I’m glad to have a double page spread in the Dutch/Belgian Lifestyle magazine Talkies about my best addresses in Saint-Tropez.
Here is the French translation.
“Johanne Brami lives between Saint-Tropez and Paris, after a Master’s degree in communication and a degree in journalism, she was a TV presenter for a Swiss channel and then a columnist on Canal Sat. Her culinary account is @Ladyjoe_ where she regularly interviews chefs in their restaurants. Following the health crisis, she invited the chefs in her kitchen to make live recipes where her subscribers participate by asking questions at the same time. Gourmande Johanne sheds light on Saint-Tropez.”
What does Saint-Tropez mean to you?
My partner and I are lucky enough to have a house facing the sea, so first of all it represents the sweetness of life, the serenity. But it is also the good food, the friends, the party, the freedom. Aperitifs and dinners at home, good times with the family, walks by the sea, boat trips… Precious and unforgettable moments!
What are the advantages and disadvantages of Saint-Tropez?
The advantages are that it’s 1h30 from Paris by plane, so we come there every weekend from April to October. The food is very good because most of the products are local and of very good quality. In terms of prices, there is something for (almost) all budgets, with affordable restaurants but also 3 to 4* star hotels. This gives a heterogeneous clientele and this is what pleases here.
The disadvantages are that you have to wait from October to April for the season to start again 😉 ! But above all, if you don’t have the right phone numbers to reserve, everything is full two weeks in advance. It happens to us to eat often in the same places by comfort because we always reserve at the last minute.
Which hotels, restaurants, cafés and pastry shops do you recommend to your friends in Saint-Tropez and why?
For hotels, it all depends on what you are looking for. If you prefer to be in the village, I recommend the mythical Byblos hotel, there is also the Hotel de Paris (a little cheaper). And a little further away but close to the village, there is the Cheval Blanc hotel which has its own beach and it is unique! I advise you to go for a treatment in their Guerlain spa even if you are not staying at the hotel, their signature massage in a double cabin is simply amazing!
Then, if you want to be in a luxury setting, out of time, there is the Hotel de la Messardière, which has been taken over by Les Airelles, they have renovated the 3⁄4 of the hotel, it’s sublime!
Their new Japanese restaurant, Matsuhisa is delicious and the view is to die for.
A new cafe I recommend is Café Lapérouse, they opened last year (Moma group).
It’s really charming, we come there to have breakfast on the harbor, and to have dinner in peace.
For pastries, the only one I recommend is the Marcel and Cavazza pastry shop, where you will find the best Tarte Tropézienne, you can’t count the calories because it’s so good! You have to reserve in advance because the store is really small. I am really difficult in pastries, and I had a crush only for this one. In 2nd choice, there is the new pastry shop of Cyril Lignac, we come there especially for the bears with marshmallow, the bread and the millefeuille.
What places do you go to regularly in Saint-Tropez and why? (beaches, parks, stores etc)
La Réserve Plage, it’s one of my favorite beaches, the food is excellent, it’s small, it feels like home and the setting is idyllic.
I like to go regularly to Loulou Beach, the food is very good (the best truffle pizza) and the parties are great.
The Byblos is the most chic beach and the food and service are up to the standard of the establishment.
Shellona for events with a DJ and good Greek food.
Casa Amor, the menu is signed by one of my favorite chefs Akrame, and the atmosphere is very Mykonos, you have to come to the first service to enjoy the music group Bossa Nova. And stay at the second service to party in the Alemagou spirit.
Gigi for a delicious Italian cuisine and a warm atmosphere. Club Les Palmiers, for the atmosphere and the clientele.
Indie Beach for the best parties with your feet in the sand on certain nights, and the food is very good since this year, you can trust me.
The store where I bought my most beautiful sequined dresses for parties and my silk dresses for the beach is the Safari Saint-Tropez store (6 rue du Général Allard). If you’re invited to an amazing party, you’ll be saved!
What are the well hidden places in Saint-Tropez that are really worth it (beaches, parks, restaurants etc)?
– The beach restaurant where I love to come with my parents or my darling because we are well received, we feel good there and the mattresses are correct price levels, it is Jardin Tropezina. The clientele is beautiful and we eat very well.
– My favorite hidden address where you will cross many celebrities, it is the beach of Salins, the prices are affordable, we eat there the feet in the water, the kitchen is simple and family. I love having their salmon tartar, sharing a fish, their risotto
fish, their risotto, pasta bolognese or their burger.
Ps: I’ve been told that the pizzeria upstairs is very good too.
It’s the antithesis of what people might think of Saint-Tropez. And many people are looking for this kind of place.
– There is also the Graniers beach which is beautiful but in terms of price, it is much more expensive.
– For dinner, I just went to the restaurant of the hotel Le Pandei, (recently taken over by the group Les Airelles) there are only a few tables on the terrace, and I love this intimate atmosphere and the Italian food which is excellent.
– And a big favorite I had last year was the new restaurant at the hotel La Ponche, by chef Thomas Danigo, who runs the kitchens at Galanga in Paris. A hidden restaurant that deserves to be known! A light, refined and sought-after gastronomic cuisine. A future starred chef, for sure.
Do you have any little gems in Saint-Tropez to recommend to us that are not necessarily well known to the general public?
If you’re looking for a change of scenery just a few kilometers from Saint-Tropez, I highly recommend the Lily of The Valley Hotel in La Croix Valmer. The hotel is decorated by Philippe Starck.
The room of the Vista restaurant as well as the terrace overlooks a breathtaking 180° sea view, where the orchestra that plays on weekends, rocks the sunset. The chef Vincent Maillard has created a menu that respects the products, Provencal and refined, suitable for all epicureans.
But there is also the new beach of their hotel with a unique terrace at the water’s edge on the beach of Gigaro. The chef charms us this time with his traditional Italian cuisine.
