Ever since director Roger Vadim filmed Brigitte Bardot on the fishing village beach in his 1956 film And God Created Woman, it has been a magnet for the jet set.
But now thousands of British tourists who visit St. Tropez each summer in hopes of emulating the A-listers by dining at the posh restaurants on the wharf are finding that getting a table is no longer easy.
In some of the swankiest bistros, sneaky databases are compiled by the staff, listing which diners spend the most – and how much they tip. If the numbers are not deemed high enough, tourists will be banned the next time they try to book.
Customers are also “encouraged” to leave huge American-style “extra tips,” despite French restaurants already automatically adding a 15 percent service charge to every meal.
The move has been labeled “extortion” and “extortion” by St. Tropez Mayor Sylvie Sire, 62, who called for a crackdown last night.
Actor Leonardo DiCaprio and former boxing champion Floyd Mayweather are among the celebrities who have vacationed there in recent days
The move has been branded “extortion” and “extortion” by St. Tropez mayor Sylvie Sire, 62, who called for a crackdown last night
She said: “These illegal practices must stop immediately. These forced tips are akin to organized extortion. We are far from the essence of a tip, which stands for customer satisfaction.
This means that a tip is paid at the consumer’s discretion, when it is not part of the bill, as service in France is included.
“These practices are detestable to visitors, but also to the residents of St. Tropez.”
Mains at one of the cheaper Old Port restaurants last week included a saddle of lamb with borlotti beans for £55.
Lobster was £80 and puddings cost £22. A cheese platter was £30, while wines included a bottle of Château Petrus Pomerol for £7,700.
Industry sources on the Riviera confirmed that the tipping scam is also becoming widespread in multiple high-end restaurants from Cannes to Nice.
Brooklyn Beckham and Nicola Peltz are seen on the Club 55 beach in Saint-Tropez
Sneaky databases are compiled by staff at some of the swankiest bistros, detailing which diners spend the most — and how much they tip
A leading St. Tropez restaurateur, who declined to be named, said: ‘We like the British and they spend a lot of money here, but those who don’t have unlimited money should be warned.
A source said: ‘It comes down to nightclub economics – if you’re known for buying big bottles of champagne you’ll get the best table; if you sip half a beer all night, they won’t want you back.’
St. Tropez native Ms. Sire, who served as mayor for nearly three years, called the practice “extortion, pure and simple.”
She said restaurants selected customers by building a database of information, including expenses, which was “an illegal use of data because there is no permission.”
With the influx of the super-rich driving up rents and real estate prices, she added: “We’ve already been forced out of our homes and soon we won’t be able to eat out because we’re being driven out of restaurants.”
“St Tropez is getting more expensive every year and if you can’t afford to compete with the big roles you could be humiliated.”
Var-Matin, the local St. Tropez newspaper, said those who called to make reservations at a restaurant were immediately checked out based on stored information.
If their names have a low spend and tip, they’ll be told the restaurant is full and they should try somewhere else.
The newspaper also reported that an angry waiter returned a €500 (£430) tip to a large group of diners, saying he expected ‘a minimum of 20 per cent on top of the bill’.
Mrs. Bardot, 88, moved to St Tropez in 1958 and still lives there.
Actor Leonardo DiCaprio and former boxing champion Floyd Mayweather are among the celebrities who have holidayed there in recent days, as well as Princess Beatrice and former One Direction singer Liam Payne.