At the table with your feet in the sand on the French Riviera

Tall pines, the buzzing of cicadas, sailboats anchored beyond the rocks... this is La Tonnelle, on Île Saint-Honorat, just off the coast of Cannes. On the menu you’ll find excellent Mediterranean cuisine, accompanied by rare wines from the Lérins abbey. The vines are just behind the restaurant. La Tonnelle

This restaurant on Pampelonne beach, run by three friends, pulses to a soft and rhythmic music. Here they serve cuisine with an Argentinian influence, with its funky tropical décor it’s rapidly gaining a name for itself. DJ sets, aperitifs and festive evenings in the summer – superb. Indie Beach (French only)

With a captivating background of ochre coloured earth, the Esterel certainly deserves a stylish restaurant for lunch by the water. There are not just one, but two great restaurants at the hotel Roches Rouges which opened last year in Saint-Raphaël. At La Plage, enjoy vintage decor and Provencal cuisine, unpretentious and generous, such as anchoïade, a speciality of Provence. Les Roches Rouges

On the Pesquiers beach, facing the beautiful islands of Hyères, the restaurant of the Lido Beach hotel has been taken over by the team from Marseille’s La Passarelle restaurant, and they’re applying the same recipe that has made them such a success in Marseille: local and organic products. Fish, vegetables and flowers are all in the spotlight. The salty seaweed of Hyères could soon be on the menu! Lido Beach

We love the bohemian decor of L'Ecrin, a restaurant with its feet in the sand, on Pramousquier beach at Rayol Canadel. Reclaimed wooden tables, wicker armchairs, organic material for the lighting... while on the plate: fusion cuisine, from Asian bô bun to marinated chicken skewers with cumbawa (a citrus fruit from Indonesia).
L’ Ecrin (French only)

Les Sablettes Beach is a chic shack on a private beach in Menton where white sets the tone. A soft breeze from Italy sways the menu with dishes like prosciutto risotto and ravioli with ricotta, alongside must-have hamburgers, salads and tartars. We love the Zen atmosphere. Les Sablettes (French only)