June 25, 2026

Mougins, Through Mélie’s Eyes

For Mélie, co-founder and CEO of August, the South of France has never felt like somewhere visited only on holiday. Growing up in France, with family time often spent in this part of the world, the region carries a particular kind of familiarity: the ease of village evenings and the feeling of arriving somewhere that is both special and deeply known. Mougins captures that feeling especially well. Perched in the hills above Cannes, the village has long attracted artists, chefs and travellers drawn to a quieter side of the Riviera. Its stone streets, shaded terraces and golden façades offer all the charm of the South of France, but with a more intimate, lived-in atmosphere. With our newest Prime home now open here, Mélie shares her favourite ways to experience Mougins, from sunset apéros to restaurants worth booking ahead.

For a first evening in Mougins, Mélie recommends beginning slowly.

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The village is at its most atmospheric between early evening and dinner, once the midday crowds have softened and the light begins to settle across the rooftops. This is the moment to find a terrace, order an apéro and let the evening begin without too much of a plan.

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L’Amandier is one of her favourite recommendations for this. Set in the old village, it offers the kind of view that reminds you exactly where you are: above Cannes, surrounded by hills, with the light changing over the landscape as evening draws in.

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It is not about rushing into dinner, but allowing the village to unfold first. A drink, a view, a slow wander through the narrow streets. In Mougins, the hours between six and nine often feel like the most beautiful part of the day.

Morning rituals with Mélie

Golden stone façades overlooking the Riviera beyond

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Mélie’s Tip

Go for an apéro on one of the terraces in the old village around sunset, then wander the tiny streets before dinner. Mougins is at its most charming in the early evening, when the heat of the day begins to fade, the restaurants start to fill, and the village feels more local again.

Where to Book for Dinner

For one dinner in the village, Mélie’s recommendation is La Place de Mougins. Led by chef Denis Fétisson, it is the kind of restaurant that feels special without becoming overly formal. The cooking is Mediterranean, refined and rooted in the region, with enough elegance for a memorable evening but still the ease that makes dining in the South of France so enjoyable.

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For something more traditional, Le Petit Fouet is a Mougins institution. Lively, characterful and firmly Provençal, it is the sort of place that feels embedded in the village rather than designed only for visitors. Expect generous dishes, local atmosphere and the kind of familiar charm that makes you want to return.

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Bohème offers a slightly newer energy. More contemporary in feel, and currently one of the more talked-about restaurants around Mougins, it brings a polished French approach with a focus on meat and a lively evening atmosphere.

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Together, they offer three very different ways to experience the village: refined, traditional and contemporary.

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A Morning Ritual

Mougins is not only a place for long dinners. The next morning, Mélie recommends keeping things simple with a stop at Le Pain d’Olivier, a local favourite for breads, pastries and viennoiseries. It is the kind of reliable village bakery that quickly becomes part of a stay, whether for breakfast at home, pastries after a morning walk, or something to take back for the table.

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This is perhaps where Mougins feels most personal. Not only in the restaurants or views, but in the small rituals that make a place familiar: buying bread in the morning, taking the same route through the village, knowing where to sit for the best evening light.

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For Mélie, that is what gives this part of the South of France its pull. It carries the softness of a holiday, but with the warmth of somewhere known.

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The Pull of Mougins

Mougins is often described through its history, its artists, its restaurants and its proximity to Cannes. All of that is true. But its real charm lies in the feeling it creates when you slow down enough to notice it.

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The village invites a different Riviera rhythm: less hurried, more intimate, shaped by terraces, views, conversation and the pleasure of returning to the same streets at different times of day.

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For August’s first Prime home, that atmosphere felt essential. The villa was designed to belong to this slower, more layered version of the South of France, where landscape, food, design and daily rituals all become part of the experience.

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And for Mélie, it is exactly this feeling that makes Mougins so special.

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Our latest Prime home opening in the South of France is tucked away in Mougins. If this has you dreaming of a stay with Prime Collection or beyond, you can book a call with our advisors below.*

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