Chacha La Plage

Chacha occupies a stretch of the sandy town beach at Juan-les-Pins, on Boulevard Edouard Baudoin, close enough to the resort's bars that you can walk to dinner and back without moving the car. The look is terracotta: rust-coloured parasols over the mattresses and a shaded terrace behind them, which gives the beach a warmer, more Italian feel than the white-and-blue standard along this coast. The water here is shallow and calm, protected by the curve of the Golfe Juan, so it suits swimmers who are not looking for surf. The unusual thing about Chacha is how long the day runs: it opens at ten and does not close until midnight, seven days a week, which means the same spot covers a morning swim, a long lunch, sunset drinks and a late tapas plate. Cooking is Mediterranean with a strong tapas and sharing bias, and the bar makes a point of table-side cocktail service on the sand. Live music is programmed Friday to Sunday. There is no car park of its own, only public parking nearby, and prices step up for the front row, so ask which line you are being booked into when you reserve.