After
dancing until dawn, we woke up at 11am on Sunday morning and dashed to grab our
favorite breakfast: La Tarte Tropezienne, before driving the
7 minutes to the famous beach club Le Club 55. We had reservations for beach
beds, but if you don’t show up by noon, they give them away. Those who arrive
super early get the coveted first rows closest to the water’s edge. Once
settled, we enjoyed our delicious breakfast on the beach.
You
basically lounge all day and then break for lunch in their buzzing outdoor
dining room, and then either return to your boat, take a swim, or lounge some
more until the sun sets. Odds are, if you want to see someone famous while in
St. Tropez, you will see them at Club 55.
Bikini, Matthew Williamson for H&M. Sunglasses, Gucci. Mother of Pearl Alhambra Necklace, Van Cleef & Arpels |
Keep your eyes peeled on the famous dock, where celebrities arrive by a tender from their mega yachts anchored off shore.
We decided
to skip the boisterous dining room this time, and instead, we ate at the little
beach bar right on the sand. How eco-chic are the benches and tables made from old
pieces of driftwood?! From our table we had a cool breeze coming off the water
and a perfect view of the turquoise sea. This is what summer is all about!
A light fare of sandwiches, salads, pastas and pizza is offered, as well as desserts and ice creams. Prices are a bit less shocking than the main dining area.
AMAZING beef lasagne with creamy layers of bechamel (nice and light for a hot day at the beach, ha ha!) |
What the French do best: a traditional ham and cheese baguette |
A perfect cappuccino |
Around 6pm
we followed the crowds to the nearby Nikki Beach Club. Every Sunday starting at
4pm Dj
Rom1 joins the Nikki Beach Family to spin his mix of tunes well into sunset. You will know that you have arrived when you see a parking lot full of
super cars!
Kaftan Matthew Williamson for H&M. Sunglasses, Gucci. Panama Hat, purchased on the island of Capri, Italy. Mother of Peal Alhambra Necklace, Van Cleef & Arpels |
We happened
to be there during a Spartacus themed evening, where all of the staff were
dressed as gladiators. Nikki Beach is just one big party: you drink, you dance
around the pool scarcely dressed, and you take a shower in champagne. It’s absurd and excessive. Here is a clip from the day I was there, fast forward to minute 2:40 for the afternoon/evening party:
The table next to me ordered so many bottles of champagne that it had to be delivered in a wheel barrel. When it arrived they shook every single bottle, popped the corks, and drenched their friends. I couldn’t help but lean way over when the bill arrived to catch a glimpse … total tab …. €17,000. This is the superfluousness for which St. Tropez is so famous, and personally, it is this extravagance that makes it a turn-off.
Some creepy characters walking around on stilts |
After Nikki Beach, we drove back to our hotel in the port and decided that this trip would not be complete without a dinner featuring a rotisserie chicken from the Rotisserie Tropezienne in the Place des Lices. I love these birds!
We grabbed a baguette (just to be French, of course) and a bottle of local rose wine and set up the little table on our hotel room balcony overlooking the port just in time for the sunset.
View from our hotel room at the Hotel Sube |
Rotisserie chicken, roasted vegetables, a baguette, a bottle of rose wine and a billion dollar view: perfection! |
After dinner we showered and changed and got ready for another night out in port.
Dress, Emilio Pucci. Evening bag, Gucci. White gold and diamond pave cross necklace, Crivelli. |
We had a stroll around to see all of the new yachts that had pulled in and then went to the Cafe des Arts on the Place des Lices for a cocktail with friends. This is where all of the boulistes hang out who play boules in the park.
Our last stop of the day/night (what time was it anyway?) was the VIP Room nightclub for more champagne and dancing. We thought we were doing pretty well with our own beverage selection until...
... the music stopped, the Star Wars theme song came on, sparklers were flying, and a hatch in the ceiling opened out of no where, and down two stories came a Methuselah (the equivalent of 8 bottles) of Dom Perignon lowered to a dance floor table full of Russians.
As if that wasn't enough excitement, oh by the way, the famous singer Estelle just wanted to get up on stage and sing a few of her most popular songs:
For the absolute best and most accurate synopsis of St. Tropez life, make sure to check out Anthony Peregrine's article here. I couldn't have written it better myself.
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