In a word, yes. Or, at least this is our favorite beach club in Saint Tropez. Loulou brings Parisian elegance to the beach, combining our two beloved places in one.
You can never have a bad day on Loulou’s bright, sunny terrace. Crisp, white tablecloths drape the tables perfectly, accented with fresh lemons. The sun shines, the food is simple and delicious, the music is amazing, and the vibe is pure joie de vivre.
Here are our suggestions for the perfect lunch at Loulou Ramatuelle:
Start slow with a cocktail! Unlike many other beach clubs along Plage Pampelonne, Loulou’s bar program is top-notch, serving cocktails as good as those at a fancy city bar. Sip your cocktail as you peruse the wine list, and choose a nice local white wine or rosé — they will keep it ice cold for you throughout lunch service.
For an entrée, the tomato tart is a must. Featuring ripe red tomatoes and tomato sauce over a crispy, fluffy puff pastry crust, lightly dotted with tiny basil leaves, it’s inspirational. We’ve already attempted to recreate it at home.
The raw violet artichokes with parmesan cheese are always a French beach club staple for us. Our two-year-old can’t get enough of them.
Be sure to get a crudo. With an Italian-inspired menu, Loulou excels at these. We chose the sea bass carpaccio, but if you like raw shrimp, definitely go for the gambero rosso!
We suggest getting the whole fish of the day, served with beurre blanc sauce and ratatouille. We were also tempted by the beef carpaccio and the pizza but decided to stick with beach club classics. If you’re in the mood for meat, LouLou offers a selection of meats of the day — the same concept as the fish, featuring what is exceptional that day.
Finally, for dessert, the Tarte Tropézienne is a must. However, if the dessert of the day is the giant pavlova, get that too! This breathtakingly huge berry and meringue dessert is a total showstopper and perfect on a warm summer day.
In addition to Parisian touches like Buly soap in the bathrooms, we love that Loulou has a house DJ. You can always expect consistently good music and a fun vibe to accompany their perfectly executed menu. We really enjoyed DJ Leone’s mixes and have been listening to his playlist at home. Loulou is also great for kids if that matters to you — they treated our son like a prince, and he loved the fun vibe as much as we did.
The beach was immaculately clean, a detail that not all of the beach clubs pay attention to on Pampelonne Beach. It was also equally fabulous yet unpretentious, with furniture so clean you could forget you were on a dusty beach, and bold white and yellow striped beach towels that not even Hermes’ “Yachting” collection has managed to match in terms of simple chic-ness. The gregarious manager of the beach prioritised making guests feel at home and even entertained in between trips to shuttle guests to their boats waiting offshore.
Before leaving, be sure to check out their boutique for chic beachwear.
Loulou Ramatuelle, Plage de Pampelonne, 1080 Chem. des Tamaris, 83350 Ramatuelle
Note: Loulou provided support for the reporting of this story.