Local restaurants
The impressive cooking at Auberge de Troubadour, 4 rue du Brec, Eze (+33 (0)4 93 41 19 03) belies its diminutive size. For gastronomic tasting menus and deep-blue Riviera views, eat at Château Eza, on Rue de la Pise (+33 (0)4 93 41 12 24).
Local cafés
Le Cactus on La Placette (+33 (0)4 93 41 19 02) is great for snacks and treats, including crêpes, salads, sandwiches and ice-cream. Eza Café at 197 avenue de Verdun (+33 (0)4 93 41 12 79) is another enticing light-bitery, offering fresh pasta and sushi, along with traditional French fare.
Worth getting out of bed for
The terraced gardens make for a romantic promenade – wander down to the tiny, stone beach and pull up a deck chair. If you’re feeling active, improve your backhand on the tennis courts, then cool down in the saltwater infinity pool at the edge of the gardens. For another kind of pool experience, shoot some balls in the downstairs lounge area. Ask nicely and you might be able to watch a film at the private cinema. Having fully scoped out Cap Estel and its five acres, drive 11km to Nice, or 9km to Monaco, and explore the designer boutiques, chic eateries and glamorous bars. Èze’s ancient fortified village, crowned with 12th-century castle ruins, also deserves a recce, as does the seaside town of Èze-sur-Mer, which boasts some pretty beaches and perfect picnic spots. Seek out floral blooms and scents at the Jardin Exotique (www.eze-riviera.com) and continue the fragrant theme at Grasse perfumeries Galimard and Fragonard, which both have shops in Eze village.
Diary
May Join the glitterati and see your film-star crush in the flesh at Cannes Film Festival (www.festival-cannes.com). If you prefer motors to movies, polish up your Bugatti and head to Monaco for the Grand Prix (www.grand-prix-monaco.com). July–August Saint Michel Archange Basilica’s baroque square is the backdrop for the melodic Menton Music Festival (www.festivalmusiquementon.com), which features a bounty of classical concerts. Leave your flammable clothing at home and admire the explosions in safety at Cannes’ firework festival (www.festival-pyrotechnique-cannes.com).
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Smith extra at Cap Estel
A bottle of champagne; members staying three nights or more get a free half-hour massage each
