There are absolutely tons of restaurants and cafés to get a bite to eat in and around Les Lecques. We’ve got our favorites and every year a new generation of venues pop up for our guests’ pleasure. We’re not Tripadvisor but we are giving our honest opinion of the places we know.
Here’s a short list of our faves (in order of price range $-$$$$)
Les than 10 minutes’ walk away
Le QG – $
Our kids love to go there for a burger or a pasta box. It’s cheap, it’s cheerful and its near the beach and less expensive than going to M*D%1Jalds. The people there are so friendly. On the avenue du port opposite the Boulangerie.
Brasserie Papillon – $$ – Tel : 04 94 26 34 46
The best place to eat breakfast in the sun! They serve great food all year round with crepes and ice cream in the afternoon. Located on the corner of the beach and the yacht club. In the summer, they’re open from 7am to 2am and in the winter from 7am to 6pm. They close once a year, for 2 weeks in January.
La Voile – $$
The best pizzas in town! They have the most delicious recipe for tomato sauce and crust so their pizzas are irresistible. On the edge of the port opposite the jet ski stalls. Great salads and plats du jour too.
L’Albatros – $$
Great service and good food. This brasserie is next to Papillon on the beach front.
Beach restaurants in Les Lecques (April-October)
All the beach restaurants offer sun loungers, parasols, food and drinks to their guests. You can either go to enjoy the beach or to have a meal on the beachfront. You may want to consider booking if you’re planning on staying the day there, as it gets pretty busy in the summer.
Le Sporting – $$$
This is our favorite beach restaurant. It’s the place you can go to relax. Great service, and fine wines. You’ll probably meet most of the locals there on Friday and Saturday evenings for drinks. Lovely italian cuisine. Open from dawn until the sun goes down from April-October
La plage de Sophie – $$$
Lovely beach restaurant with a feminine touch. Sophie, the owner, has thought of everything : fresh beach towels, lockers under your beach table and really comfy sun loungers. The staff are adorable and the food is excellent too. There is a large buffet at lunchtime and plats du jour are made of fresh ingredients. Open for lunch and aperos until the sun goes down.
Chez Nono / Plage Acapulco – $$$
“Ze place to be” for jet setters visiting les Lecques. This is the posh beach restaurant with Panama hats, Rolexes and fancy swimsuits. The food is simple, fresh but slightly expensive for what it is but it’s worth a visit for the delightful setting. Open for lunch and aperos until the sun goes down.
A 2-10 minutes’ drive away
Chez Henri – $$$- 04 94 26 46 15
The best restaurant in town! It’s located in the little port of La Madrague. Don’t be put off by the fact it’s on the side of the road : people flock there all year round for its fresh fish, great meat and pizzas. The family owned business run by Henri, and Brigitte and their son Jonathan are the most adorable people on earth. No wonder it’s never empty! Definitely recommended to make a booking. Open all year round.
Roche Belle – $$$ – 04 42 71 47 60
This beautiful little restaurant is a lovely place to eat if you can get a table. Located between La Ciotat and Les Lecques, you have to take a side road along the sea front (called corniche du Liouquet). The cuisine is always made from fresh and local produce (the farm next door supplies the veggies) and it is delicious. It is definitely recommended to make a booking.
Chez Tonton Ju Port d’Alon – $$$
There is only one restaurant on the beach of Port d’Alon. You may have to park at the top of a hill and pay a ridiculous 11€ parking fee to get to this restaurant, but it’s worth the trip. Don’t be put off by the fact it’s a monopoly. They serve great food. In fact, if you’re lucky, you may be in time for the surprise : lobster lunches! Simply served with homemade mayonnaise and fresh bread. Just delicious! You may want to find out when. Only open in the summer.
Slightly further away (20-30 minutes)
O petit monde – plage de Portissol (Sanary) – $$$
This is a trendy place to go for a romantic lunch or dinner. Located on the beachfront in Portissol (Sanary), this place is also a B&B. It has been recently taken over by the owners of Le Bardot (the louder seaview restaurant up the steps) and is the perfect setting to admire the sunset. The interior decoration is delightful and the quirky decor contrasts with the numerous wannabe trendy restaurants that have invaded the Cote d’Azur. The cuisine is Italian and and their pasta dishes are amazing. Well worth a trip and booking ahead (book a table inside if the Mistral wind is howling).
Hotel du Castellet – $$$$ – 04 94 98 37 77
In 2018, the Hotel du Castellet gastronomic restaurant got 3 Michelin stars. It is located opposite the entrance to the Circuit du Castellet. The grounds are beautiful and the hotel is very smart. If you haven’t got the time to wade through a 5 course gastronommic meal, there is also a bistrot by the pool. The wines are fabulous and the food enchanting. It is highly recommended to make a booking.
Le pied de nez – Village du Castellet – $$$
The location of this little restaurant is stunning : on the outer walls of Le Castellet, the alfresco terrace overlooks the valleys of Bandol country and you can see the sea. Le Pied de Nez is a team of food enthusiasts who offer fresh, organic and seasonal food. Booking recommended if you want to eat opposite the view.
L’ile verte – La Ciotat – $$$
L’ile verte is the island you can see off the coast of La Ciotat. You can only get there by boat. A ferry service operates from La Ciotat port in the summer to take day trippers to the island. If you’re posher, you may have rented a boat for the day. In any case, you will not be disappointed by the one and only restaurant you find on the island. They serve amazing fresh food (fish, pizzas, salads) and wine. You may want to find a toilet before you go though : they do not have a WC on the island 😬
Elsewhere
A visit to Provence wouldn’t be a visit if you didn’t taste a real Bouillabaisse. Bouillabaisse is a traditional fish stew that takes literally ages to prepare. The soup is made from the little fish that feed off the seabed and larger fishes such as the “rascasse”, the “St Pierre” and “Chapon” are added to the stew. The bouillabaisse is served with croutons and “rouille” (special hot and garlicky mayonnaise). Add grated cheese on top of the croutons and voilà : you have one of the best seafood dishes of the Mediterranean. The simpler, the better. There are 2 “institutions” nearby :
- Chez Fonfon in Marseille : located in the Vallon des Auffes; Visit website
- Le Ponthuau in Hyeres : located in the middle of nowhere on a port we would never have found alone. The dinner, however, was amazing! – visit website
We could also go on forever about places to visit in Cassis, Marseille, Sanary but it would take forever.
If you are interested, however, try taking a look at the following places :
- In La Ciotat : La Crique ($$$$), Chez Bene ($$$)
- In Sanary : Gio ($$$), La P’tite Fabrik ($$$)
- In Marseille : Le Lauracée ($$$$),
Happy eating!
