Auberge de la Môle on Place de l’Eglise is both out of this world and reasonably priced (+33 4 94 49 57 01, no website, lunch around €35, dinner €55). It’s about 20 minutes’ drive from town but worth it for the rich, wonderful Provençal cooking. I like the pâtés, omelettes and chocolate mousse; the cooking is all simply done but the quality makes it stand out.
If you want a cool beach restaurant that feels almost hidden away, search out Plage Des Graniers. It has a laid-back atmosphere and serves grilled fish, vegetables and corn, plus great salads. You can even get to it by boat if you’re feeling adventurous.
Pick a cocktail and take it out on to the beautiful terrace of Hotel Ermitage, on Avenue Paul Signac. Or try Hôtel Le Sube on Quai Suffren: its old-style Saint-Tropez feel is great for aperitif time. Rosé wine is incredibly popular: and Château Pampelonne is exceptional.
At chocolaterie La Pause Douceur (11 rue Général Allard) there is a wonderful lady who I call the Juliette Binoche of Saint-Tropez, because of the film Chocolat. She’s a gorgeous redhead called Delphine who runs the shop with her mother. They sell the most amazing praline chocolate.
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