We are taking a boat charter for a day in Cote d'Azur, and we will be stopping in St. Tropez around midday. I am looking for recommendations for a great restaurant for lunch within a short stroll of the vieux port.

Thanks for the help.

We've spent over 4 weeks in St Tropez. Our favorite restaurant is La Ponche.

There are dozens of restaurants fronting the port - but we don't like the "scene" there.

Stu Dudley

is the "scene" there as unpleasant at lunchtime? we were thinking more the "scenery" lol

thanks for the advice on La Ponche. how long of a walk from the port?

If I had my own boat I would want to eat at one of the beach clubs and not right in town at the port. It's a fabulous "scene" to see all the boats arrive for lunch and be shuttled to and fro from the restaurant. This is definatlely where the action is at lunchtime. The biggest scenes are at Club 55 and Tahiti Beach Club, the food is an afterthought. If you google pampalone beach area or ramatuelle you will find all the beach clubs to dine at...key largo, nikki beach if you are REALLY young...there's about 20 of them.

That said, if you still want to eat at the port, there are a number of "joseph" restaurants that are very bobo up and should fit the bill, the food is pretty good too, although very expensive.

Stu's rec of La Ponche is very good too, only a 5 min walk up from the port. It is in a special little corner of the town with a nice view of an ugly beach area, and good food,IMO. We like a little cafe right across from the port, dead center, and for the life of me I can't think of the name right now. It's a great place for a drink and snacks, sushi, and they do have a menu but I haven't had a whole meal here.

My favorite scene in the world is St Tropez in the summer, it has something for everyone!

the "scene" :

The "super" boats with what seems like "super rich" people pull up at the port. Along the port, there are lots of "other" people just wandering up & back watching the "scene". There are lots of people at the cafes & restaurants watching the "scene" also. Lots of the people on the boats have lunch on the end of the boat which is closest to the port. So what you have is the people on the port watching the rich people eat & go about their activities - and the rich people watching the port people watch them. It is really kinda interesting and amusing for a while. Once we saw a "bronzed" guy about 35 years old "buzz" the port on a motorcycle (no cars allowed, normally) with a "babe" on the back of the cycle. He made a couple of passes past the people sitting at the cafes to make sure everyone noticed him (and to impress the "babe" perhaps). Then he rode up to one of the larger boats, got off the bike (with the babe), walked up the "plank" to the boat, tossed the keys to his motorcycle to an older guy in a "uniform" who was waiting for him, and then descended into the galley of the boat. Quite a "scene".

The Ponch area is more quiet & sedate.

Stu Dudley

very helpful tips from both of you. many thanks.