The original Pampelonne beach club — founded in 1955 when Brigitte Bardot was filming And God Created Woman, and still the most authentic (and beautifully positioned) of Saint-Tropez's beach institutions.
Why It Belongs on the List
Club 55 opened on Pampelonne Beach in 1955 when the Bardot film crew needed a lunch spot and has never needed to change the formula since. The menu is simple — grilled fish, salads, rosé wine — and the setting, on a trestle table under a canopy with Pampelonne's white sand and turquoise water in front of you, is everything the Riviera promises. Book weeks ahead for lunch in July–August. Less exclusive than nearby rivals but far more genuine.
What Stands Out
- Founded in 1955 during Brigitte Bardot’s filming era
- Pampelonne Beach location
- Grilled fish and rosé
- Most authentic Tropézian beach club
- Book ahead in summer