After passing by the mediocre, garagelike restaurants that line the port of Saint Tropez,

you arrive at Laurent Tarridec's place � easily the best and chicest table in this wonderful fleshpot,
where most people are more concerned about their weight than their pleasure at the table.
Without Tarridec, in fact, Saint Tropez would almost be a gastronomic wasteland,
which explains why tables in his panoramic dining room are so fiercely sought after.
You might argue that the nice views of the port and the bay account for something, too,
but the reality is that this is one of the most
intense see-and-be-seen spots in one of the most ferocious see-and-be-seen places in Europe.
If you really want to play the game,
you'll insist on a table in the very noisy main dining room.
The menu changes seasonally, but extracts from a recent spring menu
tipped off Tarridec's plans for the coming summer.
After a superb complimentary hors d'oeuvres of brandade de morue
(salt cod) with croutons and truffle juice in a mason jar,
starters included baby squid and vegetables dressed with squid's
ink and a balsamic vinaigrette or an excellent soup of tiny gray North Sea
shrimp, followed by chapon (a classic Mediterranean white fish) stuffed with
parsley, bread crumbs, and bell pepper, or sea bass roasted with Szechuan
peppercorns on a bed of baby vegetables. Portions are generous, so dessert's
not a given, but a plate of strawberries with a cream mousse and yogurt ice
cream was delicious. The wine list is stiffly marked up and not terribly
interesting, so go with something simple like the Viognier.

Built on a craggy finger of stone sticking out into the Mediterranean, this delightful
restaurant has one of the most spectacular settings of any table in France.
The dormered white wood-paneled interior creates a stylish sea shack atmosphere,
and the stunning views from the dining room's picture windows extend out over
the Bay of Marseille or back toward the little fishing port of Vallon des Auffes.
Chef Guillaume Sourrieu, who's worked at many of the best tables in the South of France,
is a superb fish cook, working as well in a classical mode as in a more creative one.
Though it's a classic found in many other places, you shouldn't
miss his fish soup, with its deep, ruddy, piscine
flavors, and you should also try his lobster ravioli with a tarragon-
scented "cappuccino." Main courses include a�oli and bouillabaisse, both
superb renditions of these southern French classics, as well as modern
creations like John Dory with seaweed and oysters and a spectacular "osso
bucco" of monkfish with artichokes and fried country ham. Desserts are
outstanding, too, including a coffee mille-feuille with peanut ice cream and
espresso jus. Ideal for a romantic meal.

Curiously, one of the loveliest cities in the South of France has never been
particularly distinguished when it comes to eating out. This is why the edgy
new urban brasserie of Lourmarin-based chef Reine Sammut has so quickly become
a hit. It gives young Aixois as well as tourists a hip setting in which to eat
good, affordable food. Located in a sleekly converted former candy factory in
the heart of town, the complex (it also includes a bookstore; atelier, where
cooking lessons are offered; wine shop; and small �picerie) is arranged around
a sunny central atrium and has an appealing industrial chic reminiscent of New
York artists' lofts, right down to the reproduction Warhols in the main
restaurant area. Sammut placed Franck Dumont, her former second, in the
kitchen, and Dumont does a fresh market menu that changes regularly but runs
to dishes like "gravlax" of beef filet with thick hand-cut frites and wasabi
mayonnaise, cod steak � la plancha with chive-flecked mashed potatoes, and a
terrific raspberry cr�me br�l�e with fig chutney. Perfect for lunch, and fun
in the evening for its lively crowd.

Young chef Lionel Levy, a student of Alain Ducasse,
arrived in Marseilles five years ago and has since won himself a reputation as one of the most
interesting cooks in this recently revitalized port city.
Levy's second floor dining room has a
fine view of Marseilles's pleasure-boat-filled Vieux Port, is decorated in warm southern colors,
and attracts a stylish younger crowd who appreciate his inventive cooking �
a novelty in a city that's still relatively conservative when it sits down to eat.
Start with focaccia with marinated anchovies
or maybe zucchini flowers stuffed with feta cheese, and then sample his delicious
tuna steak with teriyaki gel�e, pigeon roasted with mace and tiny ravioli
stuffed with its gizzards, or langoustines in a lemon-verbena-infused nage.
A great selection of Proven�al wines are offered at very fair
prices, and desserts such as a pyramid of chocolate with basil and sun-dried
tomatoes offer a creative finale to a meal here.