PALOMA BEACH
Paloma Beach was on Dan’s hit list as soon as we knew we were traveling to France and spending a bit of time on the French Riviera. He did a Fireflies tour a few years back and they ended the mammoth week long ride across the Alps, at this lush little beach restaurant. I’m sure a whole group of lycra clad, absolutely knackered individuals drew a fair few bemused looks! Ha!
A friend of mine moved out here a year or so ago and lives in Beaulieu Sur Mer. It’s an absolutely gorgeous little spot, right around the corner from Paloma, making it the perfect meeting spot and a fabulous excuse for a catch up with my fellow Aries. We actually meant to swing by Paloma for lunch mid road trip but we were a bit early and with the boy feeling rotten we decided to just make a beeline for Les Rosees, where we have pretty much stayed put the past few days!
It’s not exactly cheap with beds costing 23 euros each for the day, however they tend to offer you a discount depending on when you arrive, if you only need them for half the day, for example (towels and umbrellas are extra). Top Travel Tip – You can’t go to a beach bar, anywhere actually, in the South of France and not order a delicious glass / bottle of their chilled Rose. At Paloma ask for the Cotes du Provence Rose, it’s just their house rose but you really can’t go wrong with it. We sunbathed and gossiped for a while before moving over to the restaurant. It was a little late in the day so certain things were off the menu, for example the calamari and tempura courgette flowers… they are only served until around 4:30 when the machine is switched off to be cleaned for the dinner service. Instead we ordered a delicious artichoke salad and the Buffala de Mozzarella to start, washed down with hunks of fresh bread and lashings of olive oil. Myself and Rory then decided on a mammoth sea bass to share and Dan went for the scampi (not your average scampi – see the photo above!), both mains came with baked potato and courgette, soo good! We may or may not have indulged in a super decadent, chocolatey dessert before enjoying our final espresso of the day readying us for our journey home.
Great food, a relaxed and unpretentious atmosphere despite the decidedly luxurious vibe, typical to the South of France. Thanks for an amazing day, Paloma Beach! We’ll definitely be back!
