This friendly bistro has a romantic candlelit ambiance and serves a combination of southwestern and home-style Provençal cuisine. Try the duck magret roasted with truffle sauce, the coquille St.-Jacques and the homemade moelleux au chocolat or crème caramel.

Set back on the scenic, winding coastal road of the Cap d’Antibes, this family-run, one-Michelin-star restaurant serves up some of the tastiest, authentic bouillabaisse in the area. The seafood is straight off the boat, and the sea views from the dining room’s bay windows are spectacular. Other superb options include a creamy garlicky soup; the catch of the day grilled with fennel; and sea perch served with truffles or the house-made aioli.

Indagare members and editors agree that Barbarac is the best spot for ice cream in the port of St. Tropez.

This historic bistro in Old Nice has a classic regional menu with dishes such as lentils and sausage, risotto with truffle butter and grilled duck breast. Chef Sebastien Krieger has taken a neighborhood haunt and made it a wildly popular foodie destination with his divine renderings of southern traditional cooking with the freshest ingredients. The best tables are those on the second floor (in winter) and outside on the street terrace (in summer). Although Bistro d’Antoine has a more casual feel, reservations are essential.

A landmark bar-restaurant on the Place des Lices, it was recently spruced up in minimalist white-and-grey and remains a delightful place to sip pastis and watch the old messieurs trump one another in pétanque.

The vast terrace of scarlet canvas chairs is a thoroughly entertaining place for aperitifs and yacht-gazing. Once frequented by the likes of Colette, Sartre and Cocteau, it still attracts a French showbiz crowd at sunset. Indulge in a tarte tropezienne from the café’s pastry shop (the rather filling cream cake was introduced to St.-Tropez by a Polish baker in the 1950s). Best for lunch or pre-dinner drinks as the food is not fabulous.

This roadside village inn is a favorite dinner spot of Patrice de Colmont, of Club 55. As he reveals in his insider tips, “In contrast to all the new trendy places around St.-Tropez that serve exotic cuisine, here you’ll find typical Provençal country dishes. I usually order the crayfish for starters then the tournedos (fillet steak) served with potato cake and truffles. The portions are so copious that I’d advise skipping lunch! The restaurant used to be a bar tabac and a gas station, and they still sell cigarettes downstairs. [The food] goes well with the local Château Barbeyrolles rosé, or a bottle of chilled Pétale de Roses from the same vineyard.”

This landmark restaurant has been serving up traditional Provençal specialties for nearly eight decades. Reserve a table on the garden patio under a trellis of century-old vines. Highlights include aioli, stuffed vegetables, barbecued local fish, beef daube in a red wine sauce and moelleux au chocolat (a warm chocolate cake).

If you’re cruising the Riviera coast by yacht (or ready to escape the buzzy St.- Tropez scene via helicopter) make a stop at this idyllic, Michelin-starred hideaway at the tip of Porquerolles. Although veteran chef Joel Guillet has stepped down, the classic southern French cuisine has remained reliably excellent. Among the new tantalizing dishes: open artichoke ravioli; roasted crayfish and marinated capon with a bouillabaisse-inspired sauce; and a light peach soufflé topped with roasted peaches.

The terrace restaurant of the old school Hotel Belles Rives is a summer favorite thanks to sensational Mediterranean dishes and a spectacular setting on a terrace overlooking the sea. This is quintessential South of France splendor in the sun. For those who want an equally fabulous setting right over the sea but a lower-key and less expensive lunch, head to the more casual beach restaurant at the hotel, Restaurant Plage Belles Rives.

La Pesquière is a local spot in the old port, and a great restaurant for families. The outdoor terrace overlooks a small beach below where children can play.

Nice’s fashionable hot spot, whose regulars include Elton John, Bono and Rod Stewart, La Petite Maison keeps its return guests satisfied with a delicious roster of regional specialities. The Provençal menu is based on a “sharing” philosophy, with such dishes as stuffed Mediterranean vegetables, Niçoise salad, salt-crusted sea bass, succulent veal chops, roast baby chicken with lemon, grilled eggplant with shrimps and pissaladière, a carmelized-onion tart with anchovies.  The dining room is airy and elegant with giant windows, pale rustic wood floors, cream walls and high ceilings.

This inexpensive, family-run place is located in the nearby village of Gassin (a nice escape from the crowds and the heat). The restaurant excels in southern French classics including bouillabaisse, stuffed leg of rabbit and crème brulée flavored with lavender. The wine list includes many vintages from the neighboring vineyards. Sitting on the sunny terrace overlooking the countryside, you’ll feel like you’re in Provence.

The outside terrace of this staple has a prime view of the yachts across the quay; inside, the red velvet booths and ornate chandeliers set the tone for theatrical entrances. A favorite rendezvous spot for the bronzed Parisian set.

A classic restaurant in the old port of St. Tropez that delivers an authentic Mediterranean meal with tons of charm. Kids love their pizzas.

This casual pizza place in the town of St. Tropez is a good spot for a laid-back family meal.