A DAY IN MENTON

With Eloise Jaksic

We caught up with Palm Girl Eloise Jaksic to get her recommendations for a day spent in the beautiful seaside city of Menton, France.

Follow Eloise on Instagram, @eloisejaksic

What are your top recommendations for places to see, do and eat in Menton?

"It is such a beautiful, colourful town
right on the French Riveria coastline. It's definitely a place to go for some much needed R&R after a few days in a big city. They have beautiful strip beaches, a charming old quarter and a stunning cathedral. 

We took it pretty easy - A day at the beach (just full of locals) followed by a siesta and aperitif by the water.
They have a great produce market and are known for lemons and oranges. There are literally lemons everywhere! You can eat lemons, drink lemonade and buy every piece of lemon paraphernalia you could ever think of (dangerous for my baggage allowance because I’m a sucker for French crockery!). 

 Stay: Hotel De Londres

We had a great stay - It’s only a year old so everything is really new but it is set in a historical building with a beautiful courtyard so has an old-world charm. 

 Eat:

All of the restaurants along the
promenade use fresh produce and seafood from the area + are right on the water. You’ll be happy with any. We loved Paris Palace."

What was your favourite thing about visiting?

"Menton is a little hidden gem and is considered one of France’s best-kept secrets as it is just as beautiful but less publicised than the other towns on the Cote-d-‘Azur. Meaning: Mainly French tourists and you can get a spot on the beach + a restaurant booking without being on a huge waitlist!"

What has been the highlight of your European summer so far?

"My best friend just got married in her family hometown of Finale Ligure, Italy (just a few towns down from Menton on the same coastline). It was so amazing to visit their hometown and spend several days celebrating with 70 of their closest friends and family from
Australia! That memory is hard to beat! 

 We just visited Marseille for the first time. It is such a great city. Like Paris but on the water (so the locals say) so it really is the best of both worlds!"

What Does your holiday wardrobe say about you?

"I think my holiday wardrobe is a sign that I should just pack up and move to Europe, haha! A European Summer wardrobe is my style to a tee!"

What are you looking for on a menu when finding a place to wine and dine in these European cities?

"We tend to skip the super popular places and try to find smaller, local options where locals are eating. We love a natural wine bar and often use an app called ‘Raisin’ when researching. We love to drink wine in a bar, make friends (honestly met some great people who we now
call friends) and ask them for their recommendations. I always have the biggest list of restaurants to visit. There’s never enough time to try them all!"

The vacay song played on repeat?

"We have played the Cafe De Paris on repeat for two European Summers now. Just imagine sitting in a bistro drinking an espresso or a wine listening to this album. Perfect."