VIP Tables, Yacht Privileges & €8,000 Minimum Spends—Welcome to Dining in the SOF
I recently read that booking a restaurant in NYC is getting harder. As I was reading, I thought—that still sounds easy compared to the South of France!
Let’s be real: If you come to the South of France thinking you can waltz into a top restaurant last-minute, you’re wrong. You’re going to ruin your holiday. Without connections or a very good concierge (and NO, the Amex concierge won’t cut it), you’re out of luck.
Here are some of the most in-demand restaurants in the South of France and their average wait times:
Anjuna After Monaco Grand Prix Party | Èze: 6 months to 1 year
La Colombe d’Or | Saint-Paul-de-Vence: 3 months
La Chèvre d’Or | Èze: 2 months
La Vague d’Or | Saint-Tropez: 3 months
Club 55 | Saint-Tropez: 2 months
La Guérite | Cannes Islands: 2 months
How Booking a Restaurant Became a Full-Time Job
When I first started my business, restaurant bookings were a complimentary service—a little extra touch to make clients happy.
Then, things changed.
What used to be 5 minutes on the phone turned into 3 days of back-and-forth negotiations just to get one table. Suddenly, it wasn’t just about calling—it was about who you knew, how much your client was worth, and how much they were willing to spend.
The Day Everything Changed
A few years ago, I got a text from a famous US singer. Let’s call her Sophia.
“Hi Justine, I’m Sophia. I got your number from a friend who used your service. I’m on a charter yacht in the South of France, and the crew is struggling to book us tables. Is this something you can help with?”
That was the first time I was contacted just for restaurant bookings. And the first time I had to bill someone specifically for it.
Sophia sent me her restaurant list on Thursday—for Friday.
ALL the top spots. La Guérite. Club 55. LouLou Saint-Tropez. The works.
Thank God there were only four of them.
How Do You Get a Reservation When There Are NO Reservations?
La Guérite is one of the hardest places to book.
They don’t answer the phone.
(Seriously. Try it yourself.)
Even with our special concierge line, nothing.
So what do I do? We find solutions.
I call a concierge in Cannes, who calls a concierge in Dubai, who happens to have a table booked that isn't being used.
Boom. It’s mine—but at a price.
The Game of Restaurant Reservations
Restaurants don’t just sell tables. They sell status.
You don’t just book—you prove your client is worth it.
Example: A fully booked restaurant (I can’t really give the name!). I need a table for eight.
“Hi Sarah, it’s Justine. I have last-minute VIP clients in town. Americans. Big spenders. Need a table for 8.”
“Where are they staying?”
“On their 50m yacht in the port of Saint-Tropez.”
(Typing sounds as she searches the yacht name…)
“Okay, I can do a central table. Minimum spend: €8,000. Full pre-payment required.”
Sure. Here’s their Amex.
Sounds Like Extortion? Maybe. But It’s a Game They Love to Play.
And trust me—they never stop at €8,000.
Let’s look at a real receipt from Nikki Beach Saint-Tropez:
Total Bill: €107,524 (not including service!)
Most Expensive Item: Mathusalem Rosé Dom Pérignon: €50,000
Caviar: €1,440
Lobster: €810 for one dish
Coca-Cola: €10 (same price as a bottle of Evian)
The table had 16 people. That’s about €6,700 per person—before tips.
Tipping in the South of France—Welcome to Another Game
In France, tipping is optional. You tip for exceptional service.
Not in Saint-Tropez.
Here? A big tip is EXPECTED.
A concierge friend of mine had clients dine at an ultra-exclusive restaurant. They spent €5,000 and left a €500 tip—10%, which is very generous by French standards.
As they were walking to valet, a waiter chased after them.
“Excuse me, €500 is a cheap tip. Here, we expect 20%.”
The client smiled, pulled the €500 from the bill portfolio… and walked away without tipping at all.
Even some of the rich reach their limit when it comes to restaurant entitlement and outrageous pricing.
One of my clients once refused to pay €60 for a Caesar salad—and I don’t blame them.
The Michelin-Star Mission That Ended in Disappointment
One of my American clients—an elegant couple—was obsessed with getting a reservation at La Vague d’Or, the three-Michelin-starred restaurant in Saint-Tropez. The problem? The waiting list was 3 to 5 months long.
They asked me to book it one month in advance. It was fully booked.
But they weren’t taking no for an answer. They kept insisting. So, I told them we’d do our absolute best but that we’d also secure them a backup reservation somewhere else—just in case.
This is where the real work begins.
We called the restaurant every single day. Every. Day.
And when you call a restaurant like La Vague d’Or daily, it’s not just a quick check-in. It’s hours spent waiting on hold, explaining the situation to different staff members, working every angle to get our clients bumped to the very top of the waiting list.
Then, the day before their requested date, I got the call: a last-minute cancellation. Their table was secured. Victory!
My clients were thrilled.
Until they weren’t.
The day after their dinner, they called me and said they were disappointed and that we shouldn’t have sent them there.
After weeks of pushing, negotiating, and fighting for that booking, they ended up not even liking it.
Welcome to luxury concierge work. 🤯
So, What Do You Think?
Would you drop €50,000 on a single bottle of champagne?
Do you think restaurant culture in luxury hotspots has gone too far?
Do you struggle booking restaurant while traveling?
Hit reply and let me know—I want to hear your thoughts. 🤯🍾