"Eric Frechon's Mediterranean cooking on a sand-floored Saint-Tropez terrace that turns festive after dark - a see-and-be-seen night on the port."
About La Petite Plage
La Petite Plage is the beach-club restaurant on the old port of Saint-Tropez, at 9 Quai Jean Jaures, with cooking overseen by Eric Frechon, the Meilleur Ouvrier de France behind the three-star kitchen at Le Bristol in Paris. It is a Michelin Guide listing rather than a starred room, and that is the point: serious Mediterranean cooking in a sand-floored, see-and-be-seen setting that tips into a party as the night goes on, with live singers and DJs.
This is seafood-led French Riviera cooking. For more of the resort's tables, compare the legendary beach lunch at Club 55, the seafront La Voile and the three-star La Vague d'Or. For a stylish night for two, see our first-date dining guide.
The Kitchen
Frechon's team turns out a Mediterranean menu pitched between a refined kitchen and a beach club. The summer card runs to tuna tartare with a spicy guacamole and sesame, small calamari sauteed quickly, braised cod with tomato confit and ginger, a parmesan-crusted veal chop and a strawberry Melba to close - bright, sun-led plates rather than heavy ones. A meal lands around 90 euros, which is Saint-Tropez old-port pricing for the setting as much as the food. Lunch is the calmer service; at dinner the room shifts gear, the music comes up and the tables turn social, so the kitchen's job is food that holds its own against a festive crowd. Order the fish and the tartares and you eat well here.
The Room
The setting is the Vieux Port, the working old harbour lined with yachts and cafe terraces that is the centre of Saint-Tropez life. La Petite Plage plays a beach-club card in town: sand underfoot, a relaxed daytime terrace for lunch over the water, and an evening that builds into something closer to a dinner-party-meets-club, with live vocalists and DJs as the light goes. It draws a moneyed, dressed-up summer crowd. Service is slick and used to a demanding room. Tables - especially a prime evening spot on the terrace in high season - need booking well ahead, and the festive late service is part of the deal, not a surprise.
Not for
Not for a quiet, food-first dinner or a budget meal - this is a high-priced old-port beach club that turns loud and festive after dark, built for the scene as much as the plate.
Frequently Asked
What is La Petite Plage in Saint-Tropez known for?
La Petite Plage is known for Mediterranean cooking overseen by Eric Frechon on the old port of Saint-Tropez, and for an evening that turns festive with live singers and DJs. It is a sand-floored beach-club setting in town rather than out on the beaches, and is listed in the Michelin Guide.
Who is behind the food at La Petite Plage?
The cooking is overseen by Eric Frechon, Meilleur Ouvrier de France and the chef behind the three-Michelin-star kitchen at Le Bristol in Paris. At La Petite Plage his team serves a Mediterranean summer menu of tartares, calamari, fish and a parmesan-crusted veal chop.
How much does La Petite Plage cost?
A meal at La Petite Plage runs around 90 euros per person, which reflects its prime old-port location and beach-club setting as much as the cooking. Lunch on the terrace is the calmer, slightly easier service; dinner is the festive, higher-energy one.
Where is La Petite Plage in Saint-Tropez?
La Petite Plage is at 9 Quai Jean Jaures on the Vieux Port, the old harbour at the centre of Saint-Tropez, lined with yachts and terraces. It is a beach-club-style venue in town rather than one of the famous restaurants out on Pampelonne beach.
Do I need a reservation at La Petite Plage?
Yes. La Petite Plage books up in high season, so reserving well ahead is advised, especially for a prime evening table on the port terrace. The late service turns festive with live music and DJs, which is part of the experience.
Reserve a Table
Reserve at La Petite Plage
Booking well ahead is advised in high season, especially for a prime evening terrace table; La Petite Plage is at 9 Quai Jean Jaures on the old port.
Affiliate disclosure: Restaurants for Kings may earn a commission when you book through our reservation links, at no cost to you. Our scores are editorial and never paid for.
Practical Information
Address9 Quai Jean Jaures, 83990 Saint-Tropez, France
NeighbourhoodVieux Port (old harbour)
CuisineMediterranean
PriceAround €90 per person; old-port beach-club pricing
Dress CodeStylish resort
SeatingSand-floored old-port terrace
ReservationAdvised
