Where the superchefs eat - French Riviera

The restaurants of the Côte d’Azur are always an integral part of any South of France superyacht charter. Choosing from a gamut of gastronomic restaurants is never easy but here to assist you is Chef Arnaud Poëtte from the renowned Hôtel du Cap-Eden-Roc to recommend some of his personal favourites to tempt you ashore.

Eden-Roc Restaurant, Hôtel du Cap-Eden-Roc, Cap d’Antibes

For a memorable evening ashore in a genuinely iconic location, the Eden-Roc restaurant won’t disappoint. Arrive by tender onto the private teak jetty and kick off your evening with a Champagne aperitif at either the Eden-Roc Champagne Lounge or the Bar Bellini for the house specialty – a sunset Bellini cocktail. Once the sun has set, enjoy the spectacular night-time views from the wraparound terrace of the Eden-Roc restaurant where the menu includes classic Provençal cuisine such as roast chicken, leg of lamb and bouillabaisse, and signature dishes including wild sea bass with basil and fennel mousse.

Eden-Roc Grill, Hôtel du Cap-Eden-Roc, Cap d’Antibes

Those looking to head ashore for a classic Riviera lunch should head to the star-packed deck of the Eden-Roc Grill. Chef Christophe Marc has created a light lunch menu of familiar favourites executed with great panache, with dishes ranging from marinated crab salad to club sandwiches and hamburgers. Tender to the jetty in good weather, or if it’s choppy, head to the Marina in Antibes just 10 minutes along the coast and the hotel will send a car to collect you.

Plage Keller and Restaurant Cesar, La Garoupe Beach, Cap d’Antibes

For a lazy lunch, pieds dans l’eau, take the tender ashore to Plage Keller and try the Michelin-starred Le César. With sunflower yellow deckchairs set out on a wooden jetty stretching out over the water, and white cloth tables on the sand, Plage Keller is the most sophisticated of the beach clubs on this private stretch of sand. A former haunt for F. Scott Fitzgerald, Picasso and Hemingway, the fabulous setting is complemented by the freshest dishes, simply prepared.

Anjuna Beach, Èze 

For an Indian Ocean vibe in a stunning Mediterranean setting with cuisine to match, head to the trendy private beach club Anjuna Beach, located in Èze-sur-Mer between Nice and Monaco. This is the type of place where lunch morphs into dinner and then to dancing the night away. With its distinctive turquoise sun loungers and a rustic yet chic interior décor, the stunning setting is quite literally as close to the water as you can get. Rub shoulders with Anjuna’s local following of celebrity clients or simply step ashore to enjoy the sumptuous seafood specialties on the menu.

La Reserve de Mala, Cap d’Ail 

Nestled around the headland from Monaco, the stylish La Reserve de Mala is a hidden gem. Set on a white sandy beach, this cocktail bar and restaurant has stylish lounge décor and is complemented by faultless French cuisine with a modern twist freshly prepared by chef Dominique Le Gallo.

La Guérite, Ile Sainte-Marguerite

For those cruising around the sun-drenched Iles de Lérins just off Cannes, Restaurant La Guérite is well worth a shore visit. Sheltered in a rocky cove on the coast of the pine-clad Ile Sainte-Marguerite, Chef Yiannis Kioroglou is subtle and precise and uses aromatic herbs and marinades to create mouthwatering interpretations of ingredients and flavour combinations, influenced by his Greek heritage and French and Italian culture.

La Môme Plage, Cannes

Located on the Croisette in Cannes, La Môme Plage is one of the more lively restaurants and beach clubs that Cannes has to offer. This is the place to head for a long, lazy lunch, cooling off with a dip in the water between courses as you dine on the freshest seasonal and local ingredients from Cannes’ world famous Sube food market, transformed into mouth-watering Mediterranean dishes. Highlights include carpaccio of sea bream with herbs and spices, bavette of Black Angus and gnocchi au gratin.

Le Club 55, Pampelonne Beach, Saint-Tropez 

Ask your charter yacht’s captain to book you in for lunch at the hip French Riviera institution, Le Club 55, well in advance as it remains a hot ticket. Set back from the beach on a canvas-shaded deck, consummate host Patrice de Colmont welcomes a steady flow of yacht tenders arriving to the private jetty throughout the summer in an atmosphere that has hardly changed since the 1950s when Brigitte Bardot and her entourage dined there while filming And God created Woman.

Chez Camille, Ramatuelle

For some of the best bouillabaisse on the Riviera, take the tender ashore to the family-run Chez Camille. Located in a secluded cove near Ramatuelle and Saint-Tropez, this beachside establishment has been welcoming guests since 1913. Serving Riviera specialities, it is elegant but still simple and 100 percent authentic.

La Tonnelle, Île Saint-Honorat

Lying just off Cannes, Île Saint-Honorat is the place to go for a peaceful anchorage and a quiet bite ashore at La Tonnelle. Dine by the water’s edge (the restaurant is only open for lunch) on the flavoursome Mediterranean cuisine that has earned this fantastic beach restaurant a coveted Michelin star.

From beach clubs to romantic Michelin-starred restaurants, it’s hard, in just a page or two, to fit in all of the magnificent establishments that the Riviera has to offer. Discuss your preferences with your Burgess charter broker and they will be able to advise on a wider selection of suitable recommendations for you and your charter guests wherever you choose to cruise this summer.

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