Between the Atlantic and the Pyrenees, Biarritz has always belonged to those who understand the poetry of escape. Emperors and couturiers, artists and actors, aristocrats and surfers have all surrendered to its charms. Yet beneath the glamour, its greatest seduction remains unchanged: the ocean, the light and an intoxicating sense of freedom.
An Empress, an Ocean, a Legacy
Biarritz was not born glamorous. Before the carriages, couture and grand summer soirées, it was a Basque fishing and whaling village facing an Atlantic as beautiful as it was unpredictable. Then came Napoleon III and Empress Eugénie. Enchanted by this wild corner of southwestern France, the Emperor created Villa Eugénie for his beloved wife overlooking the Grande Plage. European royalty and aristocracy followed, transforming the little maritime town into one of the continent’s most desirable summer escapes.
The architecture still whispers of those years. Belle Époque façades curve along streets scented with sea air, while elegant villas disappear behind hydrangeas and garden walls. Biarritz wears its history lightly, never allowing grandeur to overwhelm the landscape that first inspired it.
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Decades later, another woman understood the freedom of this place. Gabrielle “Coco” Chanel established her couture house in Biarritz in 1915, far from the conventions of Paris. The Atlantic lifestyle seemed made for the modern woman she imagined, liberated from rigid silhouettes and dressed instead for movement, sunlight and life. More than a century later, Chanel’s return to Biarritz for its Cruise 2027 presentation brought that relationship beautifully full circle.
Biarritz also became a magnet for artists, writers and stars. Pablo Picasso was captivated by its beaches and Atlantic light, while figures from cinema and international society, including Frank Sinatra, became part of its glamorous mythology. Yet perhaps the visitor who would change the city most profoundly arrived with something altogether less formal.
When Elegance Went Barefoot
In the 1950s, American screenwriter Peter Viertel came to Biarritz while working on the film adaptation of Ernest Hemingway’s The Sun Also Rises. Looking at the Atlantic waves, he saw something others had not. A surfboard was brought from California, and a new chapter quietly began.
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By the 1970s, Biarritz had become one of Europe’s great surf destinations. Suddenly, the descendants of aristocratic summers were sharing the coastline with barefoot surfers. The collision should have felt improbable. Instead, it became the very soul of the city.
At the Côte des Basques, that spirit remains wonderfully alive. Surfers wait beyond the break as people gather along the cliffs above, the Pyrenees appearing through the haze on clear days. Mornings are dictated by tides rather than clocks. Afternoons stretch according to the weather. When the Atlantic turns gold at sunset, whatever plans came next suddenly seem less important.
This is the particular elegance of Biarritz. One can walk through town with salt still in the hair, drift between the beach and quiet streets through the afternoon, then dress beautifully as evening approaches. Sophistication exists without stiffness. Style is instinctive rather than performed.
A New Creative Tide
Today, another generation is rediscovering Biarritz. Art, fashion and creativity are flowing once again towards the Atlantic, bringing fresh energy without erasing what came before. The city remains unmistakably Basque, fiercely connected to its landscape and refreshingly uninterested in becoming too polished. Perhaps that is its rarest luxury.
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Biarritz asks us to surrender a little. To swim when the water calls. To walk when the light is beautiful. To change plans because the waves are good or because the sunset deserves another hour. The ocean sets the rhythm, and everyone else simply follows.
As evening arrives, the water turns from silver to gold. The last surfers paddle towards shore and the old façades begin to glow against the fading sky. Somewhere in that changing light, the many lives of Biarritz seem to overlap. Napoleon and Eugénie, Chanel and Picasso, actors and artists, fishermen and surfers all belong to its story.
Perhaps that is why Biarritz continues to seduce. It has known emperors and movie stars, fashion and fame, yet has never surrendered its soul to any of them.
Here, glamour has learned to go barefoot, history carries the scent of salt, and the Atlantic always has the final word.
WHERE TO STAY IN BIARRITZ
Hôtel du Palais Biarritz: The Grande Dame
Few addresses embody the romance of Biarritz quite like Hôtel du Palais Biarritz, The Unbound Collection by Hyatt. Created in the 19th century by Napoleon III for Empress Eugénie, this magnificent oceanfront residence remains the city’s ultimate expression of imperial grandeur. Its 153 rooms and suites embrace unapologetic opulence, with sweeping staircases, marble columned salons and details recalling its royal past. Yet the true luxury is its relationship with the Atlantic. From the sea facing pool to the Guerlain Spa and gym overlooking the water, the ocean seems ever present. Dining at La Rotonde continues the theatre beneath a spectacular crystal chandelier, while Club Napoléon III offers a more intimate setting for evening cocktails. This is not a hotel attempting to reinvent Biarritz. It is part of the reason the city became legendary, a timeless address where history, ceremony and the wild Atlantic meet.
Regina Experimental Biarritz: Belle Époque, Reimagined
Perched above the Atlantic, Regina Experimental Biarritz takes the architectural romance of old Biarritz and gives it a decidedly modern soul. Behind its imposing Belle Époque façade, a soaring atrium becomes the social heart of the hotel, animated by Dorothée Meilichzon’s playful interiors, coastal references and a cocktail bar that signals a more relaxed expression of luxury. The 72 rooms look towards either the ocean or Biarritz’s historic golf course, with blues, mint greens and marine details creating an elegant sense of place. Frenchie offers another reason to linger, with chef Grégory Marchand interpreting the region through his cosmopolitan culinary language. Regina captures modern Biarritz beautifully. The elegance of another era is softened by surf culture, expressive design and the effortless pleasure of life beside the sea.
Le Talaia Hotel & Spa Biarritz, MGallery Collection: Between Sky and Atlantic
Among Biarritz’s newer arrivals, Le Talaia Hotel & Spa Biarritz, MGallery Collection feels particularly attuned to the city today. Close to the Côte des Basques, its 149 light filled rooms and suites reinterpret neo Basque style through graphic textiles, pale woods and mineral tones inspired by the coast. Above it all, the rooftop opens towards the Atlantic, inviting long swims, sunset cocktails and unhurried afternoons beneath an expansive sky. Gastronomy is equally central. At La Petite Plage, chef Éric Frechon brings his touch to generous, sun filled cuisine framed by panoramic ocean views, while the Cinq Mondes spa provides a quieter counterpoint below. Fresh yet deeply connected to its surroundings, Le Talaia represents a new expression of Biarritz, where surfing, wellness, gastronomy and design meet with natural ease.
Villa Magnan: The Art of Disappearing
Villa Magnan feels less like checking into a hotel than being invited into an extraordinarily beautiful private world. Once associated with Spanish royalty, the 1920s estate was transformed by Anne and Jérôme Israël into an intimate pension de famille, where vintage furniture, objects d’art and deliberately imperfect beauty replace conventional hotel polish. There are no televisions demanding attention. Instead, life unfolds around communal breakfasts, hidden gardens, a shimmering pool and long tables made for conversation. Rooms reveal unexpected details, from original tiled bathrooms to a bed sunk into the floor of a library. In the garden, pintxos beneath the trees and seasonal cooking at De Puta Madre extend the sense of escape. Romantic, artistic and deliciously unconventional, Villa Magnan offers one of the coast’s most seductive indulgences: permission to disconnect, slow down and simply inhabit the moment.
L’Auberge Basque: A Retreat for the Epicurean
Just beyond Biarritz, where the Atlantic coastline gives way to the rolling Basque countryside, L’Auberge Basque offers an altogether quieter form of indulgence. Cédric and Marion Béchade transformed a 1672 baserri into an intimate 12 room retreat overlooking the foothills of the Pyrenees. Original wooden beams and floorboards meet restrained interiors, while generous windows and balconies allow the landscape to take centre stage. Yet this is above all an address for those who travel through flavour. Chef Cédric Béchade’s Michelin starred restaurant makes seasonality its protagonist, exploring local ingredients through precise technique while remaining deeply connected to Basque terroir. Close enough to Biarritz for a morning beside the ocean yet immersed in pastoral tranquillity, L’Auberge Basque is a destination where room, landscape and table become part of the same journey.
Brindos, Lac & Château: A Secret World on the Water
Only minutes from Biarritz, Brindos, Lac & Château feels unexpectedly removed from the rhythm of the coast. The five star retreat unfolds around a tranquil lake, where the château is joined by floating lodges accessible by boat, creating an immediate sense of retreat into nature. Days move slowly here, across the water, beside the pool, through the spa or over a lingering glass as evening settles across the lake. The restaurant continues that connection to place with French cuisine shaped by Basque terroir, making gastronomy integral to the experience. There is romance in the setting, but also a wonderful sense of stillness. Brindos offers a counterpoint to Biarritz’s beaches and lively streets, a private world of water and nature, close enough to return to the city whenever desired, yet secluded enough to make leaving feel entirely optional.
WHERE TO EAT IN BIARRITZ
Casa Juan Pedro: The Soul of the Fishermen’s Port
Tucked among the colourful crampottes of Biarritz’s Port des Pêcheurs, Casa Juan Pedro is the kind of address that reminds us why simplicity can be unforgettable. Founded in 1981 by Jean Michel Fauthoux, this family run institution began with little more than a plancha and three offerings: sardines, prawns and cuttlefish skewers. More than four decades later, his twin sons Paul and Jean continue the tradition, preserving the warmth and conviviality that have made Casa Juan Pedro a much loved part of the fishermen’s port. Come for sardines caramelised over fierce heat and finished with the family’s secret “magic sauce”, fragrant with garlic, Espelette pepper, cider vinegar and white wine. Stay for Basque favourites such as cod stuffed pimientos and slow cooked axoa de veau. There is nothing precious here, simply honest cooking, family history and the Atlantic a few steps away. In an increasingly polished world, such authenticity may be the greatest luxury of all.
Bar Jean: The Convivial Soul of Les Halles
At the heart of Les Halles, Bar Jean has been part of Biarritz life since the 1930s, a family run institution poised somewhere between Basque bistro and spirited Spanish bodega. The mood is generous and wonderfully unpretentious, a place to arrive for an apéritif, share a few pintxos and discover that the evening has quietly taken care of itself. The table speaks fluently of both sides of the border. Piquillos stuffed with cod, Basque axoa and grilled sardines sit alongside wild gambas cooked à la plancha, Spanish style line caught hake and the house paella. Oysters and tapas encourage sharing, while a generous wine cellar turns a casual meal into something altogether more lingering. Bar Jean’s charm lies not in reinvention but in continuity: fresh produce, traditional flavours, conviviality and the unmistakable energy of Biarritz gathered around a table.
Eden Rock Café: Sunset Above Port Vieux
Perched on the cliff above Biarritz’s celebrated Port Vieux beach, Eden Rock Café is one of those addresses where the setting becomes part of the experience. Overlooking the Atlantic and the iconic Rocher de la Vierge, this relaxed restaurant and cocktail bar moves effortlessly with the rhythm of the day, from late morning coffee on the sunlit terrace to leisurely lunches framed by sweeping sea views. As afternoon fades, Eden Rock comes into its own. Cocktails arrive alongside tapas as the horizon turns gold, inviting guests to linger for one of Biarritz’s most beautiful rituals, sunset over the ocean. The atmosphere is casual, convivial and unmistakably coastal. Eden Rock Café captures another side of Biarritz, less about grandeur than simple pleasures, where a table above the sea, a well made cocktail and the changing Atlantic light are more than enough.
La Table d’Aurélien Largeau: A New Expression of the Atlantic
Hidden along a discreet street in the heart of Biarritz, La Table d’Aurélien Largeau is a deeply personal expression of chef Aurélien Largeau’s cuisine. Opened in 2024 after his celebrated tenure at Hôtel du Palais, the intimate restaurant gives the chef greater freedom to explore the ingredients and landscapes that have shaped his relationship with the Atlantic coast. Seasonality leads the way, with seafood naturally taking centre stage. Langoustine, squid, hake and Saint Pierre appear in compositions that favour precision and restraint over unnecessary theatre. The experience unfolds as a carefully considered gastronomic journey, complemented by an equally thoughtful approach to wine. There is confidence here, but also sensitivity. Largeau’s cooking feels connected to Biarritz without being confined by tradition, elegant, quietly expressive and capturing the Atlantic not simply as a view, but as a source of inspiration.
Marius Biarritz: The Contemporary Basque Table
Set slightly above the centre of Biarritz, Marius offers a different interpretation of Basque dining, generous, convivial and grounded firmly in the pleasures of local produce. Conceived by chef Sébastien Sanjou as an auberge, the restaurant occupies a 19th century Basque house surrounded by gardens, with broad views stretching towards the Pyrenees. In the kitchen, chef Kévin Bigot draws deeply from the region. Poultry, eggs, seasonal truffles, lamb and vegetables from the adjoining garden meet fish brought in each morning by local fishermen. The philosophy is refreshingly straightforward: cook locally, generously and with respect for the ingredient. Marius is polished without becoming formal, celebrating the kind of food that encourages a table to linger. It captures something essential about modern Biarritz: sophistication softened by warmth, a strong sense of terroir and the simple pleasure of sharing good food with good company.
L’Impertinent: Creativity Without Convention
True to its name, L’Impertinent has never been interested in playing entirely by the rules. In Biarritz’s Saint Charles quarter, chef Fabian Feldmann and Sarah Feldmann have created a gastronomic address driven by imagination, seasonality and an instinctive willingness to surprise. Fabian’s classical training provides the foundation, but his cooking is deliberately freer, expressive, sometimes unexpected and always deeply attentive to the quality of its ingredients. Local producers and the Atlantic remain close to the kitchen, with seafood from nearby Capbreton joining seasonal meats, vegetables, herbs and carefully judged contrasts of flavour and texture. L’Impertinent moves from morning pastries and coffee to relaxed lunchtime dishes before revealing its more gastronomic personality in the evening. It is a restaurant with character rather than ceremony, creative, confident and refreshingly individual. In a city balancing tradition with reinvention, L’Impertinent brings a welcome touch of irreverence to the Biarritz table.