Saint-Tropez has spent decades perfecting the long lunch. However, what it hasn’t had is a proper coffee culture to match. Nikki Beach Saint-Tropez has changed that, thanks to a summer pop-up with one of Paris’s most talked-about café concepts, Maurice Café.
The first-ever beach residency for Maurice Café, the concept has built a devoted following in Paris. While it’s an unlikely combination on paper, the collaboration seems to have been one of the Riviera’s buzziest pairings. “Nikki Beach Saint-Tropez has been part of Pampelonne Beach for nearly 25 years, and one of the reasons we’ve remained relevant for so long is because we’re always looking for ways to evolve,” says Celia Serra, COO of food & beverage at Nikki Beach Hospitality Group, in an email interview. “Our guests return year after year, so it’s important that every season offers something new while staying true to the Nikki Beach experience.”
For Nikki Beach, the decision to bring in an outside partner rather than develop a coffee program internally was deliberate. Serra is candid about where the line sits between what the group builds itself and what it prefers to bring in. Concepts like Lucia and Maison Mer, she notes, grew naturally out of Nikki Beach’s own DNA. Coffee is a different discipline entirely. “A true specialty coffee and café concept is its own craft. It requires a different culture, operational expertise, product development and daily focus,” she explains. “If another brand has already mastered a specific niche and can elevate our guest experience, we’d much rather collaborate than reinvent it.”
Out of all the concepts that have likely pitched a beach residency at Nikki Beach Saint Tropez over the years, Maurice stood out for reasons that go beyond the menu. “Maurice Café is a natural extension of that philosophy,” Serra says, pointing to founder Moïse’s clear vision for the brand. “We love surrounding ourselves with people who are building something with heart, and Maurice embodies exactly that spirit.”
The menu itself has been translated for a beach setting rather than simply transplanted from Paris.
The menu itself has been translated for a beach setting rather than simply transplanted from Paris. Alongside Maurice’s signature coffees and sweet creations, the Saint-Tropez residency introduces lighter, savory additions, including fresh toasts and salads.
According to Serra, the standout order of the summer is the Einspänner Matcha with fleur de sel cream, a drink she describes as offering “freshness, indulgence, and originality.” On the food side, the avocado and tomato open-faced sandwich and the egg and cheese have quickly found their following, alongside a signature box format suited to a casual breakfast or afternoon treat on the sand. Drinks arrive in Maurice’s signature recyclable transparent cans and keep the brand’s identity intact in an entirely different setting to its Paris café.
Maurice à la Plage runs daily from 9 AM to 6 PM, positioned to open before Nikki Beach’s lunch service begins and to carry the experience through the afternoon.
Maurice à la Plage runs daily from 9 AM to 6 PM, positioned to open before Nikki Beach’s lunch service begins and to carry the experience through the afternoon. Rather than competing with the beach club’s existing food and beverage offer, it is designed to extend it. “Whether someone joins us for a morning coffee, lunch, or an afternoon specialty drink, Maurice adds another layer to the overall guest experience,” Serra says.
As for whether the Riviera crowd would take to a Parisian coffee concept, Serra points to how well-travelled Nikki Beach’s guests already are. “Some guests come specifically for the Nikki Beach experience and end up discovering Maurice, while others are already fans of Maurice and are introduced to Nikki Beach for the first time,” she says. “That cross-pollination benefits both brands.”
Whether Maurice à la Plage becomes a fixture beyond this summer is still an open question. “Right now, our focus is on making this summer a success,” Serra says. “It’s still early to make any long-term decisions, but we’re very pleased with the response and certainly see potential to explore future collaborations together, whether in Saint-Tropez or perhaps in other Nikki Beach destinations.”
This article was originally published on Forbes.com