There’s a particular kind of magic to arriving at lunch by tender. No car, no valet, no queue — just a short ride across turquoise water and a jetty waiting on the other side. Along the French Riviera, some of the most memorable tables sit in coves, on islands, or on beaches with little or no road access at all. They were built for guests arriving from the sea, and that’s exactly how they’re best enjoyed.
Here’s our own, freshly checked-in-2026 guide to the coast’s best yacht-only and yacht-friendly restaurants, from the Lérins Islands to Porquerolles.
Cannes & the Lérins Islands
Cannes’ red carpet gets the headlines, but its offshore islands are where the real escape happens — a ten-minute tender ride from anything resembling a crowd.
La Guérite, Île Sainte-Marguerite. Shaded by pines and scented with grilled seafood, this is one of the most photographed tables on the coast, and one of the very few restaurants genuinely reachable only by boat. Chef Yiannis Kioroglou keeps the menu Mediterranean and generous — octopus carpaccio, grilled langoustines, Provençal vegetables — while the mood shifts from relaxed lunch to DJ-fuelled late afternoon. Anchor off the island or take the restaurant’s own shuttle from Cannes; book well ahead in July and August.
Les Pirates, Juan-les-Pins. A quieter alternative just around the headland, with a beachfront terrace and mooring buoys close by. The kitchen leans on the day’s catch, saffron risotto and rich desserts, and the service is discreet rather than showy — a good pick for a calmer stop on the itinerary.
Saint-Tropez & Pampelonne Beach
No Riviera cruise skips Pampelonne. The beach clubs here have their own hierarchy, and most of the best-known names still take tenders directly.
Club 55. The original, and still the benchmark. Under canvas canopies and tamarisk trees, service remains famously unhurried — grilled fish, chilled rosé, garden vegetables — with tenders gliding in all through the afternoon. Book long before you arrive; this is the one everyone wants.
La Voile Rouge. The loudest and most flamboyant of the Pampelonne clubs, known for champagne showers and a party atmosphere that starts at lunch. Not for a quiet meal, but essential if your guests want the full Saint-Tropez spectacle.
Nikki Beach. DJs from midday, white daybeds, and a surprisingly varied menu — sushi, lobster rolls, Mediterranean classics — for a crowd that treats lunch as the start of the evening.
Loulou Ramatuelle. The newer face of Pampelonne, with a Parisian, design-led interior and a fashionable crowd. Crudo, truffle pizza and rosé by the bottle, best suited to guests who want style alongside the setting.
Antibes & Cap d’Antibes
Between Cannes and Monaco, Cap d’Antibes still moves at its own, slower pace — pine-covered cliffs, sheltered bays, and two of the coast’s most reliable tender-friendly addresses.
Plage Keller, Plage de la Garoupe. Sunflower-yellow parasols, views toward the Bay of Angels and the Alps beyond, and a seasonal menu of wild seabass and langoustine ravioli. The restaurant’s own jetty makes tender access easy.
Eden-Roc Grill, Hôtel du Cap-Eden-Roc. The clifftop grill at one of the Riviera’s grandest hotels remains a byword for old-world polish — elegant, seasonal, and reliably excellent for a special lunch. The hotel reopens for the season each spring, so it’s worth confirming dates before you plan around it.
Èze & Beaulieu-sur-Mer
Cliffs, clear water, and two very different registers of Riviera glamour, both a short tender ride from anchorages between Nice and Monaco.
Anjuna Plage, Èze-sur-Mer. Colourful, bohemian, and unapologetically festive, with grilled octopus, sashimi and inventive cocktails. Anjuna runs its own boat pick-up service straight from anchored yachts.
La Réserve de Beaulieu. For something more formal, this Michelin-recognised hotel restaurant offers white tablecloths and a sea-facing terrace that feels a world away from the coast road above it. Access is via the hotel’s private jetty.
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Monaco & Cap-d’Ail
Monaco is the superyacht scene’s beating heart, but the real escape is often just around the headland at Cap-d’Ail.
La Réserve de la Mala, Cap-d’Ail. Reachable only by foot or boat, this beach club feels miles from Port Hercules despite being minutes away by tender. Truffle risotto, grilled lobster and a genuinely private atmosphere.
Elsa, Monte-Carlo Beach. Still holding its Michelin star, Elsa remains one of the Riviera’s most committed advocates of sustainable, seasonal cooking — spider crab, John Dory, produce sourced from nearby farms. Tenders dock directly at the hotel’s private pontoon. Note that it closes on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, so plan accordingly.
Porquerolles & the Hyères Islands
South of Saint-Tropez, Porquerolles remains one of the coast’s best-kept secrets — a national park island where cars barely feature and yacht access defines the pace of a visit.
Le Mas du Langoustier. Tucked into forest on the island’s western tip, this is gastronomic dining in a genuinely remote setting, with seasonal tasting menus built around the day’s catch. Anchor nearby and tender to the private jetty, weather permitting — reservations are essential.
L’Olivier, Le Manoir. A more accessible option near the main village, set among olive trees, with elevated Mediterranean cooking and a relaxed, romantic mood after a short walk from the harbour.
Villefranche-sur-Mer & La Croix-Valmer
Deliboat, Villefranche-sur-Mer. A different kind of yacht dining entirely: this floating kitchen delivers sushi, poke bowls and Mediterranean plates straight to anchored yachts in the bay, ordered by phone. No disembarking required — ideal for a relaxed day on deck.
La Plage de Gigaro, La Croix-Valmer. A quieter stretch of coast south of Saint-Tropez, with a simple wooden deck under the pines and honest, local cooking. Anchor in the sheltered bay and tender ashore for an unhurried lunch away from the crowds.
A Note on What’s Changed
Riviera dining moves fast, and a few once-essential names deserve an update. Paloma Beach in Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat, a beach-club institution since 1948, will not reopen: the Vannini family confirmed its permanent closure in March 2026 after cliff-reinforcement works forced the site to shut. If an older itinerary still lists it, it’s worth swapping in Club 55 or La Réserve de la Mala instead. Elsewhere, Cap Ferrat still has strong options for guests arriving by tender, including the Michelin-recognised tables at the Grand-Hôtel du Cap-Ferrat and the Hôtel Royal-Riviera — worth a mention if your clients are cruising that stretch.
Plan the Route, Not Just the Table
Half the pleasure of these restaurants is the arrival — knowing where to anchor, when to book, and how to time a tender run around sunset or a busy August lunch service. At Windward Yachts, this is exactly the kind of detail we build into a Mediterranean charter itinerary alongside the boat itself, so that every stop feels as effortless as it looks from the water.
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