Star attractions in the South of France

Nov 12 2010 By Ben Goldby

Ben Goldby tours film star haunts in the south of France and finds out what makes the area so special.

The south of France has long been regarded as one of the most exclusive destinations on the planet.

With more beautiful people than a fashion shoot and more easy money than an Enron shareholder’s meeting, the Cote D’Azur remains the holiday location of choice for Europe’s rich and famous.

Feeling slightly self-conscious as a pasty, overweight Englishman, I began my tour in Nice.

After a quick, easy flight of under two hours from Birmingham to the city’s airport, I was whisked to the Radisson Blu hotel overlooking the Mediterranean.

Comfortable, modern, and perfectly situated for visiting the city, the Radisson offers a hassle-free base for a stay in Nice, with a private beach and rooms with magnificent views of the crystal blue water.

The main attraction is the hotel’s expansive roof terrace, where a large pool, restaurant and bar offer a fantastic panoramic view of the old town of Nice stretching out along the coast.

Nice has long held a reputation for being the poorer cousin of St Tropez, the slightly less fashionable of the famous Cote D’Azur resorts. If you visited the city five years ago, as I did, then you’d have felt this was fair, but now Nice is alive with music, bars and top restaurants.

Michelin stars have been sprinkled on the city in the latest guide to France’s top eateries, and among those rewarded were L’Aromate and it’s talented young chef Mickael Gracieux.

Gracieux has created a stylish restaurant with less than a dozen tables – a private, romantic setting, where the food is a perfect blend of traditional French fare and modern Gallic flair.

Highlights included a flamboyant crab creation topped with a seafood foam served under a glass dome, and a steak cooked so perfectly you felt like you were enjoying meat for the first time. A secluded treasure that will escape many tourists, L’Aromate is worth searching out.

The nearby Restaurant Aphrodite has also been awarded a Michelin star, but the two dining experiences could hardly be more different. A vibrant, modern establishment, Aphrodite is brought to life by the showmanship of genius chef David Faure, who has a rather unusual speciality.

Serving at the table, Faure took what looked like eggs and cracked them into a “frying pan” in a container filled with liquid nitrogen, before presenting a cold “fried egg” that was actually a blend of coconut “white” and fruit “yolk”. A dinner at this unusual, exciting restaurant, is highly recommended. I travelled by ferry to St Tropez, long the getaway of some of the biggest celebrity names.

Arriving in the harbour, you realise just how exclusive this resort is, with the sheer size of the yachts enough to make you want to rob a bank, or at least convince one to employ you as a trader.

I stayed at the Hotel Byblos, a five-star retreat that sits right at the top of the town, but feels as though it’s miles from anywhere.