Gigi
Gigi opened relatively recently on Pampelonne and has been improving steadily since. The kitchen takes its work seriously — the menu is more considered than the beach club category usually demands, and the execution is consistent.
The room is well-designed without being self-conscious about it. The crowd is the Pampelonne crowd in its younger, better-looking iteration. Getting popular means booking the table for lunch before you arrive.
Come for the food first, the beach second. This is the correct hierarchy at Gigi.
Genuinely ambitious for a beach club. Dishes that would work in a serious restaurant, served 50 metres from the water.
A room that is building its reputation rather than trading on it. The staff have something to prove and it shows.
Book the lunch table. Walk-in availability for a proper table is unreliable by late morning.
Getting popular quickly — the booking window in season is extending. Plan ahead.
The sunbeds are secondary to the restaurant. Come with that expectation and you will not be disappointed.