How to Spend a Day in Saint Tropez

I’ve been to Saint Tropez many times, but never for more than a day. It’s such a perfect place for a day trip if you’re on vacation in Provence: it’s small enough so that you can see everything in one day, but big enough to keep you entertained. You may have seen from my previous post that St Trop’ is an absolutely gorgeous little town, and there’s lots of choice when it comes to cafés, restaurants, and shops. Over the years, my family has come to favour a few places which I’ll be sharing with you today!

But first, a top tip for travelling to St Tropez: get on a ferry from Nice, Saint Raphael or Sainte Maxime to avoid getting stuck in the crazy traffic jams around Saint Tropez. Okay, now that that’s sorted – on to the good stuff.

Senequier

Senequier is a bit of an institution in St Tropez. Brigitte Bardot made it famous in the fifties, and more recently it’s seen celebrities like Kate Moss stop by for a drink. It was also used to sit front row fashion editors at Chanel’s 2011 Cruise collection fashion show – no big deal! Its menu is one of the most overpriced I’ve ever seen, but it’s worth getting a drink there just so that you can admire the harbour and watch new superyachts coming in. If you’re lucky you’ll even spot Cara Delevigne hopping onto a boat like my parents did last year!

Best for: people watching.

Where: Quai Jean Jaurès, right by the harbour.

Dior des Lices

Dior des Lices is a lovely, quiet café in the elegant garden of the Saint Tropez Dior shop. It’s such a lovely setting, great if you want to cool down in the shade with a cold drink. Although I haven’t tried the food, the menu looks fresh and delicious – I really want to try the choux with Dior letters on them next time!

Best for: a sit down after shopping.

Where: 13 rue François Sibilli

La Tarte Tropézienne

You can’t go to Saint Tropez without paying a visit to La Tarte Tropézienne! This bakery which opened in 1955 created the town’s most famous dessert: a brioche with a cream filling. They say that it was Brigitte Bardot who encouraged the owner of the shop to name the dessert properly, and that’s how the ‘tarte tropezienne’ was born. Last summer they collaborated with one of France’s coolest ladies, Inès de la Fressange, to create a cute & chic box design.

Best for: an afternoon snack.

Where: Place des Lices, although there are several shops in the French Riviera.

La Ponche

La Ponche is a charming little 4 star hotel by a tiny beach, and its restaurant is really worth a visit. If you like seafood, you can choose from a variety of freshly caught wild fish. I went for the red mullet on a bed of pesto courgetti while my Mum chose to have a whole grilled seabass. For dessert, I recommend the homemade ice cream (strawberry and rose were delicious) or you can go for the ‘café gourmand’ pictured here, with a mini assortment of their best desserts.

Best for: sea views, impeccable service, fresh seafood.

Where: 3, rue des Remparts

My Mum and I always have a great time visiting Saint Tropez for a day, shopping and enjoying the sun. I’m hoping that this quick guide will either inspire you to go there or help you to plan your upcoming trip!