In the last few years, radar technology has been given strong consideration for sea level monitoring. France has been a pioneer in the use of radar technology for its tide gauge network, and the first results of an 8-year-long experience are presented. The performance of the radar sensors has been assessed using the Van de Casteele test, which has been revealed to be an efficient method for detecting the main deficiencies of the installations and evaluate the data quality. The experience so far shows that radar tide gauges present interesting advantages with regard to ease of operation and that their accuracy is consistent with GLOSS 1-cm requirements, provided the installation is correctly performed.