“It’s the first tartare of the season!” our waitress, Camille, exclaims as we place our order. It’s early May in the South of France and Cheval Blanc St Tropez has just begun its summer season – the first guests are enthusiastically ushering it in with rosé-fuelled al fresco lunches.
Moments later, Camille returns, pushing an enormous trolley laden with a huge bowl of crushed ice, on which balances a plate of raw beef. Around it, a selection of seasoning and condiments – Camille gets to work, folding everything in, taking her time, and presenting spoonfuls for quality control. Neighboring tables look on over their sunglasses. The time Camille can afford to spend by our table, creating a personalized portion of tartare, mixed up to our exact preferences (everything but the capers, please), is indicative of the level of service Cheval Blanc offers.
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There are only 32 guest rooms – plus a secretive little villa away from prying eyes – but around 200 members of staff. While one dedicates a good ten minutes to stirring raw beef tableside, there’s a horde more in waiting to ensure not a single ball is dropped or standard slipped. It might be the slickest service I’ve ever seen.
There’s a subtle focus on continuation too: Camille served us our oceanfront lunch, looked after us for our three-hour-plus evening meal, was smiling again at breakfast, and managed to wave us off when we departed. Knowing what I do about French working laws, I am confident she squeezed a break in somewhere, but she somehow felt omnipresent, ready to spiel off the day’s specials in an instant.
As we left lunch at La Terrasse, it was clear the tableside preparation had done its work: the second and third tartares of the season were already in motion. Summer has arrived.
Stay
Cheval Blanc St Tropez’s 32 rooms are spread over the original wedding cake-esque building and a newer wing, added when CB (as those in the team call the French hotel group) took over the maison in 2016.
Entry-level options overlook the exterior courtyard, so don’t bother with those – go straight to the suites instead. All of them have balconies looking out to the sea, and are decked in a cool white and blue palette. The advertised top options are the Heure Bleue Suite or the quirky Duplex Pinède Suite, which covers two floors and has a Provençal-style annexe ceiling. The real top key at CB is intentionally kept hush: the hidden Villa Riviera. Details are scarce, but we can tell you that the bathroom is a showstopper.
As with its service, the hotel’s trademark trick across all suites is in the detail. Yes, the beds are big and the views are lovely, but it’s seemingly endless extra treats that make it stand out. A non-exhaustive list of amenities includes: branded hair ties, nail clippers, exfoliating mitts, candles, matches, lip balm, gilt hair clips, bug spray, and flip flops. That’s not even starting on the overly generous turn-down gifts, which range from signed cookbooks to Guerlain products.
Dine
You will no doubt already know that the South of France does a good line in restaurants – but the very best in the region, if not one of the very best in the country, is right within Cheval Blanc’s walls: the three-Michelin-starred La Vague d’Or.
With Arnaud Donckele, a star among chefs, at the helm La Vague d’Or (which translates to ‘a golden wave’), the menu is entirely seafood-focused, and exercises the lightest touch – from seared scarlet prawns to crispy-skinned red mullet.
Plating is an art form – to the extent that some pieces of crockery are set on the table, awed over, then removed without even a hint of food touching them (I’m told the dishwashing process is mammoth) – but portions are more generous than your typical fine-dining affair. Keep room for the desserts, which are every bit as thoughtful. A delicate rhubarb ice cream, inexplicably frozen into a rose, sticks in my memory.
Beyond the headline fine-dining, Cheval Blanc excels at the classic vacation orders. As well as that bespoke beef tartare, there’s a show-stopper club sandwich with the crispiest of fries, and a bumper caesar salad. Special mention to the breakfast service too, which also excels in tableside presentation – don’t miss the granola trolley.
Relax
For a small hotel, the Guerlain spa is allowed to take up impressive real estate. Occupying the lower ground floor, the space is bathed in soft pink light, and the treatments are intuitive – ask for a firmer touch or a specific area of focus, and the practitioners will oblige with gusto. No wishy-washy massages here.
Explore
Of all CB’s bells and whistles, it is most proud of its beach. And as it should be – it is the only hotel in St Tropez to have its own private slice of sand. That slice is a little one – a slither, if you will – but plenty enough for a few rows of loungers and a secluded swimming spot.
The pay-off for this (there’s always a pay off!) is that you are slightly removed from town – by which we mean a five-minute drive, with a team on hand to drive you in and out at a moment's notice.
