A review of Nikki Beach Saint Tropez: The flagship European destination

The Nikki Beach brand is the cornerstone of the beach club world and its home in Saint Tropez is one of its most elegant and the first on Europe soil. Celebrating two decades of French fun back in 2002, to this day Nikki Beach (the first and original beach club concept) proudly epitomises the iconic reputation of France’s most exclusive destination, loved by film stars and sun worshippers alike.

Fusing the beach club experience with relaxed American hospitality, we arrive for an early lunch one Friday in May as the season begins to sizzle. Ahead of the revelries of the afternoon, we discovered is the perfect time to enjoy the club’s signature barefoot luxury style under the dappled light of the trees for a relaxed, laisse-affair lunch, before the famous beach club energy comes into play.

The Nikki Beach brand is the cornerstone of the beach club world and its home in Saint Tropez it both one of its most elegant. Image credit: Artman Agency

Situated on Nikki Beach’s French home: Pampelonne Beach, the club has recently been reduced and re-designed to achieve an intimate setting to retain its exclusive reputation. As we dine in the heart of the open-air restaurant, a simply brilliant team cater to our every need with a dynamic menu of flavours plated up from Asia to Europe. When it comes to the food and drink, the signature Cote D’azur drink of choice is ice-cold pale rosé. This is, of course, poured in all forms from glamourous glasses to bougee bottles and magnificent magnums.

We begin with local bottles of rosé with cocktails, for me included a lychee martini and for others, margaritas, and minty mojitos. The liquid apéritifs are fragrant, sweet, and as colourful as Nikki Beach’s internationally inspired menu. The concept of a beach club may not cater to the desires of everyone, however, I am confident the menu would. With dishes inspired by the brand’s international presence from Marbella to Mallorca, Koh Samui and Saint Barth, spicy exotic flavours of Asia sit alongside the classic European favourites resulting in a menu that really does seem to have it all.

Spicy exotic flavours of Asia sit alongside the classic European favourites. Image credit: Artman Agency

Encouraging family-style sharing platters, we share a gorgeous selection of appetisers. From bulging burrata served atop freshly cut tomatoes to tuna tartare and green avocado salad, plus the aptly named ‘sexy salad’ – a seafood selection of lobster, shrimp and crab meat with mango, greens, and spicy mayonnaise.

Nikki Beach is widely known for its sushi, and whenever I’ve dined at their restaurants it’s my go-to order. In honour of our location that day, I ordered the ‘Saint Tropez fantasy roll’ with crispy tempura shrimp, avocado and mango chutney, while a sushi-loving pregnant guest (unable to indulge in raw fish) opted for the ingenious chicken satay roll with bean sprouts, coconut, and a rich satay sauce.

Nikki Beach Saint Tropez offers a line-up of events as the season swings by including live music, pop-ups, and new food offerings. Image credit: Artman Agency

Creative culinary touchpoints extend to the sushi ‘pizzetta’ where east and west meet with tuna and salmon on a crispy rice cake. Beyond the many signature sushi favourites (notably the famous sushi boat at a cool 500 euros) are local plates that lean into the locality of Saint Tropez. Choose from the Provence roasted free-range chicken, herb-crusted veal chops or wild Mediterranean Sea bass.

Nikki Beach invites each person who steps through their doors to celebrate life wholeheartedly. This ethos is applied to each location across the globe in loving memory of Nicole Penrod, the daughter of Jack Penrod who founded the brand following her death in a car accident aged just 18. This touching story adds a heartfelt heritage to the glamourous, carefree brand which started in 1998 as a quiet garden restaurant on Miami Beach.

There is a dynamic menu with flavours and plates from Asia to Europe. Image credit: Artman Agency

In honour of this, following lunch, we set up camp by the cerulean pool for an afternoon of sunshine, cocktails and music from the DJ and live saxophonist. With the season spanning from April to September, Nikki Beach Saint Tropez offers a line-up of events as the season swings by including live music, pop-ups, and new food offerings. This includes the Butterfly Bar which opened back in 2022, plus the annual National Rosé Day event in partnership with Ultimate Provence.

First conceived as the relaxed garden, seaside retreat on Miami Beach in 1998, the Nikki Beach brand has since been at the epicentre of beach club culture, expanding its glamourous hospitality offering into hotels too. Each venue embodies the brand’s carefree ethos for celebrating life by uniting music, dining, entertainment, fashion, film, and art into one.