Le Girelier restaurant review

After perusing the menus along the beautiful harbour street of Quai Jean Jaures we finally selected Le Girelier restaurant for lunch. The crisp white exterior and interior decor made it not only stand out in the line of restaurants but gave a distinct St Tropez vibe, light, airy and refined. We were seated next to a table of local tropeziennes who were chatting animatedly with the maitre d' and sommelier and clearly catching up the interseason news. Le Girelier is one of the few restaurants in Saint Tropez be to open throughout the year and as such has a dedicated following of local clients.

The menu here is exceptionally varied and offers diners a good selection of seafood, Italien-style cuisine, French specialities and delicious desserts. The choice was not a difficult one for me. Being a vegetarian it can be difficult to eat creative meals in France, however, one huge draw of Le Girelier is the choice of non-fish and non-meat dishes. I selected one of the lunch menus which offered a main and dessert for €33 and choose a fresh pasta dish with tomato, parmesan and basil. My companion went straight for the French classic of moules mariniere, mussels in white wine sauce with frites maison and crusty French bread for dipping.

Whilst we waited for our food we enjoyed a certain amount of people-watching and marvelled at those who are obviously regular diners here in the port restaurants of Saint Tropez. We didn't have to wait long for our food which came out piping hot and smelt delicious. My spaghetti was certainly some of the freshest pasta I have had and was cooked to perfection. The rich tomato sauce was laden with parmesan cheese, so much so that it stuck to my fork in great clumps and added a creamy taste to the dish. It was a monsterous portion, but once I started I found it hard to stop! The mussels came swimming in sauce and were piled high over the bowl, clearly fresh from the morning market. By the end of the meal we left two completely clean plates and were more than satisfied with our choices.

Although I was quite full and there was no real need for a dessert, I happily accepted my pre-ordered tarte tropezienne along with our coffees. A brioche-style cake filled with a particular type of cream and covered in coarse sugar, this was one local speciality that I have been eager to try for some time. With eyes bigger than my belly I tucked in and to my surprise, it was the lightest cake I have ever tasted. Real melt in the mouth stuff. Amazing! All I can say is that you need to try one for yourself, and not just one from the supermarket, but one of the original recipe cakes from Saint Tropez or the Tarte Tropezienne boutiques that have sprung up in towns along the Riviera.

Yes! Overall the menu was very reasonably priced, both for the impressive portion sizes and by Saint Tropez standards. Le Girelier restaurant itself has a lovely welcoming atmosphere, helped no doubt by the relaxed local clientele and the friendly hostess who oversees the proceedings and checked on us at regular intervals to ensure we had everything we needed. Well worth a visit if you are in the neighbourhood.

This restaurant can be very busy, especially during the busier summer months, so don't forget to book in advance. If you can't find a table here then fear not...here are some of our other favourite restaurants in Saint Tropez.