We recommend staying well away from St Tropez from now (July) till the end of August, this is due to the over crowding and the glitterati polluting the charming French town with their champagne spaying and vulgar dress sense. However if this proves unavoidable and you are heading down there this summer, the Journal shows you the best ways to escape the crowds and enjoy St Tropez’s charm.
In the Morning – Café Senequier , During August, the mornings in the town are still relatively quiet, which is partly do to the fact that most holiday makers have been partying till the early hours of the morning in the likes of Club VIP and Les Caves. Therefore this is the best time to enjoy the charm of the town. We recommend you go pick up a fresh baguette or two, and have a coffee at the famous Café Senequier. You can’t miss this place, located in the harbour, you will be quick to notice the iconic red tables and chairs sweeping the harbour front. The Café Senequier has been there since 1887 and arguably it has had more famous people through their doors then any other restaurant in the world. senequier.com
Getting to the beach – Port Grimaud, If you are not lucky enough to own one of the shinny super yachts in the harbour then the chance are you will have to drive to the beach for lunch. During August driving to the beach, in fact driving anywhere is best avoided. The best and most stylish way is to go by boat, however this is St Tropez and therefore it is not cheap to do this. It can be much better to do your research before hand and rent a small boat from Port Grimaud, which is the next port along. Then again, this depends on where your Villa is located and most good hotels will have their own boat Taxi services. The main benefit from departing from Port Grimaud, is there is a lot less traffic on the roads and in the harbour. b-yachting-services.com
Lunch at the beach – Club 55, Club 55 is by no means the quietest of the beach clubs, however it has to be said that it is still the classiest and the most discreet. Like Café Senequier, over the last few years it has seen its fair share of famous faces, Michael Douglas, Sir Elton and Kate Moss to name a few. The key is to book ahead and be prepared to spend a bit of money to really enjoy your lunch. Owned and run by the son of the original owner, Patrice de Colmont, Club 55 is more of a Theatre than beach bar, where the world’s rich and famous enjoy bottles of Pampelonne Rosé and the opulent Crudités. Toward the afternoon the crowds die down and this is the perfect time to sip cold rosé with family and friends. club55.fr
The Sunset – Hotel Sube, This is St Tropez best kept secret (until now). Located above the trendy bar du port you will find the the Hotel Sube bar, the beauty of this bar is firstly no one knows about it, and secondly and more importantly, it has the smallest balcony overlooking the port. I believe it is in fact the only bar that over looks the port, and therefore, is the ideal place to have a beer with some olives and watch the sun descend behind the mountains. hotelsube.net
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