In summer, the Mediterranean is inundated with tourists looking for a good meal and an even better view. It's easy enough to hit upon one of the two, but finding both is a thing of rare beauty. Get in touch if you'd like to discuss making a booking at one of these splendid restaurants – or, indeed, if you'd like our dedicated travel team to book your whole Mediterranean getaway.
La Chèvre d'Or
Rue du Barri, Eze Village, 06360, France
The hilltop village of Eze on the Côte d'Azur towers above the Mediterranean, which is presumably why the developers of Château de la Chèvre d'Or chose to build there. The view down the coastline and into bays spotted with luxury yachts goes on and on and the vast ocean shimmers below. All of these advantages are somewhat fortuitous, but La Chèvre d'Or capitalises by producing a menu deserving of two Michelin stars. Chef Philippe Labbé is a master of understated class – his ingredients are fresh, seasonal and sourced from nearby villages; his presentation is elegant. Indeed, Labbé has become known for his ability to transform the simple into the sublime. The highlights of the menu are the light summer dishes such as shrimp salad with rosemary, Niçoise long and skinny courgettes, sundried tomatoes and citrus and mango sauce.
Guide price: £50
Ambrosia
Near the main church, Oia, Santorini, Greece
The terrace at Ambrosia is perched on the edge of the town's famous volcanic crater and looks out over the turquoise Aegean Sea. Outdoor seating is available from April to October, and this is the sort of restaurant you need to visit in summer. Everything is geared towards hot weather, from the clean, light decor to the fresh, fruity menu. Seafood is understandably prominent and dishes such as shrimp with grilled mango provide an ideal light lunch. Traditional Greek lamb with red grape and mint sauce and a variety of quaffable local and international wines cater for more serious diners. The restaurant is small and its two terraces fit just 11 tables, so early booking – up to a month in advance – is advisable. To end up with a table indoors rather than out would a great shame indeed.
Guide price: £40
Rossellini's
28 Via San Giovanni del Toro, Ravello (Salerno), 84010, Italy
Rossellini's is open only for dinner and only from mid-March until the end of October. It is so popular during that window that reservations are seldom accepted: the policy is first come, first served. It is worth the fuss. The terrace overlooks the spectacular Amalfi coast, where cliffs plunge over 1,000 feet into the azure sea below and coves cut into the rocky coastline as far as the eye can see. Rossellini's would probably be as popular if it was located in a basement – the menu has won two Michelin stars for its creative interpretations of classic southern Italian fare. An ingredient as simple as local buffalo mozzarella is served raw, liquid and iced. Chef Pino Lavarra cut his teeth with Raymond Blanc at Le Manoir aux Quat'Saisons in Oxford and has not lost his love for adventurous dishes. His eight-course tasting menu gives the best insight into his latest concoctions.
Guide price: £60
La Petit Nice
17 Rue Braves, Marseille, 13007, France
Gérald Passédat's determination to serve rare seafood such as galinette and chapon at La Petit Nice – and, of course, his masterful preparation of it – has won the restaurant three Michelin stars over the years. He has also gathered the reputation of creating France's best bouillabaisse, itself enough to book him a place in foodie heaven. The outside terrace is high above the Mediterranean and on one of the many clear days the view is staggering. The clean, minimalist furniture is comfortable and appropriate and the service impeccable – the restaurant is attached to the acclaimed Grand Chef Relais and Châteaux hotel. The bill can be frightening, but if you book a table for brunch or a light lunch you can enjoy the food and views without breaking the bank. Cocktails and a long dinner with wine is a costly indulgence.
Guide price: £100
Mare & Monte
Kondilaki Street, Agios Nikolaos, Crete, 72100, Greece
Guests enter this small restaurant from the street but most find a table at the back near the big bay windows and on the terrace overlooking the harbour. The decor is classic Greek – simple wooden furniture, white tablecloths with whitewashed stone walls and blue curtains – and the menu, similarly, is effortlessly authentic. It is family run and the menu seems to have been compiled by a warm-hearted local: fresh breads, classic Greek meat dishes such as kleftiko or ‘stolen' lamb and ripe bulging olives sourced from farms on the island. Like most things in Crete, the restaurant is bustling in summer and closed in the dead of winter, but while reservations are sensible in the busiest months there is usually a table to be had at the window.
Guide price: £40
Louis XV
Place du Casino, MC 98 000, Monaco
Inspired by the Palace of Versailles, superchef Alain Ducasse's overwhelmingly opulent Louis XV is at the heart of the historic Hotel de Paris in the centre of Monte Carlo. This two Michelin-starred venue serves what Ducasse describes as ‘Riviera cuisine', based on the bold flavours and simple, traditional cooking of Southern France and using the best produce sourced from the seas and farms of the Côte d'Azur. The terrace overlooks the central square of Monte Carlo, and it's an unrivalled location for al fresco dining with a touch of the globetrotting glamour that's synonymous with Monaco and, in particular, its grandest hotel.
Guide price: from £125 a head
Tristan
Puerto Portals, Mallorca
The south-facing terrace of this two Michelin-starred restaurant overlooks Puerto Portals, where yachts calmly rock on the clear blue Med while their affluent passengers flit between the harbour's designer boutiques and chic cafés. It's a formal venue and enforces a dress code that, unsurprisingly, frowns on beach wear, but chef Gerhard Schwaiger's internationally inspired menu is worth dressing up for. Dishes are seasonal and change frequently, but expect delicate, flavoursome morsels with an emphasis on seafood, such as ravioli stuffed with Sollér Gamba or angler fish with potato mousse.
For a more informal atmosphere (and more gentle price tag) opt for the Tristan Bistro around the corner, which is only open during the summer months.
Guide price: from £90 a head
