How to spend a weekend in Deauville, Normandy

Among Parisians, Deauville needs no introduction. Fashionable city dwellers frequent this Normandy seaside town so regularly that it is often referred to as Paris’s 21st arrondissement. The fastest train from Paris can have you there in two hours – a drive from the city centre will take just 30 minutes longer – and all the comforts of home (chic patisseries, Michelin-starred restaurants, beloved boutiques) make it an easy transition from la capitale to la plage.

Yet, despite the town’s Parisian appeal, Deauville has a laid-back sensibility all of its own that centres on its famous horse track and historic promenade. The annual American Film Festival brings in cinema’s top talent, but the town’s star-studded allure lasts long after the cameras leave town. In Deauville, everyone is someone, but nobody cares.

That carefree elegance flows through all aspects of this beachy destination – even trickling across the River Touques into Deauville’s bohemian neighbour, Trouville-sur-Mer – where colourfully uniform parasols and charming half-timbered hotels remove all pretension and all that’s left is the whisper of the waves, even on the busiest of beach days.

Here’s everything you need to know to plan your chic escape to Paris’ beloved beach town, highlighting the best hotels, restaurants and things to do.

The best hotels in Deauville

The pristine cobbled streets of Deauville’s quaint town centre are mostly lined with boutiques and restaurants, with a few B&Bs and vacation rentals sprinkled throughout. Luxury holiday rental brand Le Collectionist has a strong presence in the village’s surrounding countryside, specialising in week-long rentals of extravagant holiday homes, but closer to the downtown area you’ll find affordable-yet-chic brands like YOU Are Deauville that offer the perfect mix of location and comfort. Located near the Trouville-Deauville SNCF train station, this 52-room hotel has a fresh mix of shared rooms and private chambers, and keeps a communal vibe going with its own cinema, bar, and co-working space.

Hôtels Barrière holds prime real estate, with three properties located within the city’s limits. The grand dame of the brand – and of Deauville’s hospitality scene – is Hotel Barrière Le Royal Deauville, with its Belle-Epoque grandeur, exclusive view of the Channel, and revolving door of celebrity guests. The hotel is breathtakingly beautiful, with manicured gardens and a majestic façade looking out onto the beach and the sea beyond. The resort is woven intimately into the Deauville lifestyle, where, even if you’re not staying there, drinks around the outdoor pool are a must while in town.

The best restaurants in Deauville

Seafood would be the obvious choice while in this seaside town, and there are many incredible options for fresh catches of the day and casseroles of steamed shellfish – the freshest finds are just across the river in Trouville-sur-Mer at the Trouville fish market, where lobster, crab and mackerel is plated up in a market hall setting – but Deauville’s dining scene is surprisingly varied thanks to its rotating clientele with refined palates and global cravings.

One of the most recently awarded Michelin restaurants in town (Deauville currently has three one-star restaurants to its name) is a fusion of French and Asian cuisine, run by French chef Charles Thuilland and his wife Korean chef Mi-Ra Kim, called L’Essentiel. The ingredients of each dish are pure Norman while the preparations utilise Asian techniques, creating inventive dishes like langoustines ponzu and pork belly udon.

Although the locally loved Le Bar du Soleil recently changed its entire menu and approach, its nouveau Italian fare is still the top choice for terrace dining by the beach. Le Comptoir et la Table serves authentic Norman dishes in a cosy bistro setting, where velvet benches and period furniture creates a funky backdrop for authentic dishes like grilled wild sea bass and chateaubriand ‘Rossini’. Near the local market square, Bouillon Morny is prized for its low prices and high-quality dining experiences. Unfussy in its presentation, the restaurant takes its sourcing very seriously, with a menu highlighting fresh shellfish and hearty classic French dishes made from scratch.

The best things to do in Deauville

Summer mornings in Deauville are a special kind of peaceful, where locals sip café au lait from quaint cafes and international tourists walk along the uncrowded Promenade des Planches as parasoliers prepare the beach for the afternoon crowd. The sound of seagulls and rolling waves accompany the famous names that line the historic changing chambers outside the Bains Pompéiens – a real symbol of the town. Les Planches is now one of the most photographed sites here, acting as the ‘Sunset Boulevard’ of France, with names of celebrated American Film Festival honorees inscribed on each cabin.

Pop over to Trouville-sur-Mer for a more bohemian beach experience, especially on Sundays, when the weekly market lines the river quay and promises deals on second-hand designer labels and local produce and hand-made products. The beach there may be less photographed than its photogenic neighbour, but the sand and sun hit the same… and Trouville is where most of the area’s top artists hang after their gallery hours end.

Many visitors come just for Deauville’s renowned sea therapy spa, La Thalasso Deauville Algotherm, as well as the world-class Casino Berrière Deauville, the latter of which is adorned in glistening chandeliers. Aside from its obvious gaming environment, it is well worth a stop just for a photo on its second-floor terrace overlooking the sea. Horse racing, and horse culture in general, have been a fixture of the town since its inception, and the Hippodrome Deauville-la-Touques is a great venue for watching a race or spotting some of the world’s top polo players battling it out in one of the three centre playing fields.

The best events in Deauville

Deauville isn’t a one-season town and holds festivals and tournaments year round. Sailors breeze in towards the end of June for the annual Linkers-Open de Dragon de Deauville international sailing championship, while triathletes meet up just a week earlier each year for the three-day Deauville Normandy Triathlon.

Horse races and polo matches are held throughout the year at both the Deauville Clairefontaine and Deauville-la-Touques racecourses, while the August yearling sales attract buyers from around the globe and tends to set records for English thoroughbred sales. Art lovers flock to the galleries in the restored Franciscan monastery Les Franciscaines, which organises the annual Planches Contact Festival of photography every January.

The Deauville American Film Festival has been held at the Centre International de Deauville the first week of September since 1975 and has become the foundation for the town’s social calendar. It’s also a beloved event for many Hollywood actors, who claim it as one of their favourites of the year, including Michael Douglas. More recent attendees include Johnny Depp, Natalie Portman, and Channing Tatum. For ten days every September, the town becomes a giant red carpet for screenings, appearances and pop-up events celebrating American cinema in a truly magical setting.