Welcome back to my favorite place on earth!    We spoke a lot about Le Club 55 last year during our trip to France but I am hoping to offer some fresh perspective on why this is such a special place.  My uncle Nigel says that one lunch here is a like a week’s vacation — the perfect relaxed atmosphere with loved ones.    I have been coming here since I was very little, my grandparents were friends with the owners and it has always been a place for our family to gather summer after summer.   We spent my grandmother’s last Christmas in France and had her last New Years Eve celebration lunch at this restaurant.   Needless to say, it brings back so many happy memories and always astounds me that year after year, it feels the same: inviting and relaxed.   Of course it comes as no surprise to me that this place seems to keep such a loyal staff (unlike so many similar places in the U.S. with a seasonal turnaround) but it is quite something to see the same faces as when I was a little girl — the photographer, the barmen, etc.  don’t seem to have aged a day and I can still hop up at the beach bar stool and ask for an Orangina or an ice cream.

Above:  the restaurant before the lunch bustle — there are two seatings around 1:30 and 3:00 and lunch goes on for hours.     The entryway path which is lined for privacy and always welcomes you with dappled light and a beautiful breeze. 

It’s also always lovely to invite new friends into the fold and to watch them fall in love, from the breezy path to the beach to a lazy post-lunch snooze in the sun,  everyone we have brought has understood the magic of this place.   Of course the shop is not to be missed; if I could sum up everything I love aesthetically, it would represented by this shop which is so well selected.   Layered textiles, hand-dyed linens, endless fluffy pillows, breezy dresses and the sweetest toys for the littles are just a few of the treasures you will find here.   Beach bags and kaftans are always a hit.  The elegant and laid back vibe of the shop is that which I would love to infuse throughout our lives from the way we dress, decorate and entertain to the way we decide to live, surrounded by beauty and great company in a breathtaking setting.

We have visited other beach clubs on the same beach and nothing compares to 55.

The thatched roof shop and beach bar sit next to one another.   Above you can see the view of the sparkling blue sea from the outside of the store, lined with sarongs and bags, pillows and rugs. 

We end up eating at the beach bar a lot — it’s a casual, relaxed way to approach a visit to 55 without sitting down for a long lunch.   If you’re only going once though, definitely do not miss the restaurant.   At the beach bar, I love the cheese sandwich on baguette — brings me right back to childhood summers and is truly delicious.

Below:  the dock where guests from the boats and the background are dropped — often a celebrity siting here!   And a clearer picture of the sea which is crystal and chilly and so refreshing. 

Rosé flows before and after lunch, “the pink shit” as my friend called it yesterday — made me laugh! 

Here we are heading off to lunch, happy to be here!

This tablecloth and plate combination will always be my favorite because it reminds me of this special place.  Below, a post-lunch group from our first outing and the not to be missed Tarte Tropézienne!

Our little monkey has fallen in love with the beach this summer and spends his time shoveling sand and sticking his toes in the sea.   Here we are before heading home after a leisurely nap under the shade of an umbrella. XXX