India, July 11 -- Shortly after graduating from college, I made use of my French degree by teaching English in the South of France. I called Nice home for seven months, which felt far too short for a region so vast. A few years later, I turned the French Riviera into my full-time home, freelancing as a travel journalist and scouring the South of France's best beach clubs, restaurants, and villages. I moved to Paris before the pandemic, but I'm lucky enough to return back to the Riviera for long stretches each summer to catch up on the latest restaurant and beach club openings everywhere from Monaco to glitzy Saint-Tropez.

The French Riviera's haute reputation is one that many travelers think requires a designer-clad dress code. As someo...