As mentioned in the first entry in the series, Club 55 is a classy beach club and restaurant that serves over 1000 meals a day in high season, although you’d hardly know it because the restaurant feels so intimate and relaxed. It is ground zero for celebrities in St Tropez, as well as well-heeled businessmen, politicians and models. If you’re planning on lunching at Club 55, you should know how it operates so that you know what to expect and are not disappointed.

Club 55 is run by Patrice de Colmont, son of the original owner, who knows everyone and watches everything that goes on in the restaurant.  He somehow keeps straight where everyone will be sitting, making sure all the celebrities get their special tables. He is one of the most well known (and well connected) men in St Tropez, but he hasn’t lost his passion for making sure his restaurant is serving great food and run with efficiency and class.

The restaurant is shaded by tamarisk trees, which keeps it cool during the hot summer.  The tables are simple white wood with chairs or benches for the larger parties.  Blue table cloths. All very simple and laidback elegant.  The menu follows suit – with many standard Provencal specialties such as baskets of fresh vegetables, plates of tiny shrimp, artichokes, steak tartar and an onion tart.  The main courses are predominantly fresh fish, normally grilled, served on large platters with excellent fried potatoes. The restaurant lets the ingredients speak for themselves.

There are two lunch servings – 1pm and 3pm.  Generally speaking, unless you “know someone” you will be eating in the second shift.  But this is not a problem, you have more time on the beach and the bar before dining, and then you leave on your boat happy and well fed for the trip back!  You should arrange for your lunch well in advance, and it’s best to have your captain or broker arrange it for you.

Thousands of people visit and lunch at Club 55 each summer, and few are disappointed.  The combination of a relaxed but impeccably maintained beach club, excellently prepared dishes from local, fresh ingredients, a beautiful beach facing many of the world’s most exclusive superyachts, and the celebrity buzz, makes it one of the primary destinations in the French Riviera.

We’ve captured a charter to Club 55 on this video, to provide a feel for the days experience.  Feel free to contact us for further details and a classy boat so that you can arrive at Club 55 in style!
  

To get from the Old Port of St Tropez to Pampelonne, where the beach clubs are, is a short cruise around the rocky Cap de St Tropez  – you will soon see a bay and a long stretch of sand which is the famous Pampelonne Beach.  As you approach, it’s clear that the beach is a major attraction with hundreds of parasols and beach chairs.

With all of the press that Club 55 gets, you’d think there was only one club and restaurant on the beach. Not true – there’s a club for every budget and taste!  The most important point is that you arrive ready to relax, eat a nice meal, people watch and just hang out.  Here are  a sampling of the clubs along this famous strip.  Call us and we can match your goals with the right Club.

Tiki Beach – Indonesian style beach huts and food

Moorea – Summer appetizers, pastas, grilled meats

Key West Beach (KWB) – Fresh Fish and Asian Cuisine

Tahiti – a large and lively club, with a wide selection of Bistro food –  salads, fresh seafood, and grilled meats

As you can see – the formula at all of these clubs is: chairs and umbrellas for rent on the beach, a restaurant that specializes in food that is perfect to eat on a hot summer day with a cold bottle of rose wine, and a shop or two. Many have a theme such as the Indonesian theme at the Tiki. Once you’ve been, you’ll want to try several!