St.Maarten/St.Martin Restaurants

Web-surfers' Favorites
January 1, 2001 - June 1, 2002

• Recent visits by Erich S. Kranz (note that Erich also hosts the websites mentioned plus see more reviews by him below) [May 20, 2002]
  "Monday (29 April) we went to Le Cottage for a final meal at the best spot for wine drinking on the island. We started with two special appetizers: shrimp with local greens from Loterie Farm and frog legs and sea scallops on a bed of shredded leeks. I had the foie gras de canard sautied with cocoa and mango and Martha had a special with lobster and more scallops. Stephane served a Lillet as an apertif and a Muscadet with the appetizers. Martha continued with the Muscadet and Stephane switched me to a red from the Blaye region across the river from the great growths of Bordeaux. With coffees and cognacs, the bill was just a bit over $100 for an interesting and tasty meal, several complementary wines (not quite complimentary, but only $5 per glass), and a great view of the action on restaurant row. (http://www.RestaurantLeCottage.com)
  On Tuesday at Maeva, we started with the Maeva Salade with tete de moine cheese. Tete de moine is a mountain cow's milk cheese made on the French-Swiss border. Generally it is served by wheeling a Swiss contraption around on the top of the cheese and shaving off a sliver that curls up and eventually looks like a flower, but being white, I thought it was a cauliflower head when it arrived. Like the previous salad we had here, it was large, with plenty of crisp, tasty greens in a nice vinaigrette with many interesting additions. Martha had the tripe aux Sancerre, wherein the tripe, carrots, and spices were stewed together and at the end, boiled potato quarters were added on top and put under the broiler for a minute or so to brown them. I had a lovely fish cooking in a Provengal style. With a good bottle of Bourg, also across the river from Bordeaux, the bill was a mere $55. The food is simpler and heartier, the wine list is shorter, and the decor is not top notch. However, everything is tasty and well-made and the service is fine, though more toward friendly than refined. Well worth a trip. (Find them on http://www.GrandCase.com)
  On our last night in Grand Case, we went to Bistrot Caraibes and had the usual smoked salmon, but without the Pouilly Fuissi La Soufrandise 1997, as they are now out. We substituted the Rully 1er Cru Rabource 2000 Domaine Olivier Leflaive. It's not as large a wine and doesn't have the bottle age, but is still a very good chardonnay at $36 the bottle. As I had gone on about the foie gras at Cottage, Amaury insisted on serving their Foie Gras in Puff Pastry with mango: three plump slices of foie, perfectly cooked, layered into a puff pastry with a lovely reduction sauce and sweet mango to enhance the foie. Martha had her favorite dish, the Fisherman's platter in a lobster sauce, "Bouillabaisse style", and I had mine, the fresh sea bass flown in from France, on a bed of vegetables in a light creamy sauce. The Rully worked all through the meal and armagnac worked fine with the coffee. A bill of only $100 seemed a small price to pay. (http://www.BistrotCaraibes.com)
  After a tough day of packing most things into our owner's closets and too many things into our suitcases, we went to Citrus for our final meal on the island. Citrus has become one of the best restaurants on the island, albeit one of the most expensive. Chef Jeffrey Kipp has instituted a tasting menu at only $35 and my wallet and waistline applaud this measure. We went with Fleur from Rainbow Cafi and we all ordered the menu. Toufik, the maitre'd, brought a flute of very nice champagne as an apertif, followed by a bit of halibut on a bed of mushrooms. We followed with a bottle of Pommard for the squab with different mushrooms and switched to a Bordeaux for the venison with mushrooms. Martha again wondered about the preponderance of mushrooms, but I love them. A graniti for dessert was more than enough. The room is lovely, the food is first-class, and if you don't have anyplace to stay, the Inn upstairs can't be beat. (http://www.SXM-Restaurants.com/lowlands/innatcupecoy).
  The next morning we got up at 5 AM to get to the airport by 6 AM only to go through an aborted takeoff at 7:30. We got another flight out at 3 PM and a $50 certificate good at Cafi Juliana, the airport restaurant/lounge. I remember reading that it really wasn't the usual airport dive on my first trip here in 1992. We actually had a lunch here back then and were pleasantly surprised. We had talked to Robert, the manager, at a Christmas party shortly after we arrived this season, so it was rather interesting to be heading up to see him again as we left the island. They have a full menu for dinner and lunch and may be the only place on the island that serves Maine lobster, live from the tank. We had perfectly good sandwiches for lunch, just like ten years ago. Something to remember, especially if you have an hour or two to kill after having gone through the rigors of checking in.
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  That does it for this season. We are back in the US putting the finishing touches on our new house and doing some landscaping. This involves big rocks. I wish I were back on the island, especially after it snowed last weekend."
• St. Maarten/St. Martin Restaurant Reviews by Barbara Jean [May 17, 2002]
  "We have visited St. Maarten for about 15 years and this time we finally went to the Hideaway Restaurant located in La Vista Resort (near Pelican and Flamingo resorts). We stay at Flamingo and often talked of walking over to that restaurant. Too bad we didn't find this place sooner! The staff was very cordial, warm, and the food was great. Hubby had rack of lamb which he loved and I enjoyed the seafood fettucinne. It was notespecially expensive.
  This restaurant is small with maybe a dozen tables near the pool and overlooking the sea. We ate there a second time on a Saturday evening and I should have made reservations. We were told that all the tables had been reserved but one would open up soon if we'd like to wait at the bar and have a drink "on the house"! Well, it sounded good to me, but hubby declined that offer and said we'd be back next year. Halfway to our car the hostess came running out calling us back! Our table was ready. Was I impressed? You bet! We had the snapper filets which were fresh and cooked well. And you can be sure we WILL return next year, too.
  In contrast to the above experience, we had a disappointing one at Mario's Bistro, where we had dined a few times in the past, always good experiences. However, this time we stopped there to make reservations for ourselves and 4 friends. We wanted one of their waterside tables. However, we were told that the tables there were for up to 4 people only and they refused to change the configuration! Well, Mario himself was summoned but he refused to accommodate us even when I explained that we wanted to introduce our friends to his establishment. (Hint: I was trying to bring him new customers.) Well, I was unsuccessful. He refused to push two tables together for us.
  I think all of us have been in restaurants and have noticed that sometimes the tables had been moved around to accommodate larger groups. Mario's had few reservations that week. In fact, the entire island was rather desserted compared to other trips we've made there at the same time each year. Restaurants were nearly empty, hotels/resorts were having special low prices to attract people. The usual Thursday night extravaganza at Marina Port Royale had been discontinued due to lack of customers there. Too bad, the strolling musicians and vendors were fun.
  So, now I know why some reviewers on this page have referred to Mario's Restaurant as a haughty establishment with snooty proprietors! I do think he's being very shortsighted, especially given the "climate" on that island right now. I won't bother visiting his restaurant next time we are there."
• Saratoga was excellent!! by Lisa Trier [May 15, 2002]
  "We loved Saratoga. Excellent service, beautiful setting on the water, and we had good food. We ordered steaks and had a few appetizers. Very romantic.
  We were not impressed with Lee's. We had terrible service and our food was cold.
  Le Perroquet was another favorite on the Dutch side. Excellent seafood, and the service was the best."
• Favorites of Diana_Jeffrey [May 12, 2002]
  "Vacationed in St. Maarten for the first time. It is truly a great destination. We're definately going back again. I have read many of the reviews and checked out many of the restaurants. By food standards in North America, many of these restaurants would be considered fine dining. But, with the weak Canadian dollar, we chose to watch what we spent. Staying at the Atrium resort in Simpson Bay, we naturally came across the "hotel restaurant" which was called Indiana Bar and Restaurant. It is seperately owned. Jeff the owner makes you feel at home. There is a large bar area overlooking the pool. From the pool to the beach, wooden pathways takes you over the sand and through the lush plants/trees to your table. Friday and Saturday nights are "lobster nights" - $13.99/lb (hint - Friday is extremely busy, so try Saturday). They can serve up to 3 lb lobsters that were mouth watering. Before dinner, take advantage of happy hour and ask Henrik the bartender to prepare "something blue". His girlfriend, Sophie, is there to lend a helping hand and to keep Henrik in line. During one happy hour, Henrique went into the garden for some fresh coconut. Basically he cut the coconuts in half and several of us were given our own drink (right from the coconut). This place was truly ac home away from home.
  Lee's Roadside Bar & Grill is an excellent deal - very casual. The fish was fresh and grilled to perfection ($12 for a full dinner plate). The yellow fin tuna and snapper was amazing. Everyone we talked to raved about the ribs which we missed out on.
  In Maho, we tried a place called Mama Mia's located in the upstairs of a mall over looking the main street. Inside it looks sort of California style. There is a balcony overlooking the main street. The pasta ($11-15) and appetizers ($6-10) were great. Highly recommend this place. Has a "fine dining" feel to it.
  In Orient Bay, Kakao Beach Bar & Restaurant made amazing panninis for lunch. I had the anchovie pannini. There was another bar (can't remember the name) made a great pizza (with a cracked egg on top).
  Just about all the restaurants served great food. The problem seems that there are too many to choose from."
• OUR FAVORITE REST. IN ST. MARTIN by Cagg2 [April 27, 2002]
  "MY HUSBAND AND I JUST CAME BACK FROM ST. MARTIN IN APRIL AND BY FAR ONE OF ARE MOST FAVORITE REST. IS ST. GERMAINE, IT IS LOCATED AT THE MARINA AT MARIGOT. THE FOOD IS AS GOOD AS ANYTHING IN GRAND CASE FOR HALF THE PRICE. PATRICK (LE BLACK) AND HIS STAFF ARE GREAT....IN AN ELEVEN DAY TRIP WE ATE THERE AT LEAST THREE TIMES FOR DINNER...THERE DESSERT CREPES ARE GREAT ALSO...TELL HIM HIS FRIENDS FROM TENNESSEE SENT YOU.............HAVE A GREAT TIME..THIS IS OUR FAVORITE ISLAND.........."
• Food Review in SXM by Barry and Nancy from Conn (USA) [April 26, 2002]
  "we were in SXM from 4/12 to 4/22/02 - lousy weather. Breakfasts were a different story - Michael's Cafe on the main road of Grand Case was excellent - as well as the service. The view from your table is truly memorable.
  Also, we had two dinners at Little France (across the street from Michael's Cafe) - really good."
• St Martin 4/13/2001 to 4/20/2002 by Sue & Don and Kathy & Eric - Clifton Park, New York [April 21, 2002]
  "We just returned from another fabulous week in St. Martin. On this trip we limited our meals exclusively to the French side. The food is so good, there is really no need to go elsewhere. We started the week with one of our favorites, L'Alabama. We each had a different seafood dish and each was outstanding. In addition, the staff provides the best, friendliest service on the island. Don't miss their Profiteroles. It's a must for us at L'Alabama. Next we went to Il Nettuno. An interesting restaurant on the water run by a Frenchman who had a French restaurant in the Washington DC area and moved to St Martin. (Look for all of the Washington Redskins memorabilia in the bar area). He told us there were already so many French restaurants in Grand Case that he thought he would try an Italian theme and menu. He succeeded very well. We had the Fra Diavlo, both mild and spicy and both were just right. The next night we just had to go to Grand Case again. We were enticed by the fresh local red snapper on the menu at Bistro Caribe, so we all had it. It was by far the best we have ever had before or since. We also were given their recipe for their ginger rum after dinner liquor. Can't wait to brew some up. The next night we met friends at Le Pressoir - yes again in Grand Case. We all had the beef tenderloin with a camembert cheese toping that we remembered from our last trip to St. Martin. It was as superb as we had remembered. The next night we went to a restaurant based on the recommendation of the crew on the dive boat we went on that day. It was La Gondola in Sandy Ground on the left before the bridge going into Marigot. The owner is from northern Italy and spent time in France. The restaurant itself is very tastefully decorated. We had lobster filled ravioli and spaghetti bolognaise. Everything here was as good as we had anywhere on the island. Prices were very good. We would strongly encourage everyone to try La Gondola. We don't think you will be disappointed. It's small so make reservations Tel 0590 87 78 27. The following evening we returned to Grand Case for a meal at the Cottage. We had heard about Le Cottage and were anxious to try it. The food and service were both good, but it would not make our top three list. On our last night we went to Sandy Ground again to go to Mario's Bistro. That night they had a shrimp and penne special that was excellent. The red snapper was only mediocre however. They only seat you at either 7:00 or 9:00 which limits flexibility. All in all it was another week of outstanding meals and terrific restaurants that are hard to duplicate anywhere else."
• exellent new find! by maitre olivier [April 18, 2002]
  "we've just returned from our third trip to st-maarten and it was wonderful like every time. We enjoyed all of our meals but we find a new one who need to be mentionning. Little france in grand case was absolutely superb, the service and the meal was outstanding, we had appetizers (frog legs with garlic and parsley and green salad in crispy crab cakes), main entrees were jumbo shrimps in curry sauce and grilled rack of lamb, desserts were crme brule and profiterolles, it was outstanding. meal was $90 with a bottle of pouilly fuisse. we won't hesitate to recommend your visit of this restaurant on your next visit to sxm.
  we also enjoyed rainbow, pressoir and mario bistro!"
• New reviews by Erich S. Kranz (note that Erich also hosts the websites mentioned plus see more reviews by him below) [April 16, 2002]
  "We went to Orient for Sunday lunch, something of a tradition on the island as many of the restaurants do something special: Bikini Beach (http://www.SXM-Restaurants.com/orient/bikini) makes paella and has a band, Kontiki has a foam party, Pedro's (http://www.SXM-Restaurants.com/orient/pedros) has a band and as they are on the border between the nude and prude sides of the beach, they draw a mixed crowd. We went to Pirate Beach Bar and Grill (http://www.SXM-Restaurants.com/orient/pirate) for a quiet lunch of grilled fish. Sylvie, the kitchen wizard, did a good job with swordfish and mahi-mahi. Nothing fancy, just good fish, grilled with fries or rice and peas. With a couple beers each, the bill came to $30.
  Monday found us wandering around Pburg with a lunch at Old Captain (http://www.Philipsburg-Info.com/oldcaptain). We had our usual hot and sour soup with a sushi platter and a couple beers as we watched the America's Cup boats "race" around the harbor. Three former racing boats home port here and take tourists out to race each other. It's $70 a head, but if you like sailing, this is about as good as it gets. You can be part of the crew or just sit back and relax. No website that I know of.
  Monday night was a short drive over to Atlantis Casino and Montmartre. The menu is changing, which seems OK to us, as we always ordered from the last few things listed under specialties. I had the choucroute again and Martha had a gallette with foie gras. We wisely skipped an appetizer. The choucroute was a major mound of cabbage braised in white wine and herbs, with three types of sausage, a large slice of bacon, a piece of pork, and a small rack of ribs on top. Martha's gallette was a three quarter inch thick, six inch diameter potato pancake, nicely browned with two slices of foie gras on top and a nice sauce. With a bottle of Beaujolais Villages and water, we spent about $70 and took almost half of both dinners home for a lunch.
  Wednesday we headed to Grand Case (http://www.Grandcase.com) and had dinner at Il Nettuno (http://www.IlNettuno.com). We choose a bottle of the reserve Chianti ($60) to go with a special of grilled portobello on a bed of lettuce with a balsamic drizzle. Our dinners were also specials: a veal scallop with capers, olives, and oregano, in a tangy tomato sauce with a side of al dente spaghetti and a risotto with calimari. Nothing terribly fancy, but a good tender slice of veal helps, add a bit of pounding, use fresh ingredients, learn how to cook spaghetti al dente, and you have the first dish, simple as that. Risotto is a bit more difficult. There is a fine line between rice with sauce (Spanish rice) and slightly chewy risotto with enough sauce to stick the grains together. Getting tender calimari is another bit of work, but the chefs at Nettuno know what they are doing, the waiters bring it out in a friendly and efficient manner, and then there is Mateo. He's worth the visit, but so is the food, and the view over the bay to Anguilla. Mateo exercises his baritone in about four languages, never off-key, but sometimes off-color.
  Lunch on Friday was at Oizeau Rare a few steps above Marigot Harbor. (http://www.OizeauRare.com) Martha had crab egg rolls with mixed greens and I had parma ham wrapped around St Marcelin with mixed greens. It is a cheese made from cow's milk in the northern part of Provenge. Jenkins, in the Cheese Primer, calls it "one of the most staggeringly delicious cheeses" that he has ever tasted. It was a great lunch and with a glass of white Burgundy for Martha and a red Bordeaux for me, the bill was about $30. I stayed Martha went to her hairdresser, Jean-Claude, around the corner. Two glasses of wine later she returned to find me stillenjoying an oasis of tranquility in the busy capital of the French side.
  Dinner that evening was at Escapade (http://www.EscapadeRestaurant.com) in Grand Case. Gerald is repainting the lovely cottage in a vivid red. We started with a terrine of foie gras, house made with a prune in the center. Fresh foie gras is trimmed a bit and layered into a terrine, bringing it to about half full. A bit of prunes are laced down the center and more foie gras is pressed on top. The entire affair is placed in a larger bowl of water and cooked in the oven until the foie gras flows together. Add some toast points for texture and a glass (or two) of Sauternes and you will have the perfect start to any meal. Gerald said that he had procured French lamb chops (much better than the New Zealand version) and that he had a special duck breast presentation that included diced potatoes sautied in duck fat and garlic, heaped in a basket of phyllo dough. Gerald, a kindred soul, likes Burgundy better than Bordeaux, and suggested the 98 Chassagne-Montrachet rather than the 98 Vosne-Romanie. The lamb chops were quite flavorful and had more texture than the NZ variety. A lovely tart sauce with lots of vegetables and garlic mashed potatoes made for a lovely dish. The duck breast was also very good, in a nice sauce, but the potatoes were the star as they were sinfully good and in a delightful presentation. The wine made everything sing. A bit of coffee and two balloons of Armagnac brought the curtain down on a wonderful seaside dinner. Gerald is the new owner here and seems to be pulling everything together. A new menu will accompany the new paint job and if he manages it all correctly, this could be one of the finest restaurants on the water in Grand Case. You'll pay a bit more to stare across the Bay to Anguilla, but you'll love the food and service.
  As an aside, the couple at the table next to us had been on the America's Cup boats and loved the experience.
  We arrived and got a parking spot in front of the restaurant! The first two weeks of April are usually dead. Hotel rates drop on 15 April, so many people wait until then for their vacation, assuming they have any money left after they pay their taxes. As the restaurant is about ten steps above street level, our corner table had a great view over the waterfront. Olivier explained a lengthy list of specials as water was fetched and we started with a bottle of 98 Chablis "Chbteau de Maligny" premier cru ($30). This was to go with my special of marinated salmon. An entire plate was covered with two layers of lightly cooked salmon marinated in olive oil and citrus juices with fresh dill on the salmon and fleur de sel on the rim of the plate. I am not about to proclaim this better than the smoked variety that I love at Bistrot Caraibes, but it will make me consider a new category (marinated salmon) and move them to the top of that list. It was lovely salmon, meaty and smooth textured, bursting with flavors, especially when dragged along the salt on the rim of the plate. My recommendation for a great appetizer: a bite of salmon followed by a sip of crisp Chablis - repeat until satisfied. Martha had the roast pigeon with foie gras and broad beans in a garlic sauce ($20) and our guest and I had a special: Lotte in a bordelais sauce. Lotte is the poor man's lobster, being a rather meaty white fish. We call it monkfish and the Dutch call it (translated) sea devil. What this says about the equivalency of monks and devils in English and Dutch is left to the reader. The fish is one of the ugliest things in all creation and the meat even looks pretty bad without the ugly body. It is a perfect foil for sauces both light and heavy. Bordelais sauce uses a red Bordeaux wine and veal stock with mirepoix, finely diced vegetables. In this case the chef added some mushrooms to the sauce and some baby carrots and a dollop of the vegetables on the side. Olivier and I thought that the mushrooms were chanterelles, a small yellow mushroom that would get smaller and darker in a sauce of Bordeaux and veal stock. However, the chef said they were Paris, shorthand for champignons de Paris, button mushrooms to us, from the agaricus family. I suppose they would also get smaller and darker in the sauce. Martha and I moved on to the lovely 97 Beaune premier cru ($34) that graces the wine list, a truly wonderful wine: great pinot character, decent age, lovely full-bodied flavor. If I don't drink it all, next year it will be even better. Olivier brought coffees and petit fours. Chocoholics could build a meal around the tiny chocolate cupcakes with the liquid chocolate centers. As we had already consumed our monthly allotment of Armagnac, Olivier poured the house version of spiced rum. Fortunately, the car knows the way home by now. Unfortunately, it forgot Betty was in the back seat, but with a few minor adjustments - nothing truly deserving of a traffic ticket in the islands - everyone did make it home.
  It has been a rainy week. The island and the golf course are very green, as are the tourists. Sunday was a decent day and we scooted over to Orient for stewed conch and ribs at Pedro's Beach Bar (http://www.SXM-Restaurants.com/orient/pedros). Good food, bands on Sunday, cold beer, and interesting views. That includes Green Cay just off shore, but as it is on the border between the nude and prude sections of the beach, there are other interesting sights as well."
• Update on restaurant scene by Peggy Van Deloo [April 13, 2002]
  "Just back from another delightful visit to St. Maarten - a new restaurant in Cupecoy, Citrus was great - also has a market attached with prepared foods, pastries, bread, wines, etc. - best of all an inn over the market with five gorgeous rooms opening out to a pool where we spent our last night - manager Toufiq was charming bring us champagne poolside and anything else you might want - it was our best find of our vacation. Still one of our favorites Bistrot Nu was better than ever ditto Saratoga which had the best rack of lamb any of us have ever had. Don't forget Mary's Boon - each evening a special and an honor bar plus a great atmosphere. Our other favorite is still L'Amandier in Grand Case. Can't wait for our next visit!"
• New favorites - Feb. 27-Mar. 10 by Tabascoo [March 13, 2002]
  Just returned from 12 wonderful days in our favorite spot - St. Martin. We usually eat in the more gourmet restaurants but this year decided to see what the more local restaurants were like. What a great surprise! Had wonderful meals at Chesterfield's (seafood over fettucine was great and cheap); le Charolais in Simpson Bay had the most delicious goat cheese salad and rack of lamb - very reasonable; Lee's was quite a delight! The music played all night - very lively and fun and the meal of ribs was great. The whole grilled snapper at the other table looked wonderful too. We also tried a new restaurant in Phillipsburg - Passagrande, a small guest house past the courthouse. What a delight! The restaurant is charming and the grilled red snapper was outstanding! And the price was right too. We also had just wonderful dinners at Mario's Bistro - the duck is just out of this world. Ate in the new LeBec Fin and we loved it. They had a pre-fixe dinner for $26 - appetizer, entre and dessert and thought it was well worth the price. The restaurant is charming and they had a great piano player. Someone wrote about bad attitude of staff - was quite surprised because everyone was so nice. Our last night was at our very favorite - Antoines in Phillipsburg. The dinner was just outstanding. We always have their rack of lamb which is not on the menu but available at any time. It is not to be believed!! The very best. Prices are not like Lee's but well worth it. So all in all we had a wonderful time and can't wait to return next year."
• Le Bec Fin not really recommended by cherrywoodroofing [March 7, 2002]
  "The host was cold and treated us with disdain. We did not have reservations and most of the tables had little signs on them which indicated that the table was reserved. Several of the tables with the best views of Simpson Bay remained, without patron, throughout the duration of our dining experience. The waiter was from St. Lucia and was warm and friendly, although seemingly uncomfortable with spending too much time at our table under the watchful eye of the maitre'd. The food was as good, better than average, but not outstanding.
  We overheard the couple at the next table arguing with the maitre'd, concerning a coupon which they had received entitling them to a two for one special. Either someone is dispensing bogus coupons or the restaurant is refusing to honour them, but the result was less than favourable."
• More Restaurants by Erich S. Kranz [March 4, 2002]
  "We found kosher food at: Casablanca Restaurant (http://www.SXM-Restaurants.com/lowlands/casablanca) Paradisio Beach: http://www.SXM-Restaurants.com/orient/paradisio In addition, Paradisio frequently functions as the local synagogue, as there is no real synagogue on the island.
  We just saw an ad in the St Martin Week (a French side newspaper that comes out twice a week wherein all the rest of the words are in French) for Restaurant St Germain (http://www.SXM-restaurants.com/marigot/stgermain) that said they would continue to accept francs. If you have been asleep lately, you may not have noticed that much of Europe has overthrown their home currency and switched to the Euro as of 1 Jan 2002. After a decent interval (about two months) in which both the original currency and the Euro were in use, the original currency was no longer to be accepted. Anyone stuck with it would have a few years to turn it in to a commercial bank (none of which exist here on the island). After that, it's wallpaper, much like Enron stock certificates. Patrick is getting some publicity out of this and may get some business, but an eventual trip to Guadeloupe will make him whole on the cost. If you have some spare francs floating around and are taking a vacation here in the near future, head over to the Marigot marina, have a good meal, and divest yourself of your franc fortune.
  Monday night we went over to Atlantis Casino and talked with Ricky at Sitar (http://www.SXM-Restaurants.com/lowlands/sitar) while we enjoyed a lamb masala and a chick pea and spinach dinner. We've been there before and feel it is one of the best Indian Restaurants on the island. The problem, of course, is that people don't go to an island that is half Dutch and half French to seek out Indian food. It is every bit as flavorful and interesting as either, and according to Ricky much more difficult to cook, as it relies on complicated mixtures of spices rather than expensive beef and fish with large quantities of butter.
  Tuesday morning arrived without a breath of a breeze. The lagoon mirrored the mammelles to the north (twin hills on the French side) and the view of Saba to the south was so clear that we could see the houses on the single road on the island, despite the 26 miles of open sea that separate us. The twin peaks of Stacia appeared a bit to the west and 10 miles further away. A bit further to the west and another 15 miles away was St Kitts and just to the left of Kitts, 90 miles away, the very tip of of Nevis Peak (3232 ft) on the island of Nevis rose above the horizon. We get to see this only a couple times per season and by the time we returned from the market, Nevis had disappeared from sight.
  This tragic loss was somewhat mollified by the appearance of a magnificent round of Reblochon de Savoie from Monsieur René at the Boucherie in Bellvue near St Séverin (http://www.SXM-Restaurants.com/marigot/stseverin). René has a wonderful collection of cheeses, patés, meats, and more. There are a few tables and one can have a superb lunch complete with wine and follow it up with René's personal Armagnac. After that, one can retire for the day.
  On Wednesday night we went to La Marine (http://www.RestaurantLaMarine.com) in http://www.GrandCase.com. They specialize in Les Pierrades, the freshest fish grilled at your table on a hot rock. This means that their fish dishes are very fresh, but I have had some other great meals there. The price for a three course Pierrades is only $21, quite the bargain. Before we even ordered, Camille, the waiter and maitre'd, brought a lagniappe: a thin crispy toast with an even thinner slice of fish and a slice of smoked duck breast. We started with a special salad containing the same smoked duck breast slices, thick foie gras slices, and confit de gesier. (Sounds a lot better than duck gizzards cooked in duck fat and preserved in duck fat until they are required for the salad.) We went on to a hake with squid in a red wine sauce and a salmon in a Provengal sauce.
  Friday night we went to Le Cottage. If Bruno, the owner and maitre'd, and Stéphane, the sommelier, can't cheer you up, check your vital signs. We sat down, ordered our water, and told the waiter that we would not need the wine list as Stéphane would be placed in charge of our drinking. The accras (fried saltcod fritters with a spicy sauce chien) arrived and Stéphane paired them with an apertif of gewurztraminer, which means spicy traminer (a grape type) in German. We started with the cold cucumber soup with shrimp, the special creamy cauliflower soup with slices of smoked duck breast, and another special: a tartar of salmon. All good, but I like cauliflower, cream, and the smoked duck breast is divine, so that was my favorite. Stéphane added a sauvignon blanc from Quincy. Our dinners were sea scallops in phyllo dough, french sardines with fennel, and a beef tenderloin on a bed of flavored mashed potatoes with a black olive crusting. The sea scallops were tender as can be after one crunched through the crispy phyllo coating. The Quincy was fine with them and a Chateau Brown was added for the larger flavors of the sardines and tenderloin. A touch of coffee and a balloon of Armagnac completed a delightful evening. (http://www.RestaurantLeCottage.com)"
• The Euro by Milty [March 3, 2002]
  "While this is not a restaurant review,it should help people when dining at SXM restaurants. (French Side only, PaB)
  Always request your check in Euros. Your credit card company has access to the best exchange rates available. Currently, the exchange rate is approximately .85 to one, or a 15% discount off your bill in Euro's. When the check is presented to you, simply add the amount you are comfortable with as a tip, and show it to your waiter. When your credit card bill arrives, you will be pleasantly surprised."
• Our new favorites by Marci Kinter [March 1, 2002]
  "I really do not think you can get a bad meal in St. Martin. This year we stayed near Grand Case, and really enjoyed the Restaurants there. First nite, we ate at Bistrot Caribes, and it as as fabulous as everyone has said. We split a goat cheese appetizer that was fantastic. My husband had the sea bass special, which was superb. I had a shrimp special, also delicous. We will definitely return. Next night we ate at Rainbow Cafe on the terrace overlooking the ocean. Wonderful dinner, attentive staff. My husband had the snapper and I had salmon. Both were wonderfully prepared, and exquisite. We sampled the carabiean crabcakes, since we come from VA and are always looking for new crabcake recipes. Very good.
  We also ate at Talk of the Town -- great ribs and snapper. And, at the smaller rib place on Pinel Island. Both were wonderful.
  Our last nite was at Sol e Luna, and we were not as impressed. The ambiance was not as romantic as others held out, and the food was okay but not outstanding. And, the exchange rate, and we had been warned, was the worst on the island.
  We cannot wait to go back and try out some of the other restaurants. We now have a few favorites, but always looking for more. Thank you to everyone who provides restaurant reviews on this site. It is really helpful when trying to decide which place you would like to try."
• My week of St. Martin restaurants by Sheldon Leemon [February 25, 2002]
  "Since we were staying in the French Cul de Sac area, we spent about half the time at the fine restaurants there. First, we tried Le Piccolo, which has now switched to an "all-appetizer" format. Basically, instead of getting an appetizer and entree, you share four or five moderate portions between a couple. At about $7 a dish, the price isn't hard to take, and the selection is excellent. The atmosphere was very congenial, and the owners friendly and accommodating.
  We also had a very good experience at Le Cottonier, across the street from the Piccolo. The snapper I had was a thick, meaty filet, excellently prepared, and my wife had a delicate mahi-mahi dish. The service was very informal and agreeable-- when I ordered a beer, our hostess went next door to the convenience store to buy it! At the end of the meal, she brought us a couple of bottles of fruit-infused rum to try. Delightful.
  Our experience at Sol E Luna was not as wonderful as others have reported, however. I was not wowwed by the "romantic" ambiance (though the couple at the next table with the crying baby may have had something to do with that). Nor was I impressed with the food (mediocre) or the service (ditto). To top it off, they charged me $75 for a bill that came to 78 Euros (at less than 90 cents per Euro, it should have been more like $70). I didn't argue, but I won't be coming back.
  Our two meals in Grand Case were both fabulous. The first, at the Rainbow, was a perfect romantic evening on the terrace overlooking the beach. The appetizers (salmon tartare) and main course (crispy duck) were both fabulous, as were the drinks, desert, and very attentive service. It doesn't get any better than that. Our last night was at Le Cottage, a small restaurant with a "big restaurant" attitude--you usually don't get a sommelier at a place with a dozen tables. Again, the food and service were outstanding.
  Our one night in Marigot was at the Vie en Rose, again on a terrace overlooking the town square and marina. Not only was the food and service exquisite, but while we were eating a couple of cows ambled down the main street of the town! Our waiter joked that at some restaurants they should you the lobsters before preparing them, while at theirs, they showed you the beef ;-) This place was expensive, but well worth it for both the dinner and the floor show. Besides, they gave my wife a rose at the end of the meal.
  From our experience, I don't think you can pick a bad restaurant on the French side of St. Martin. Of course, we were aided by the fact that tourism is way down this year--we had no trouble getting "same day" reservations for places like the Rainbow, which are often booked far in advance. But if we hadn't gotten in at the restaurants we selected, we probably would have eaten at others that were just as good. The average tourist is likely to run out of vacation days far sooner than he runs out of good restaurants to try."
• My Favourite Restaurant by Anne Medcof, Toronto, Ontario [February 23, 2002]
  "When I was in St. Maarten last year, I ate at Shiv Sagar. It was a very good Indian restaurant with a nice view of the main street in Phillipsburg. I recommend it if you are ever looking for something to eat with a lot of flavour while in St. Maarten."
• This week's visits by Erich S. Kranz [February 19, 2002]
  "Tuesday night was at Escapade (http://www.Escapaderestaurant.com) in Grand Case (http://www.GrandCase.com). It is a very old restaurant. In the Bearden Gallery (under construction: http://www.SXM-Info.com/SXM-art/bearden) in Philipsburg, we saw an old poster showing Grand Case in the 80's. Several restaurants have come and gone, but Escapade was there, and is still there. As of one month ago, it has a new owner, Gerald, who runs the front of the house. He brought in a new chef, Fabrice, who worked in some of the best kitchens in France and Monaco. Great views, cute place, live lobster, big wine list. We had snails in puff pastry with the 1997 Savigny Les Beaune ($36). As the wine warmed up, it opened up, and was great with the ap and with the dinners: filet mignon with blue cheese sauce and a duck breast. Gerald worked at La Vie en Rose, one of the oldest and most famous restaurants in St Martin. It's in Marigot on the corner at the waterfront. There's a cafi downstairs and the grand dining room with a New Orleans style balcony overlooking the waterfront on the second floor. It was good training and the service at Escapade was impeccable until the waitress failed to show up and a table of eight arrived without reservations! Ah, the life of a restauranteur. It's the first month, so we'll stop back at a later date, but the initial impression is good. Prices are a bit low for the water view, as they are just getting started. Our bill was less than $100.
  Wednesday lunch was at Chesterfield's (http://www.ChesterfieldsRestaurant.com) on Great Bay in Philipsburg. It's a good place to watch the comings and goings in the harbor. The food is good, not exquisite, and priced accordingly. Lots of conch and a Philly cheese steak (ok, it's Gouda cheese). Longest happy hour on the bay and one of the best views of the sunset. Dinner is a bit more elaborate, but still inexpensive.
  Wednesday night was another trip to Auberge Gourmande. They are on the land side, so the views aren't as great, but they save on rent, and pass the savings on to the customer. We needed more photos for the website (http://www.GrandCase.com/aubergegourmand) so we started with the smoked salmon and Nancy (check the wine list photo) suggested the Meursault Premier Cru (about $50). If you feel you can afford it, check out a Premier Cru from anywhere. It really will be better than its neighbors. To go with the wine, we ordered a marlin special and the duo of scallops and shrimp. The marlin was wrapped in a thin pastry sheet, putting a tasty crunch on a rather dense fish. For dessert we had the Concerto of chocolates: a frozen mousse, a brownie, and a cake. The cake reminds one of the Gary Larsen cartoon of the polar bear discussing igloos with his mate: crunchy on the outside with a warm, gooey center. Add in coffee and Armagnac and the bill reached about $120. Not bad for good food, outrageous wine, and service in a lovely setting. We sat on the porch, amid the plantings. During the week the traffic is such that this is pleasant, but on Friday and Saturday nights - especially during carnival - the traffic noise is a good reason to think about moving inside, to restaurants on the water side of the street, or a later dining hour.
  On Friday we finally got to try Casablanca, a Moroccan restaurant in the Atlantis Casino complex. It is pretty on the outside and opulent on the inside. Carpeted floors, red velvet banquettes lining the walls, intricate wall treatments. I've never been to the casbah, but I have seen Casablanca (the movie). I'm sure Ted Turner colorized it to look like this restaurant. Moroccan food is based on wheat ground into a starch called couscous. The basic couscous dish has various meats or fishes placed on the couscous with raisins, almonds, preserved lemons, etc. A bowl of vegetables with broth accompanies this and provides a tasty, well-balanced and quite filling meal. The tajine adds braised meat to the equation. A rosi wine with a hint of sweetness makes it all taste wonderful. Usually there is a bit of harissa, a red pepper based hot sauce available to make it all as spicy as you wish. You can buy harissa in a toothpaste tube in the French side markets. Don't get confused, although it is a mistake you'd only make once. Casablanca eschews tubes of harissa and makes the real thing, providing it with the mixed appetizer. Good food, most unlike anything else on the island, great prices ($72 for an ap, a couscous with sausages and a chicken tajine with a bottle of water and rosi plus a 15% tip), beautiful restaurant, no view. (http://www.SXM-Restaurants.com/lowlands/casablanca/index.html)"
• St. Martin Restaurant Review by Uli Köhler [February 13, 2002]
  ""Le Ti Coin Creole" is a delightful restaurant in Grand Case serving local style home made food. The small and familiar place is located at the north-east end of the main boulevard only few steps in front of the Grand Case Beach Club. Carl, the friendly owner-chef, opened his place in 2001 and does a very good job . In former times he worked as a chef in several established restaurants, but now he has his own place and gets great support from his family. They are famous for their exquisite local dishes and also the menu was well recognized in contrast to the number of restaurants with "imported" kitchen (French, lobster etc.). The range covers all kinds of local food (e.g. fish, chicken, goat) as well as a selection of starters and highly recommended desserts. Praise also applies to the price level that is much more reasonable in comparison to the rest of the restaurants along the boulevard. Carl hosts his guests with personal attention and every time he takes himself time for a little chat so he really makes you feel at home. On special request or sometimes even as a present of the house Carl lifts one of his "secrets" such as very old house rum or sweets. The atmosphere is very relaxed and you shouldn't miss this experience."
• Another week's worth of restaurants by Erich S. Kranz (see more reviews by ESK below) [February 10, 2002]
  "On Super Sunday, we sat with the manager of Bamboo Bernie's and in the course of cheering the Pats to a fantastic victory, we learned that Bamboo Bernie's had replaced the hapless Baywatch Restaurant, and was having a "soft opening". Back in the US this means invited guests as the restaurant goes through a shakedown with new facilities, systems, and staff. Here it seems to mean that as they lacked the necessary operating permits, it was not "open", but sure was doing a hell of a business! I won't comment too much on the food, as they really weren't open, but the ribs were the meatiest that I have had in a while and the sushi was pretty good.
  Atlantis Casino has opened several new restaurants and on Monday we tried Montmartre. Like all places at this casino (and most casinos) the view is not spectacular, but the interior is well thought out and quite pleasing. They bill themselves as a Parisian Brasserie and the decor hearkens back to the time when Monmartre was overflowing with artists. Monet's famous "Luncheon of the Boating Party" is on the wall (OK, it's a copy as the original is actually in the Philips in DC). The awning at the top left of the painting is a soft gold/yellow and this is carried over all the walls of the dining room and several more pictures and/or frames continue the color scheme. One side of the room is a series of colonnaded mirrors, a period touch that also serves to make the room seem larger. The waiter, also manager, chief napkin folder, and many other titles (as he explained) is quite pleasant, very efficient, and fluent in English. When was the last time you heard the subjunctive tense ... with a French accent! We had the salad with smoked duck breast and pine nuts. Smoked duck breast is taking over the island this season. It certainly added quite a bit of flavor to this salad, as did the tiny tomatoes. The main course was a duck confit surrounded by wedges of small potatoes and covered with a mushroom sauce. Intense and beautiful. The other dinner came from the specialties: choucroute straight from Alsace. Corned beef and cabbage taken to a whole new level. There was ham, bacon, and three sausages atop a mound of sauerkraut simmered in white wine. All of this has been done before, nothing terribly innovative, just good, hearty, time-tested French combinations prepared well at very reasonable prices. The compromise on wine (the duck wanted a hearty red and the choucroute wanted a riesling or a gewurztraminer) was the Cotes du Rhone from Chateau Mt Redon and we were both happy. Add in two coffees, four free orange/rum after-dinner drinks and a 15% tip and the bill was less than $80. Hard to beat for an extremely filling and tasty dinner in beautiful surroundings with good service.
  Wednesday lunch was at L'Amandier Plage (http://www.AmandierPlage.com) on the eastern end of Grand Case Bay (http://www.GrandCase.com). It is quite the establishment, having a beach, pool, spa, bar, boutique, and a restaurant. As they are open for lunch it is a great place to spend the day: loaf on the beach, have a great lunch, and loaf some more. We had a Salad Riviera (Salad greens, olive, tuna, anchovy, sweet pepper, scallions, hard-boiled egg) - a Salad Nigoise on steroids - and a bit of tuna on a bed of mashed potatoes with a drizzle of olive oil and fresh tomatoes. It was a fine lunch with great views across the Bay. With three glasses of chablis and a bottle of Badoit, the bill came to about $50.
  Wednesday evening was another trip to Grand Case. This time it was to Sebastiano, a venerable Italian Restaurant on the other end of the Bay. Christine has been running Sebastiano for 20 years. Currently, the food is among the best on the island, the interior of the building is beautiful, and the view across the bay is unbeatable. Add in superb service that starts with valet parking and things can't get too much better. We started with the beef carpaccio with parmesan and olive oil - great: tender beef and tangy parmesan. Our dinners were two approaches to veal: one covered with thin slices of parma ham, fresh sage leaves, and fresh mozzarella and another with shrimps, tomato sauce, basil, oregano, and fresh mozzarella. Two very different and very tasty variations on veal scaloppini. The fresh spices and fresh mozzarella add to the flavors, and to the prices. This is one of the most expensive restaurants on the island (most main courses are between $25 and $30), and surely worth it. If you can afford it, this is one of the best in every category: food, view, service.
  Friday night was a trip to Auberge Gourmande in the center of Grand Case. (http://www.GrandCase.com/aubergegourmand). It is an old Criole house on the land side of the street, ie no great view, but it is a pretty place with great service, a large menu, an even larger wine list, and good prices. We started with one of their signature dishes (it is in the Grand Case cookbook) pan fried sea scallops in a crust of roasted sesame, soy sauce, and marinated ginger. Our dinners were a very tender veal chop and veal sweetbreads with shrimp. We were a party of five and started with the white Mercurey ($28) from the southern end of the Burgundy region for the appetizers and moved on to the red Mercurey for the main courses (also about $28). Finding wines under $30 is getting difficult, but Pascal, the owner, has an extensive list. This in no way implies that a $600 Petrus is not on the list, but there are several wines that I feel I can afford and even half bottles. The list is particularly strong in the second wines of various chateaux in Bordeaux. Desserts are another area that Pascal feels his restaurant does a superior job. If you like chocolate, the "Concert" of three chocolates, with a cup of coffee, and a glass of Armagnac is a wonderful way to end a meal. With a 15% tip (the menu says it is not included), our bill came to only $108 for two fine dinners. Christophe, Nancy, and Aurore all speak excellent English and do a splendid job.
  Saturday night was yet another trip to Grand Case, this time to one of our favorites: http://www.BistrotCaraibes.com. Two of the nicest gentlemen on the island run this restaurant: Thibault and Amaury Meziere. Great food, especially strong on fish and lobster, fine service, good wine list."
• The Best is Back by Joe Barack [February 10, 2002]
  "Great News!! If you were a visitor to St Martin several years ago, you will remember the name Michel Royer. He was the chef at Astrolabe and then opened his own restaurant just down the road. He is a master of fine cuisine. Two years ago he closed his restaurant are went to a resort in St Tropez for the summer seasons. Michel Royer's is again going to be open but this time in Marigot. A much better location and a much needed addition to the restaurant scene. The archives of this site have great reviews of Michel Royer. Save one night for this incredible dining experience."
• Restaurant Reviews by Erich S. Kranz (Note that the websites mentioned are also hosted by the author, ESK) [February 5, 2002]
  "Monday (28 Jan - full moon) found us at Sol e Luna in Mont Vernon (www.SoleLunaRestaurant.com) for a wonderful dinner. It is a long drive from almost anywhere on the Dutch side, but it was voted the most romantic restaurant on the island. As it is facing east on the east side of the island, it is even more spectacular when a full moon is rising over the landscape. We started with a crab, cucumber, avocado, and wasabi salad and moved on to the shrimp and scallop dinner and the sashimi-grade tuna dinner. The shrimp dish contains a mere three shrimp, but they are 6-count and thus, it is a half pound of shrimp, plus scallops on a bed of risotto. The tuna rivals the best I have had in Japan and the preparation on a bed of braised endive in a soy-based glaze is sublime. Add a bottle of Drouhin's Chablis 1999.
  Il Nettuno in Grand Case (www.IlNettuno.com) has great views as the pier in Grand Case provides some nearby visual excitement and it is only about three miles across the Anguilla channel to Anguilla. The complete dinner menu is available and a special, lighter menu is available for lunch. We had some pinot grigio as we looked out over the bay and waited for a Caesar salad with chicken, and penne with sea scallops in a light tomato sauce.
  Dinner on that Wednesday was at Saint Severin in downtown Marigot (www.SXM-Restaurants.com/marigot/stseverin). This really is a local place, but not the native locals, the metropoles, ie the local French from the mother country. St Severin serves bistro fare, not Criole. It's good hearty food in major proportions at reasonable prices. The location is only good in that there is ample parking, no sea views, in fact, you peer out over a sea of cars in the two parking lots on the border of Marigot with Bellvue. Don't expect the finest china and most delicate crystal brought to you by tuxedoed waiters. Do expect tasty food. We started with a salad with a confit of duck gizzards, smoked dry duck breast, and green beans. It was a major mound of greens with a full flavored balsamic dressing that could stand up to the intense flavor in the duck breast. A 97 Mercurey started off seeming light, but as it breathed, it gained strength and finally seemed more than enough for the salad and even better with a stuffed veal chop (off the bone, and filled with vegetables) accompanied by more young carrots and green beans and a duck breast with foie gras accompanied by an interesting pancake with corn. The duck breast with a large portion of foie gras was only 25 euros, about $23. After dinner we had an Armagnac to die for, as we settled up a tab that came to a mere $81. On the way out, we asked the barman about the Armagnac and he smiled as he showed us the bottle: a special bottling for Dominique. That would be the owner of St Severin and a childhood friend of the vineyard owner. I don't know how to get any, but I intend to find out!
  Friday night found us in French Cul de Sac at the new Cotonnier. Inside it is much like the old Cotonnier, closed about two years ago. It is still a beautiful century-old Criole cottage done up in turquoise, yellow, and blue and it still serves French cuisine with an accent on Provence. Serge, who was the chef at Tropicana in the Marigot Marina, is now the owner and chef here. As a bonus for making a reservation, a welcome cocktail is brought to your table - a nice thank you for your minor effort, but restaurants do appreciate a bit of advance knowledge. The menu is contained on a large blackboard, about eight appetizers ($8 to $12) and eight main courses ($12 to $16). As we studied the menu, a lagniappe of tapanade arrived. Most of the menu was fish, but there was one beef dish. We started with a Thai shrimp and scallop salad in an intense lemon-lime dressing. We only had one and Serge split it into two portions that were more than enough for us. A bottle of Petit Chablis ($25) was fine with the starter and with a grouper in bouillabaisse sauce and a mahi-mahi in a creamy, basil sauce. I confess to skipping most of my rice in order to sample a dessert: baked apple with chocolate ice cream in chocolate sauce. My reasoning was related to the 20 year old calvados (apple brandy) being offered for a mere $5. Good intentions, but in order to make the apple go well with the chocolate, it was infused with orange, so much so that any relation to the calvados was lost. However, the dessert was fine and I'll be looking for that calvados. I just won't have them together again! www.SXM-Restaurants.com/culdesac/cotonnier"
• Our favorite in St.Maarten by Peggy Van Deloo [January 21, 2002]
  "We have been going to St. Maarten for more than 20 years have many friends there and meet many new ones each year - We all agree Le Bistro Nu' ,small and in an alley is by far our favorite and the menu is so-o extensive - our next favorite is L'Amandier, followed by Sol e Luna and Fish Pot. Of course there are many fun nights at Lee's Roadside. Can't wait to get back in March. Bob Appeti't."
• resturant reviews by RLBEXCAPE [January 11, 2002]
  "we just got back from st. maarten after spending two weeks there......had a wonder-ful time.......the power was off on the french side.....but we still had a great time.....
  some wonder resturants on the dutch side were the globe.....it was a 5 star as well as service....we had surf and turf.......it was a delight. the owners are great. lees was fun,sunset bar fun...la rosa 11 .....a new owner....
  very rude and the worst meal we have ever had in st. maarten in 7 years was at le charolais on the dutch side....steak was tough and all fat...we calledn the owner over.....she took the steak and never returned to the table.....was rude....we just paid the full bill and walked out. we would never return....we spoke to several couples on the beach and they all said the same thing..
  on the french side we did get to tropicana and several others on the marina....they are all wonderful....."
• St. Maarten/St. Martin Restaurants by Barbara Jean [January 10, 2002]
  "We returned from St. Maarten a week ago from our timeshare at Sapphire Beach Resort in the Cupecoy area. We were happy to see a new restaurant in that area, Citrus, but I was a little shocked at the prices. I looked at the menu and I think that the cheapest item of main courses was duck for about 23 dollars. I am not certain about the price, but in that area. There were only about 5 or 6 choices for a main course. The highest price was $ 36 for a beef/steak meal.
  We visited Claude Mini Club again, as we often do, but this was the first time we did not go to the lobster buffet on Wed. or Saturday. We chose to go there on New Year's Eve and had a really nice dinner of fish (snapper) for about $16 a person. I always love going to that treehouse style restaurant overlooking the sea in Marigot. It was a wonderful evening there. I will return again I know and will again visit during the $40 buffet which features cold Caribbean lobster, French onion soup, salad, fish, pork (the pig has an apple in its mouth!) and luscious desserts. The wine (unlimited) and a bottle of water, along with gratuities, are included in that $40 per person. We like that because we know the cost before we go. It has been the same for about 10 years or more, but, of course, that can change."
• The Citrus recomended by YOYO1402 [January 8, 2002]
  "Have just returned from Xmas in St.Martin and our favourite restaurant was at Cupecoy Beach----The Citrus. Expensive but very elegant dining--good menu--need to book in advance. This place has not been going long but is really classy!"
• French Side restaurants, SXM by Jay Holtzman [January 8, 2002]
  "We have been staying Grand Case for several years and just got back from a week over Christmas. After having tried most of the restraurants in Grand Case, we would have to say that Le Mambo is overall at the top. Creative cuisine, perfectly prepared and adapted to meet any special dietary needs or wishes you have. Nice, fun atmosphere-nothing stuffy here. Very attentive service. Maryline, the hostess, waitress, owner can make great suugestions to meet your mood for the evening-just tell her what you're in the mood for and will also suggest excellent reasonable wines ( and other drinks as well-aperitifs, her home made flavored rums, etc.) Eric, owner/chef is a genius in the kitchen-smoking his own duck and marlin currently. He getsbored when dishes become to commonplace-such as his to-die-for duck in mango sauce, so he revised it and now serves a to-die-for duck in coffee infusion with walnuts. The prices are quite good also.
  A new little creole place in Grand Case is Le Ti Coin Creole-which is just at the entry of the road to the Grand Case Beach Club. Carl, the owner/chef makes fantastic creole food. His goat soup is stupendous as are the goat and ckicken colombos. His fish in 2 sauces is spectacular-be sure to get both the creole and garlic sauces. Very reasonable."
• Surf Club South recommended by Richard P [December 30, 2001]
  "Surf Club South at Baywatch still has good food, but no longer gives away free drinks. Caribbean Cards and Jersey licenses will not get you a free drink anymore. But, Andy and Cheryl are stlll fun."
• Contaessa recommends [December 24, 2001]
  "Just can't stay away from restaurants.......was in SXM Sept. 2001 and Grand Case was like 'Ghost-town'......but it gave me the opportunity to try Portofino, which was one of the few restaurants open! Had the most wonderful mussels, EVER! Also, the pizza was great.....service was wonderful, too! Of course, ate at Tutta Pasta and was charmed, again, by Leon & his dad Warren.......the food is delicious! I like the fact that they allow you to try 2 different types of pasta......very accommodating!
  Also ate at L'Petit Pizza in Cul d'Sac...Annabelle's family sold the restaurant but it was still terrific......give it a try for an inexpensive evening. Tried the Argentinian Grill.....very disappointed :(..........delicious dinner at the Boathouse.....excellent coconut shrimp......yum!!! Had a so-so dinner at Le Belle Epoque.....usually excellent, but I guess it was an off night. Try the buffet at Princess Casino ( Port d'Plaisance) not bad for the money! Had a few excellent dinners there in the past........not a fan of buffets but this one wasn't bad. And can't forget, Le Bar de le Mer......super! Will be back in 2 weeks......look for another report in Feb .
  Bon Appetit!"
• Great SXM Restaurants by Milty [December 23, 2001]
  "We recently spent 19 days in SXM. We would like to comment on some of our favorite restaurants.
  1- Bistrot Caraibes in Grand Case, has been newly renovated with comfortable tables and chairs. The decor is much lighter and the new A/C works great. The Food:
  Appetizers: The Escargot in garlic butter, the warm goat cheese on a salad bed, and the scallop appetizer were all excellent. The grilled filet of sea bass in a light cream leek sauce was made to perfection, The fish plate, ( similar to Bouillabaisse ) , and the royal shrimp with fettucchini are outstanding. Be sure to ask for a side dish of their Risotto with your meals, you wont be sorry. The portions are made for people with good appetites. Desserts: Our two favorites: The warm chocolate cake with hazelnut ice cream. and the warm apple tart were both to die for. The wine list is extensive, but not expensive. They have great wines at moderate prices. The staff will help to select a good wine for your meal. We ate there a few times. If you would like to see the menu and get a flavor of the restaurant, go to WWW.BISTROTCARAIBES.COM
  2-Tropicana at Marina Royale in Marigot. Gilles and his staff serve the usual great foods and wines. This restaurant is open for both lunch and dinner.If you go for lunch, they have a beautiful selection of salads. Our personal favorite for lunch is Chicken cordon bleu with the best French fries anywhere. ( you must try them.)
  The friendliness of the entire staff adds to the enjoyment of your visit. At dinner, we had rack of lamb, served as ordered, pink, with crispy outsides.
  The wine here is also very good and not expensive. Desserts: THe Chocolate Mousse or the Pastry tray created by their own in-house pastry chef, rounds out a great meal.
  3- Le Cottage in Grande Case, run by Bruno and stefan serves wonderful meals. The three course Lobster dinner and the Shrimp on a bed of sweet potato are our favorites. The wine list is sophisticated, and you can get " by the glass" if you wish.
  4- Le Cotonnier in French cul-de sac (at Anse Marcel ) is run by Serge and Audry. The food and wine prices are very reasonable, and the food is delicious. These people opened the restaurant last May, and definitelyhave their act together.
  Remember, these French restauranteurs serve good size portions, speak English and welcome you graciously. Don't be afraid to visit any of these places, it will make a great SXM trip, wonderful
  Hope all of you going to SXM have as great a time as we did. If you have any questions ,please write. Milty Bentonpond@aol.com"
• Restaurant review by Bryan Saltz [December 21, 2001]
  "My wife & I visited SXM 12/1-12/8 for the first time. By far our favorite restaurant was Le Cottage in Grand Case. We ate there Monday and returned for our grand finale on Friday. Every course both nights was superb & my best decision was to have Stephane recommend a glass of wine for each course. We also ate at L'Alabama, Rainbow, Le Pressoir, Bistrot Caraibes, and Sunset Cafe. The food ranged from excellent (L'Alabama) to good (Sunset Cafe). We found the ambiance to be perfect and the service was attentive and friendly every place we dined."
• Food Review by Baeba2 [November 27, 2001]
  "My friend and I visited St. Marten October 14-21 2001. I had done some research regarding restaurants as this is island is the place for great cuisine. We stayed on the Dutch side and although we id venture for day trips to the French side, we found the food near us to be terrific, so we ate dinner on the Dutch side every night. Most places were found via word of mouth from other people at our resort, backed up by my research.
  The first night of our visit we ate at Cheri's. We were exhausted from our trip to the island and just wanted a good meal with no wait for a table. What we got was exactly what we wanted! We both had steak and lobster with Caesar salads. The food was great and not expensive. So much so, we headed back to Cheri's the next night for dinner, drinking and their variety show. Again the food was excellent, drinks great, service friendly and the show was hilarious!
  Our third night brought us to Charolais (on the Dutch side not the one in Marigot). This was recommended by someone I met at the beach. So we tried it. Well, I am still talking about this meal! Unfortunately, we had snacks at our resort in the late afternoon, so although I was hungry for dinner, I didn't eat soup to nuts. I was also told that the portions were so large that if you ate an appetizer you couldn't eat your meal. Well, my meal was so large that I took half of it home. I ate filet with wild mushroom sauce and grilled foie gras. My friend ate filet in cognac, which came flaming to the table. This sauce was too strong for my friend to eat so they took the steak out of the sauce and burned down the alcohol again and it was perfect. Both meals came with three different vegetables, rice and a potato with a garlic sour cream. I wish I had more room for the Caesar salad and onion soup, which I heard was fabulous! The food was not only delicious, but cheap. We didn't drink alcohol but a few sodas and the entire meal cost us $65.00 with tip. I CRAVE THIS MEAL DAILY!
  The next night we ate at Lee's. I am not a fish eater so I had conch soup and salad with grilled chicken, which was plentiful and great. My friend had snapper that was served with several sides. Again both meals were very reasonably priced. The wait staff was not great, but I think this had to do with the fact that they were packed with some very large parties and didn't have enough wait staff.
  We picked up ribs and grilled shrimp at a local joint right before the bridge going towards Maho (after Lee's). Again this place was recommended to us by people at our resort. Three dinner meals cost us $21.00! Does it get any better!
  We ate at the Boathouse Friday night as we were told that there was a big party there on Friday nights. There wasn't, but we stayed for dinner anyway. This was the only place we had to wait for a table all week, but it was worth it. My friend and I split conch fritters with a savory relish to die for! I ate steak for dinner and my friend ate lobster. Again both meals were wonderful, plentiful, and inexpensive.
  Our last night on the island sent us to La Rosa. This was my second favorite meal of the trip. I ate Oso Bucco (veal shank) which is one of my favorite meals. I would have licked my plate clean but the portion was so large that I couldn't finish it. It was soo delicious, I tried to copy their recipe after I got home but haven't been able to get it right! My friend ordered the special which they ran out of so she chose shrimp scampi. Hers too was great and plentiful. This was the only restaurant that I didn't care for the staff at all. They were not friendly or helpful. When they informed my friend that they were out of the special (they didn't do this until after our salads arrived) they didn't bring her a menu to choose something else from. She had to request the menu. When asked for suggestions the waiter couldn't be bothered. Also the bathroom facilities were gross."
• Favorites by Ann Sullivan [November 5, 2001]
  "I was in Sint Maarten during the week of 4th of July. FABULOUS ! Lee's ROadside Bar and Grill, in Simpson Bay, directly across from the Royal Palm Resort is a wonderful place ! Grilled lobsters..........lots of friendly bartenders..............entertainment.........dancing.........very reasonable prices...........wide variety of yummy dishes..........FRESH FRESH FRESH. Charolais in Marigot on the French side was lovely, the cook obviously enjoying his craft........the wait staff were incredible........one of my most memorable dining experiences..........LOVED IT. So many roadside stops.......fresh mangos.......coconut.........a true dining paradise. Enjoy !!"
• St. Marten Vacation from - Aug30,2001 to Sept. 3/2001 by Elizabeth Perez/Miami, Fl. [September 4, 2001]
  "I was extremely excited when I found so much info/reviews on restaurants in St. Maarten- mostly when real vacationers are giving their input- so, here is mine:
  As you know during the months of August, Sept, Oct. and Nov - it is the off season in St. Maarten and not all places are open - of the places that I found
  I can say that looking for the Village Baker was a challenge- and after so many good reviews I had to taste for myself-
  It is located in the Simpson Bay area across a mini shopping mall/Yacht or boat club - there is a Casino sign - turn in there
  It is a little blue house that sits on a bluff owned by two guys from N.Y.-- cute concept, expensive and not what I expected! a definite dissapointment!
  - 2 small croissants, 1 little sort of a sandwich (french named but american style) with bechamel sauce, a soda and a apple juice for more than $9.00 I fould a little boulangerie far from Simpson Bay actually on the french side-its a two story building called Le Petite Marche - truly fresh, inexpensive, and worth the trip Locations is hard to explain but if you go to Le Flamboyant Hotel and Resort on the french side - leaving the hotel its less than two miles to the right - just a little further you will find a little market where you can buy nice imported ham, salami and cheese and make your own fresh sandwich for pennies - Try It!
  I looked for Zee Best and never found it - As far as dinner is concerned Le Piccolo was closed. I found Chesterfield what a great place!!! go see Brenda
  - listen to this:
  1 french onion soup which was excellent and cheesy, 1 lobster bisque that was great, 1 order of fresh calamari and two huge fresh mahi mahi with french fries and vegetables along with three drinks was $65.00 (15%) tip included - not only was the food excellent, fresh and hot the service was great, the view is beautiful and it has good parking as well. - Its at the end of front street on the Dutsch side past the Marina - if you are walking - walk towards the end and pass Greenhouse Restaurant (touristy) go over the bridge and walk past the Marina- Its worth the walk and it was truly very very good- I think they are affiliated to Boathouse which I found to be impersonal, food was cold eventhough the place wasn't full and expensive- Magon was very nice. The Messanote/Globe next door however, seemed to be hopping - should have gone there instead.
  Till next time happy munchin"
• Contessa's recommendations! [August 9, 2001]
  "I highly recommend: Bistro Caraibes, Sol e Luna just love those places! At Marina Royale: Le Belle Epoque,Tropicana,Le Croissantrie..... Le P'tit Pizzeria in Cul de Sac( closed on Saturdays )....a real find! lots of French locals...tell Annabelle that I sent regards! On the Dutch side: Tutta Pasta, Simpson Bay Yacht Club area, hands down! Also, Saratoga! L'Escargot on Front St., Mamma Mia in Maho....LaRosa II behind Cheri's......like the food at Pizza Pasta but can't stand the wait plus, it's not comfortable seating. And of course, my all time favorite: Casa Contessa! I love to cook even on vacation!
  It's difficult to have a bad meal in SXM.........an expensive one, sure, but hardly ever, poor food!"
• We love La Mamba in Grand Case! by Andrey Stewart [August 1, 2001]
  "We visit St. Martin regularly and our standard favorites are Sol y Luna, L'Alabama and Bistro Caribes - all of which I highly recommend. This trip (July 21 through 29, 2001) we tried California which we found to be mediocre, L'Escapade which was good, but there are so many which are better and La Mamba. We found La Mamba to be a real find. The cuisine was truly delicious, the restaurant offered a very comfortable atmosphere and wonderful the service was prompt and personable. I had a tuna and marlin capriccio appetizer that was just too good and also a very generous portion. Our entrees included the goat stew, the squid stew in red wine and the shark and shrimp saffron stew. We three were all licking our chops. We had the best Medoc red wine of the trip ($20+) and a refreshing pineapple dessert with vanilla sauce and coconut. Our bill was also refreshing as it was lower than most in Grand Case. I highly recommend La Mamba and will certainly return!"
• Chez Martine Restaurant, French St. Martin recommended by Joyce & Allen Slatky, Windwardside, Saba, N.A. [July 31, 2001]
  "We live on Saba & frequently visit the French side of our neighbors, St.Martin/St. Maarten.
  Chez Martine has proved to be our favorite place to eat! It was excellent food, whether the special of the evening, or from the menu, never a bad table since they all overlook the beautiful, calm sea, & the service is superb. Caroline is an excellent hostess & is anxious to accomodate your every desire to make your evening one to remember. And the desserts! The half-baked chocolate cake with passion fruit sorbet is to die for. As for entrees, the lobster/salmon ravioli in lobster sauce is my favorite & my husband enjoys the duck.
  Andre & staff are the most hospitable restauranteurs we have run across and do not hesitate to recommend their place to all our friends.
  I hope you will make note of our comments and record our vote for Top Restaurant as going to Chez Martine, Grand Case, ST. Martin, FWI."
• food favorites by Ivi T. from New Jersey [July 27, 2001]
  "My husband, two friends and I stayed in St Maarten from 7/1-11 2001. as usual a great time. Our favorite was Le'Cottage in Grand Case. Everything was awesome the owners were so friendly and funny. The vegetable fritters were sooo goood as well as the mahi-mahi, red snapper, lobster ravioli, gulf shrimp all truly fantastic. The chocolate dessert was unbelievable. I still obssess about it now. Also great picks were Pizza Pasta near the Maho. The owner is also friendly and funny. It is a small little place hidden behind the casino royal. We had really good food. The veal parm is great loved the ravioli and the lagana. We went to Il Nettuno in Grand Case. We all gave it thumbs up - nice atmosphere on the water, good service and food. You must get the apple pie dessert it's huge and tastes great. For breakfast, we loved Zee best in Marigot the crossaints are zee best. Another good breakfast place was Le crossaint the best banana and chocolate crepe ever."
• recommendations of Dave and Deb [July 9, 2001]
  "June 18-July 8, 2001. We just returned from a fabulous three week vacation. Village Baker is still the best on the island for fresh french breads, croissants, quiches, and pastries. Everything is made fresh daily........no left overs here!!!!!! If you're going to the beach, ask for their sandwiches to pack. You won't regret it! Salads are fantastic and the atmosphere is out of this world........french music, small village bakery, and Bill and Philipe to start every day out with a laugh or a smile. Always send our best from Dave and Deb (and look for our picture in Village Baker on Simpson Bay). They officially opened up the second Bakery at the Atlantis World Casino on July 8. You'll recieve the same fabulous food and atmosphere here!
  La Gondola.....On Sandy Ground. David is the most gracious host. All the pasta is fresh and homemade. You can't believe the difference in taste from American pasta. It is inexpensive and you leave "stuffed." Be sure you make reservations for the high season! Tell David that Dave and Deb say "Hi.""
• St. Martin/St. Maarten food by Jeffrey Hester [July 8, 2001]
  "I just returned from St. Martin with my family and our favorite restaurant wast the Boathouse in the Simpson Bay area. The Jumbo Shrimp Scampi was excellent. A close runner up was Rancho Argentinian Steakhouse. The filet was incredible."
• st. maartin food by DRUnvert [June 27, 2001]
  "For the best ribs ever, EVER! Lees Roadside Grill was fantastic. Their potato salad too was great. Located at the bridge in Simpson Bay."
• Our recommendations by Peter Shaw [June 23, 2001]
  "Had another wonderful two weeks in SXM in late May. Our favorites on this visit were:
  Paris Bistro in Maho, across from the casino and the new hotel. Sebastian and Bernard are the co-owners and they have wonderful food. We happened to go on cassoulet night and it was outstanding. They have this from time to time and on that night the menu is limited. We also went another evening and ordered off the menu. Closed Mondays.
  La Gondola in Sandy Ground has the best Italian food on the Island and it is quite inexpensive. Owner David is charming as is Solonge the hostess/waitress. We have been there a number of times and have always had wonderful food. We called ahead one evening for a party of nine about 9:30 and they were able to accommodate us. Do not be turned off by the surrounding area. The pasta is fresh and delicious. David also owns the pizzeria next door which is reportedly wonderful also.
  Layla's in Baie Nettle on the way to Sandy Ground is unfortunately open for lunch only. The setting is beautiful. For chicken liver lovers, their Salade Perogodine is out of this world. We were introduced to his place by friends who live on the Island and we have never been disappointed. Closed Mondays.
  Le Saint Germain on the Marina Royale in Marigot remains a favorite. Host Patrick and bartender Heloise and the rest of the staff make this a fun evening. The food is wonderful and fairly priced. They have the best escargots I have ever eaten. This restaurant is crowded in the evenings when others were empty. Great for breakfast and lunch also. Closed Mondays.
  Mario's Bistro is always a must. Everything we have ever tired has been excellent and Martine is charming. Reservations are a must. Closed Sundays.
  Le Bar de la Mer on the harbor in Marigot is always a good choice for a casual dinner or lunch and people watching. We especially enjoy their calzones and tartares.
  Village Baker on the road to the Pelican has wonderful pastries and you can take a sandwich for the beach. They open early. Owners William and Philippe are opening a second location in the Atlantis Casino complex in July.
  We did not have time in May to dine at another favorite, Bistrot Caribes in Grand Case. Friends told us that Valerie is pregnant. We will surely return in November."
• SXM Resturants from 4/23/01 to 5-07-01 by Nancy and Barry from Connecticut [May 15, 2001]
  "Dinners: Little France (Grand Case) - absolutely excellent - ate there 3 times. Great entrees and the Vanilla ice cream with carmelized almonds was memorable! Service was great too! Le Pressoir - excellent - Soups were great - Lobster Bisque (NB) and cream of Pea Soup with Shrimps (BB) were terrific. Service and atmosphere was top notch. La California - we love their pizza. Le Piccolo Cafe - always a stop for us - as good as always - slapshot dessert was as good as usual. La Louisiane in Anse Marcel (across from LeMeridien) - (ate there 3 times - lazy because we were tired - and that hill!) - really good pizza and the Pork was good too. La Calypso - (across from LeMeridien) - good specials. Le Cotonnier (Cul de Sac) - has just reopened under new mgt. - we loved the how this place looked inside (classic Caribbean). Food was excellent (especially the lobster bisque with a puff pastery 'hat') - and there was plenty of parking!
  Lunch: LaPlaya - good cheeseburger, Mr. Busbys (Dawn Beach) - OK cheeseburger (Caribs were .75 from 11am to 4pm), Pedros - good ribs), Pinel - real good ribs in the place by the pier.
  Breakfast - was included in the room rate but we had to make a couple of trips to Michael's Cafe (Grand Case). They make a terrific AMERICAN Breakfast at a reasonable price, then add the view (right on the water) and the breeze - you can't get it better than this!! This is always a memorable stop for us."
• L'Astrolabe recommended by Lancelot Frick [May 1, 2001]
  "We went on vacation in Saint Martin and my friends recommended me the restaurant L'Astrolabe in the Esmeralda Resort. (Orient Beach) We had an excellent meal and the team is excellent!!! The price was very adapted to what we ordered."
• St Maarten Favorites by Jackie T. from Long Island [April 30, 2001]
  "We have just returned from about our 30th trip to St Maarten...we've been going since 1969...Spent almost three weeks at La Chatelaine. Dinner at Lee's is almost the best buy on the island and the fish is always wonderful and the price is very reasonable....fish can't be much fresher. Boat House is another good spot for dinner...the red snapper doesn't get much better than these two spots. Had a wonderful dinner at Le Bec Fin at their new location up next to Pelican...The view is fantastic up there....you can see for miles. Spartaco over in Cole Bay is another good spot. You really don't have to leave Simpson Bay any more...there's a variety of restaurants right in Simpson Bay...whether you want Italian German, Seafood, Steak or fastfood...they're all right there...We're looking forward to going back in December."
• Dining Recommendations by Lin and John [April 28, 2001]
  "Like so many, our 13th year back to St. Martin indicates it to certainly be at least an annual event. So much to say...so little space to really tell of the countless out- of -the -way places at which to enjoy a leisurely and casual lunch, or equally relaxing and oustandingly prepared dining experience. We like to try 2-3 "new" places each year. First LUNCH, if you are inclined to limit your time on the beaches to 2-3 hours at a time, try the Sunset Beach Bar or Turtle Pier by the airport, Laylas or MaTi near Sandy Ground, Busby's Beach Bar or Captain Oliver's at Oyster Pond. Even in Grand Case, the rib shacks and Michael's can give way to Grand Case Beach Club or Le California for a quieter lunch, all overlooking the calm water of Grand Case Beach. We can very easily spend an hour or two people- watching, enjoying the breeze, and most of all the creative salads, seafood, pasta or just cheeseburgers. Throughout Marigot Harbor and Front Street-Phillipsburg...many tucked away pub-like bistros and restaurants where you can sip something and watch the water for hours. Happy Hour can be found at many locales ,too numerous to even begin. Now DINNER, which as many of you already know, leaves you with too many choices. Some of our favorites are: Mario's Bistro in Marigot just past Sandy Ground ( quality and value are superb. We went 3 times because we love the people, menu and the atmosphere on the water); Le Piccolo in Cul de Sac is a strong recommendation (excellent price for a very creative menu and attentive service); The Rainbow and others in Grand Case have never disappointed us. In the morning, we agree that the Village Baker in Simpson Bay near Pelican is a must - go early. He opens at 6:30; "Local" places like Chili's Cafe (down the road from Mario's) are great for an early cocktail, dinner or after-dinner drink. The Cliffside Bar (opposite the Atlantis Casino below the Cupecoy Beach Club and a little tough to find) is a great place to sit, have a sandwich or a drink overlooking the Ocean and Saba in the distance, and delay the dinner decision - Frank and Nina are great people. There is something new and different for everyone each year. We'll be back!"
• Favorites of FMCWILLI [April 22, 2001]
  "On a recent visit two exceptional meals.
  Saratoga- excellent presentation and superb atmosphere, complemented by fine service. The desert of a fruit and chocolate fondue added a wonderful final touch.
  Le Bec Fin-On the Billy Folly road overlooking Simpson Bay near Pelican Resort, this was a first visit for us. My wife had shrimp stuffed chicken and I had Monk Fish. Both were excellent . The deserts were fabulous.
  Neither of the above were cheap but I felt they were both good values ."
• Excellent New Find! - Paris Bistro by Laura Boyd, St.Maarten [April 20, 2001]
  "Wednesday evening we decided to try the newish Paris Bistro in Maho, across from Casino Royale. One immediately notices the perfect setting for this restaurant...and a second later, you are warmly welcomed by the most charming owner, maitre'd, and his staff....Bernard, Sebastian and others. If you know the St. Martin dining experience quite well....you will already be friends with Sebastian - so finding him in this delightful new restaurant is an added bonus.
  Menu selections and the specials of the day leave you with too many wonderful choices. But we decided on the snapper special in a safran sauce and royal shrimps in vanilla sauce, which were both served and presented to perfection- and so delicious that we are still describing these dishes to friends. With wine, creme brulee for dessert.....followed by the banana/vanilla digestif, we were in food/ambience heaven. How nice to find this exceptional French cuisine, complete with gorgeous French men attending...in the perfect setting - and serving the digestif treat...all on the Dutch side!
  Then such a nice surprise occurred when Sebastian snapped a photo of us....but it wasn't on either of our cameras, as we had forgotten to bring one- so what was this? :-) At the end of this lovely meal experience....the large color glossy souvenier photo of us at the Paris Bistro is brought to our table, compliments of Bernard, Sebastian and the team. What a wonderful memento for my friend who had just arrived on the island that day. We will be back very soon.
  And how conveniently located...as one can hop across the street to the casino for action or the show; pop up to Soprano's (piano bar); browse the shops; meander over to Cheri's Cafe; or even check out the very hot new Q Club nightclub above the casino."
• Favorites by Richard P. [April 14, 2001]
  "Just returned last night from our week at La Planatation. It was heavenly. Had great meals at La Planatation Hotel, Auberge Gourmand, La Cottage, Le Pressoir , Bistro Caribe and Jean Dupont. Our only dissappoinment was at Tropicana. A new chef. Food has no taste. Also had great pizza at Orient Beach at Coco. If you're from NJ, try Baywatch at the South end of Orient Beach near Club O. Andy gives free drinks to anyyone with a Jersey license. His food is really good too!"
• Kid-friendly Restaurants by The Rickman's [April 14, 2001]
  "We just returned from beautiful St. Maarten last week and enjoyed many wonderful meals while we were there. We traveled with our 3 young children, 7, 8, and 11. We found many wonderful restaurants suitable for both them and ourselves.
  We all enjoyed our lunch at the Boathouse, we all agreed that their conch chowder was the best we have ever had. It was there that we voted to have our final dinner on the island. My Husband had snapper and I had a delicious fettuccine loaded with wonderful garlic shrimp. The staff was extremely attentive and very good and funny with the kids. We also enjoyed Portofino's on Grand Case, the pizza was delicious and again great with the kids.
  We ate dinner at Tattoo's which we all enjoyed, but I must say that if you do have dinner there, take your bug spray for the Mosquitos which were awful!!! Also indulge yourself and order the Creme Brulee, which is the best that I have ever had!!!
  We also went to Boo Boo Jams on Orient Beach. The kids loved ( I too) the shrimps kabobs, they came with french fries and rice and this wonderful very, very garlicky butter sauce for dipping, heaven! The kids really liked going here, but do be careful since this is clothing optional and we did experience a bit of it.
  We enjoyed a burgers at Ric's and to our delight the very friendly owners had the TV on for the final four basketball finals!
  We never really had any awful meals our whole week which was a added surprise. We enjoyed many wonderful bottles of French wine we purchased at the SuperMarche for CHEAP!
  There were so many restaurants in Grand Case that we would have loved to have tried, but with the children thought we should wait and try them when we return alone for an adult vacation!"
• RESTAURANTES EN ST. MARTEEN by enviado desde "Buca-bar" en Toledo [April 12, 2001]
  "ESTUVIMOS EN ST. MARTEEN EN MAYO DE 1999, EN LUNA DE MIEL. TUVIMOS LA OPORTUNIDAD DE DISFRUTAR DEL ENCANTO DE ESTA ISLA Y, COMO NO, DE SUS ORIGINALES RESTAURANTES. DE TODOS ELLOS, NUESTRO FAVORITO FUE EL "SOL E LUNA", TANTO POR SUS PLATOS DE EXQUISITA PRESENTACION Y DEGUSTACION, COMO POR SU EMPLAZAMIENTO Y SU TRATO CORDIAL. RECORDAMOS ESPECIALMENTE A "ARTURO". PREGUNTEN POR EL SI VISITAN ESTE SITIO. OTROS RESTAURANTES QUE TUVIMOS OPORTUNIDAD DE CONOCER: LE TAITU, LE BAR DE LA MER, LE COTTAGE Y UN CHIRINGUITO EN GRAND CASE, DONDE TOMAMOS LA TIPICA LANGOSTA. TAMBIEN RECORDAMOS CON CARIQO UN RESTAURANTE EN PHILISBURGH, DEL CUAL NO RECORDAMOS EL NOMBRE, PERO SI SU EXQUISITA DECORACION (CHAISE LONGUE INCLUIDA EN EL RECIBIDOR). COMO SITIO EN LA PLAYA PARA PASAR UN BUEN DIA: EL KONTIKI Y LOS DOS RESTAURANTE DE LA ISLA PINEL."
• Outstanding Restaurants by P. Underwood [April 7, 2001]
  "We've just returned from our third trip to St. Maarten and it was just as fantastic as in prior years. We truly enjoyed all of our meals but a couple stood out ahead of the rest and deserve mentioning. The Le Cottage in Grand Case was absolutely superb. The owners welcomed us at the door and made feel right at home. Their staff was very attentive and enjoyable. The meal truly tantalized our tastebuds, right from the appetizer to the dessert! The Bistrot Caraibes was another restaurant in Grand Case that was truly outstanding. Again, we were welcomed by the owners in the traditional French way. We were a party of four and we each enjoyed four different meals and appetizers that were tasted by all. The smoked salmon appetizer and the frog legs were both exceptional (a must ). The tuna, seabass, and shrimp were all a fantastic display of taste and beauty! We also were able to go to Sol e Luna which has a very beautiful and romantic setting. Again, meals were enjoyed by all."
• St Martin 3/1-3/16 Restaurant Recommendations from Mary Beth and Don [April 4, 2001]
  "Our goal this year to visit restaurants we had not eaten at in previous visits to SXM. We were not disappointed in our new choices and several have landed on our favorite list. Only restaurant we revisited from previous years was L'Alabama where we had our usual excellent meal under the guidance of Karin and Pascal. The sea salt-crusted salmon and beef tenderloin lived up to its recommendation. Appetizers, dessert and 2 glasses of wine came to $105. Why we haven't gone to Le Pressoir before this visit is beyond me. 4 of us enjoyed the service and the atmosphere immensely and the meal and its presentation was outstanding. We had appetizers (lobster bisque, split peas soup with shrimp, and onion soup) main entrees were snapper, veal, tenderloin, salmon and all were excellent, desserts were crhme Brule, profiteroles and some kind of chocolate concoction and all of us were very happy. Meal for 4 was $210 without the wine. Sebastiano's, also in Grand Case is another restaurant we wouldn't hesitate to return to - I had the Lobster Risotto and Don the Black Ravioli's stuffed with lobster. Preparation was excellent and the ambiance of Sebastiano's made it all the more special. Christine - the owner - visited with us for some time and is very delightful. Appetizer's meal, dessert and wine for 2 was about $110 and worth every penny. La Rosa II in Maho was another place we looked at every year and this year we decided to try it out. We shared a conch appetizer prepared Italian style (very different) that we both enjoyed, the Linguini with Clams and Fettuccine Alfredo were very good - I was told people call to see if any fresh clams have arrived. Dessert (profiteroles) and coffee rounded out the meal that came to $99. Banana's on the Airport Road by the new movie theater is a fun place - stuffed mahi mahi with the garlic-mashed potatoes and a burger with fat fries was our first meal on SXM and I would go back in a heartbeat. Mark's Place we have looked at every time we went around the round-a-bout by the Food Center but avoided because of its location. A real mistake! The food was excellent - I had snapper in a Belle Meuniere sauce that I would count among the best I have ever had, and Don had the Prime Rib special which they have every Wed. They had live entertainment, were quite busy and service was excellent. At the Boathouse, services wasn't as speedy, but it was a fun place and the meal was very good - Broiled Snapper in a Creole Sauce for me and Coconut Shrimp for Don. Clam chowder appetizer for each of us, and wine and the total was $60. Tutta Pasta in the Simpson Bay Yacht Club was just great. It is small so I would recommend reservations and is on the second floor towards the back of the complex - easy to find. We both had a Bow Tie Pasta Pasta with Salmon in a light creamy tomato sauce - #30 on the menu. I just loved this place, not expensive, attentive, friendly, unpretentious service. Ric's Place just opened at the Simpson Bay Bridge with the same menu as on Front St. Much larger and obviously nicer with inside and outside (on the lagoon) seating. We had the Nacho Grande and a Burger with fries for a light meal sand were very content. For lunch try the pizza at La Belle Epoque on the Marigot Marina - the best on the island in my opinion. Baywatch on Orient Beach next to Pedros (not the new one in the Maho area) had terrific Philly Cheesteaks, Chicken Fingers, and marinated Flank Steak sandwich. We ate there several times and Andy and Cheryl are as fun as ever. We wouldn't hesitate to recommend you visit any of these restaurants on your next visit to SXM!"
• St. Martin restaurants by bart48 [April 4, 2001]
  "We recently returned from St. Martin and as usual had wonderful dining experiences. Our favorites included Le Tropicana in Marigot, Le Piccolo in the cul de sac, Saratoga in Simpson Bay. We went to a buffet at the Cabana at the Royal Palm which was an excellent value, having salads, fish, chicken, lobster bisque, beef, lamb, veggies and three desserts. The food was plentiful and good. We also went to Grand Case and had lunch at The Talk of the Town and were well fed with good food. Ms.B's at Dawn Beach advertises the best beach burgers and they are. She has a way of seasoning that makes them special. We look foreward to our March vacation each year and regret that there are so many restaurants and so little time."
• La Trattoria Italiano recommended by Ken and Janice Webber, Ohio [March 26, 2001]
  "One of our favorite places to eat Italian is behind cheri's. The name of the place is LaTrattoria Italiano!!!! The chicken parmesan is the best ever. The atmosphere is not quiet but is a lot of fun to meet people The owner is a very nice person and makes you feel right at home."
• Restaurant recommendations from Connecticut by Jodi Stiffelman [March 23, 2001]
  "We have been annual visitors to St. Maarten for the past ten years and our "don't miss" restaurant list includes: Mario's Bistro by the bridge to Marigot-great food at what really is a reasonable price; Sol e Luna-located in Cul de Sac with incredible Mediterranean food; Chanteclair located waterside in Marigot's marina - great food, great people watching from an outside table; Rainbow in Grand Case-better than it has ever been; Saratoga in Simpson Bay-delicious food and the boats docked at the marina are each more spectacular than the next; Bistro Nu located down a short alley way in Marigot-the food more than makes up for the lack of an outside view; Messaluna in Marigot-great Italian food in the midst of the Marigot evening fun; and don't miss breakfast at Zee Best, a sidewalk cafe in Marigot-wonderful breakfast crepes, delicious omelets, and croissants and breakfast pastries worth breaking your diet for! We suggest reservations at all of these dinner locations (weeks ahead if you're planning to be there during school vacation weeks). Bon Appetit!"
• Ristorante Laguna recommended by Terry Mann [March 22, 2001]
  "This is on Airport Road right across from the runway, but you don't hear jet noise. The cuisine is pan-Italian and beautifully prepared from the freshest ingredients and the ambience is quiet and restrained for the Caribbean. The Boat House on Simpson Bay is great for lunch and the Saratoga at the Simpson Bay Yacht Club has the best desserts on the island."
• Restaurants by Rena Haigh [March 16, 2001]
  "We just returned from an outstanding vacation on St. Maarten. We had a lovely meal at II Nettuno in Grand Case. The food and service were excellent, the view of Anguilla relaxing and the entertainment ( a strolling musician ) fun. It's easy to see why Frommer's calls this restaurant " the most elaborate, best managed, and most appealing Italian restaurant on either side of the island, coping gracefully with a cosmopolitan, international crowd."
  In Simpson Bay,our favorite restaurant, Saratoga, was terrific. The food and service never dissapoint! We go back year after year and are always met with warm impeckable service. The menu changes often but always inventive. delicious, and lots to choose from.
  Also tried Lee's Roadside Grill for lunch. It's next to the draw bridge in Simpson Bay-very casual, simple food but absolutely fresh! Wonderful catch of the day!"
• A wonderful two weeks by Tabascoo [March 15, 2001]
  "Just returned from two weeks in beautiful St. Martin. We did lots of eating and want to share our experiences with you all. Very favorites include Antoines in Philipsburg (ate there twice). The rack of lamb is just outstanding and so is the filet with peppercorn sauce. Mario's was great - had the duck. Loved Don Camilos (Veal ala Bob is delicious). Also had a wonderful dinner at Tropicana. Was not happy at all eating at the Sea Galley at Bobby's Marina. Had a great BBQ at the Divi. It's a real bargain and they have the best ribs! Also enjoyed Dario's at the Port DePliance. Now that I am home I am not very happy drinking SlimFast!!!"
• St Martin Favorites by David Bowers [March 2, 2001]
  "We just returned from a week in St Martin and found your site very helpful with restaurant reviews, although you can't hardly go wrong in French St Martin, especially in Grand Case. I would steer clear of Marigot and Phillipsburg for dining. Our favorites were 1) Rainbow 2) Panoramic 3) Restaurant Du Soleil 4) Le Piccolo Cafe 5) California 6) Il Nettuno (we would have enjoyed more without the loud Italian singer) 7) Le'scapade. I'm certain if we had another week to try more restaurants, we would have another half dozen good experiences."
• Little France, Grand Case recommended by Darlene Davis [February 26, 2001]
  "On a recent trip to St. Martin, we discovered a new, wonderful retaurant called "Little France." It is on the main street in Grand Case, and it is excellent. The atmosphere is lovely, and the food is outstanding. We highly recommend it."
• Favorites of jagmom2000 [February 25, 2001]
  "Mario's is the best....didn't have reservations the last time we were in St. Martin and had to wait for another year. Wait was well worth it!!! Atmosphere is wonderful, the mussels are the best I have ever had....and I eat a lot of mussels! I begged for the recipe so that i can attempt them myself. The lamb was delicious and beef was perfect. Wish I had tried the duck, but will so the next time. Martine is delightful and her husband is a world class chef. It was a perfect night for us!
  Sol e Luna: Just happened to drive by and decided to see if they could seat us......what a wonderful surprise! Atmosphere is romantic and charming....the waitress (owner's daughter) was delightful...the Cioppino was the best ever! Cannot wait to return. I rarely have dessert, but the house specialty was magnificent. Great presentation of absolutely delicious food in a beautiful setting. Don't miss it!"
• Favorites of MKinter [February 21, 2001]
  "Just returned Feb. 20th from five days in St. Martin. Thank you to all for your recommendations. We have had a wonderful meal at Le Foufounes in Marigot. We ordered off the special board and had a marvelous sea bass lasagna and lobster au gratin. A marvelous dinner was had at Le Cottage in Grand Case. Also had dinner at L'Almandier in Grand Case. Lovely restaurant with tables facing the ocean. Thier fish dishes were superb. Finally, in Margiot, Le Chanteclair. Wonderful restaurant right on the Marina. Only problem was they ran out of many of their specials early in the evening -- 7:30 p.m. We split the chef's recommended dessert of small brioche filled with butter pecan ice cream surrounded by sauteed pears and apples and covered in caramel sauce. The best dessert we had. We cannot wait to go back. Thank you again to all who provided excellent reviews on this site. They truly helped."
• Favorites of VGerfo [February 19, 2001]
  "Just returned on 2/17 - had wonderful dinners at Rainbow, L'Alabama, Bananas, Saratoga (a new discovery after 12 years! - the fried bass was excellent!). Bananas is casual, the fried shrimp terrific...the island was clean, the Dutch need to do more to promote the island, the French is way ahead of them but St. Martin continues to be our favorite in the Caribbean.
  Forgot to mention Bar de la Gare and the special grilled lamb chops and huge grilled ocean shrimp, they could use more help but the grilled entrees are excellent. Also at Bobby's Marina, everyone is right, the fish dishes are so good."
• Suggestions by Sabine Mauclère [February 18, 2001]
  "Recommandations de Sabine Mauclère
  De retour d'un voyage à st martin (une fois de plus)je constate que l'il est toujours aussi belle et mes restaurants favoris restent identiques voir mieux au fur et à mesure de mes voyages!!! Toujours l'inégalable restaurant MALANGA à GRAND CASE, restaurant créole au 103, boulevard de GRAND CASE. Vous ne pouvez pas le manquer par ses peintures extérieures orange et ses lumières. Le restaurant est soigneusement décoré de fagon exotique et la nourriture y est excellente. J'ai toujours pu y apprécier plusieurs plats notamment l'assiette créole en entrée est fabuleuse avec accras de morue (morue achetée quotidiennement chez les meilleurs fournisseurs de l'ile), boudin créole (ou lambis)et autres combinaisons qui vous feront découvrir les entrées. Le crabe farci est également un délice!!!!
  Le cocktail le planteur avant même toute dégustation, fait par Chago lui-même vous mettra dans l'ambience. En guise de plat principal c'est l'embarras du choix mais Chago saura vous indiquer les suggestions du jour curry de poulet, boeuf au safran, crevettes en sauce, colombo de cabri, lambis, vivanneau grillé, etc. bref un vaste choix de plats accompagnés de riz et légumes du pays. Pour le dessert je vous conseille le merveilleux flan coco banane fait maison ou la banane flambée tout simplement et pour finir en gaieté un petit rhum maison que Chago saura vous recommander! Tout ceci dans une ambience locale et musicale typique de l'ile où vous serez accueilli de façon chaleureuse et où vous y apprécierez sans aucun doute la salsa, bachata ou merengue!!! ouvert tous les soirs en diner uniquement dès 18h30. De temps en temps le spécial avec un groupe live (mais celà sera précisé). Si vous avez l'occasion et la chance de passer vos vacances à st martin dinez au restaurant malanga de ma part (sabine/Monte-Carlo)allez y tôt vers 19h30 si vous souhaitez une table!
  Sinon j'ai eu l'occasion de déjeuner plusieurs fois au snack de Captain's oliver où je suis retournée et où le regretté David, originaire du sud ouest france ne travaille plus désormais!!! Nous regretterons son humour et son service exemplaire. David savait nous préparer les meilleures moules frites, carbonara et salades exotiques de l'ile!!!! !!!!! mais espérons de tout coeur qu'il revienne sur l'nle au plus vite...

  SUGGESTIONS OF Sabine
  Just returned from one of my trip to St Martin I can see that the island is always beautiful and people welcoming...I will always highly recommend the RESTAURANT MALANGA situated 103 boulevard de Grand Case in Grand Case the gourmet capital. You cannot miss it with the orange paintings and lights outside. The decoration inside is really nice in an exotic style and you will find here a typical restaurant for the creole food. I tried again as a starter the plate creole with a combination of all typical starters of the island, or the crab. Do not start your meal without drinking a planteur cocktail homemade by CHAGO. Then let me tell you the big choice of meals as chicken curry, beef with safran, prawns in sauce, colombo of cabri etc. cooked with rice and local vegetables. As a desert, the merveillous banana & coco flan is delicious! AND FINISH WITH A LOCAL RHUM WITH FRUITS listening the best salsa, merengue and bachata....
  If you go in grand case try this restaurant a must! on my behalf sabine /monte-carlo restaurant open daily for dinner starting at 6:30/7:00pmpm. Go early if you want a table! Local ambience a nice salsa music with live band sometimes (once a week).
  I also came back to the snack of captain's oliver resort where we were use dto see the charming david from south west of france who is no longer working here... we will regret his pasta carbonara, the seafood and exotic salads he was preparing with his full sense of humour... hope he will come back soon to the island!"

• Our Visit by Erich S. Kranz (note that the websites mentioned are maintained by the author, ESK) [February 15, 2001]
  "We just had many fine meals in Grand Case (www.GrandCase.com). The first was at Bistrot Caraibes (www.BistrotCaraibes.com). They smoke their own salmon and it is the tastiest and tenderest that I have ever had. They almost always have a fresh fish entree and if it is the French sea bass with asparagus, don't pass it up.
  One day we stopped in at Il Nettuno (www.ilnettuno.com) for lunch. It's one of the few places open for lunch and as it is on the water right in the center of Grand Case Bay, the views are great. We had simple fresh fish entrees with a crisp Pinot Grigio.
  A dinner at Rainbow (www.rainbow-cafe.com) should not be missed. David and Fleur have done a bit more work on the interior and kitted out the upstairs for large parties, or for those silly enough not to have reservations in high season. The food is as good as it has been over the last 21 years and the view across the water to Anguilla is much the same.
  Next door is La Marine (www.RestaurantLaMarine.com) with the same views from a similarly beautiful room. Gilles, the chef, frequently adds Asian spices to French and island dishes. The lotte (monkfish) with saffron was wonderful and the sweetbreads were the plumpest I have seen in a long time.
  It is nice to find some more casual (and cheaper) restaurants in Grand Case. Check out Portofino (on www.GrandCase.com) for great pizza and very good Italian and French dishes with a live band. Chez Martine (also on www.GrandCase.com) serves good French and island food on the water.
  Added February 19, 2001:
  Further comments on "my review". We just had a great meal at Bistrot Caraibes. Thibault and Amaury may be clients, but they are serving up some of the best food in Grand Case and they do it well.
  We went with another couple and both brothers who run the front of the house came to me before they took our order and apologized that the house-smoked salmon was not available as I always ordered it. They said it was just coming out of the smoker and was too hot to serve. I switched to something else and we all had great dinners (appetizers of millefeuile with foie gras, mango, and pistachio and cepes in puff pastry, dinners of foie gras on top of a duck confit and wild mushroom risotto, mahi-mahi in a basil buerre-blanc, lamb rack and tenderloin, and a fettucine and shrimp dish). After dinner we needed a walk down the main street (for exercise) so we refused coffee and desserts. Thibault insisted we stop in on the way back to the car for drinks. So after a round of drinks at Portofino, we went back and had another round of drinks on the house. As we were leaving, we were given a plate of salmon covered in plastic wrap and asked to return the plate on our next visit to town! It made a wonderful lunch appetizer the next day with a bottle of Saint Romain.
  Can't do better than that."
• Great Food by Kathleen [February 13, 2001]
  "My husband and I just returned from our second trip to St Martin, and the food was just as wonderful as I remembered it from the first time. I thought that I would just share a few of our favorites with those that might be going there for the first time. In Grand Case the must go to is L' Alabama, the food is out of sight and the service was impeccable. I must mention the smoked duck salad and the fish in a brie sauce that I had there were fabulous, my mouth is just watering thinking about it.
  Other good restaurants would be Tastevin and L' Hibiscus food was great in both, however the service at L'Hibiscus was just bad, my husband and I were seated for a full 20 minutes, before I could get a drink order in, and believe me it was not from a lack of trying to get the waiters attention. Mind you there are only about 8 or 9 tables in this restaurant and there were two people waiting on these tables, it should not have been that bad.
  Also on this trip we decided to try the Au Coutin lolo in Grand Case after reading and article on it and I must say that I have never been so pleased with a slab of ribs, cooked to perfection. I believe we each had a slab of ribs, rice, plantains, a johnny cake, cole slaw and a carib each and the bill including a 20% tip came to a grand total of $24. It was soo good that we went back our last night.
  If you go to Orient Beach, which I think is a must, try Bikini Beach and CoCoa Beach bars, they are a lot of fun, and Bikini has live music during the afternoons, everyday except Friday and Saturday. (Don't be shocked by the price of lunch though lunch prices are high, it will run for 2 people approximately $30-$40 depending on how much you drink) Have a wonderful time, the food in St. Martin is just as much of an attraction as the sun sand and water!!!!!!!!!!!"
• Best St. Martin/St. Maarten restaurants by Bethann P. Schaffzin [February 13, 2001]
  "I have been going to St. Martin for over 12 years and highly recommend the following:
  1) La Diva - ask for Michele the owner, caesar salad is amazing as is the "first veal dish on the menu."
  2) La Cottage - Stephan and Bruno serve amazing French seafood, great lobster, and scallops in phylo is a great special.
  3) Seafood Galley - Phillipsburg/Bobby's Marina. Can get full lobster dinner with salad and potato for $21.00 american. [It is actually $27 now; still a good buy for a whole lobster - aj, 4/5/2001]
  4) Bar de la Gare - wait for a night when mussels (moules) are served. Huge heap of mussels in white wine sauce and it comes with great french fries as well. Cute waiters and great music. Also recommend their pizzas.
  5) Le Testavin - in Grand Case - great for lunch. Love the lobster and shrimp salad while enjoying the view of Anguilla.
  6) The Fish Pot - Grand Case - our "special night" out - bit pricey, but great food, service and romantic atmosphere."
• Favorites by Charlie in Denver [February 9, 2001]
  "My wife and I were in St. Maarten/St. Martin from Dec. 15,2000 until Jan 13, 2001. We had the opportunity to eat at many of the island restaurants. Tropicana, LaMain LaPate and St. Germains (Patricks Place) immediately come to mind when we think of good food. St. Germains was very impressive. The breakfasts were excellent. French Toast made from shredded crossiants and a fruit cup is hard to beat. Night times meals excellent and at great value. My compliments to the chef. They have over 40 crepes available at all times.
  Other places that come to mind are LePicolo's, Auberge in Grand Case, and Bistro Nu. Our rule of thumb is, if you eat on the French side, most of the time you will not go wrong. Over the years the Dutch hasn't measured up to the French so why bother.
  Orient Beach, try the Coco Beach....on waiter comes to mind, Christoph, a great waiter who will not only give you outstanding service but his sense of humor is marvelous...a character worth remembering. Friars Bay Beach French restaurant (on the north end of the beach) is another GREAT VALUE place.
  SXM is truely a culinary delight!!! "
• Food at St Maarten by Denys and Antoinette [February 7, 2001]
  "I appreciate your site, it is he who gave us envy for this stopover and we appreciated to notice the aptness of your judgments. All the bays are magnificent, Marigot and Philpsburg two charming cities, the met population is nice and the dives in crystalline waters are unforgettable.
  One thank you to you for your advices, they were useful for us and we think that it is although we do you part of our own experience. As such, we would like to indicate you a restaurant that we liked a lot, "Le Tatoo" in the bay Nettle. The reception is courteous and nice, the neatness (obsession of my wife) without defect, the excellent cooking for a very correct price. The team in place is always ready to indicate you the best places to be visited and to make you service. The Hotel Privilege which we chose on your site was also perfect."
• Just Returned from St. Martin by Trabue [February 6, 2001]
  "Great dinner at Rainbow in Grand Case.Highly recommend the veal spidini.
  Loved the bar at L'Almandier. Sam, the bartender was very generous and pleasant.
  If you go into Marigot, stay away from the Steack House. It's tempting with the big red sign of a cow outside, but they should hang a picture of a rat. In all fairness, the waitress was cute and friendly. Her dog had to be unleashed to keep the rat that kept scampering across the floor from sitting up and begging. Did I forget to say that you should stay away from the peppered filet mignon? Unless you like a half pound of cracked pepper on your steak and can afford five bottled water containers stay away from this option. It's too bad, we really liked the waitress.
  Orient Beach is where it all happens. Had some good food and some nice service."
• SXM favorites of Hettie Maidman [February 4, 2001]
  "After three delightful weeks on the island I feel that we had the best meals at our favorite restaurants; the ones we go to year after year. Mario's Bistro was excellent on both visits. They were not serving mussels on the first visit but we were more than pleased with our entrees of lamb and fish specials, fab desserts, etc. The second time we went, mussels were to die for !! Since the day for mussels is unpredictable, just make reservations well in advance and take your chances. Everything on the menu is top quality.
  We can also rave about Rainbow Cafe in Grand Case. We eaten there many, many times and can honestly say that this time was the best yet.
  La Rosa 2 is very high on our list especially for the veal chop. I had Veal Regine each of the four times we were there.Enzo makes everyone feel right at home the minute you arrive and the food is always excellent.
  We always enjoy Saratoga and this trip was no exception. Most of our party had steak but the fish dishes are excellent.
  Don Camillo's was enjoyable, as usual, as was Brasserie DeLa Gare where we had several "lighter" dinners.
  Lee's was new for us this year and turned out to be a fun spot for grilled ribs and chicken.
  Paris Bistro was a bit of a disappointment. I shared entrecote for 2 and it was very tough. When the waiter removed the uneaten food he did not ask why the food was still on the plate. Poor business. We would really like to give them another try since our home, Royal Islander, is right next door.
  Upstairs, above Paris Bistro, is Mamma Mia's. We loved the pizza, wood oven baked, thin crusted and just wonderful.
  I'm sure I forgot some details but will make up for any lapses after our June trip."
• Recommendations by Debbie O'Connell [February 1, 2001]
  "st. maarten 1-10-01 thru 1-26: this was about my tenth year... i own at pelican resort which i love and this year i had family members which had never been to the island and fell in love at first sight. i can honestly say we never had a bad meal on the island. one place seems nicer than the next.
  this year all the casinos were up and running and some of them are absolutley fab. the princess at port de plasiance has a wonderful casino and you get a $5 minimum on all tables.
  the casino royale at maho was opened this year and the excitement over there was overwheling... right next door to the casino royale is cheri's cafe. this restaurant is an open air with music and you can eat, dance and be merry. they get the crowd involved so if your into it you will not feel left out. the food here is good.. it is also a great place to have lunch and then stroll along the strip to go in and out of the shops.
  at the end of the strip is la rosa too the chicken picata was the best i had ever eaten and they also have a homemade tortelini which was fab.
  another highlight was le testavin in grand case. the food was wonderful., the ambiance lovely and the service attentive. you can hear the waves.
  another grand case favorite was rainbow. here you can get tables of two right along the waters edge. both restaurants gave you good value franc vs dollar.
  we always go to claudes mini club at lunch time. they have delicious lobster with avocado salad and the best lemon daiquirs i have ever tasted. i have never tried the night buffet but after reading the reviews it sounds like a must.
  a hidden restaurant up behind pelican is la vista. good food, reasonable prices and music on saturday evenings. they also do breakfast and you can use the pool which you eat by to take a dip.
  i could go on and on but i have listed a few of our favorites. i do have one more in simpson bay... saratoga... we have never had a bad meal here. the steaks are wonderful and big and the seafood is fresh and delicious and they have a good wine list. for small tables you can sit along the restaurant edge on the outside and see all the yachts etc.
  if you are staying on simpson bay you must go to the village baker. we went most mornings for french pastries which were out of this world and quiches that were great. the crust was mouthwatering. you must go early as they sell out quick
  i enjoyed the sunset bar but we did not go for sunset . we went for lunch and enjoyed watching the big jets fly in overhead. it was quite a sight to see these big jets up close. the food is grilled burgers nothing special but it is fun
  for a sight of restaurants, shops and water ten feet from your lounge you must go to the las vegas of beaches at orient bay. it is made up of different beaches which are named for the restaurant. it is quite crowded but you are never bored. there is alot going on. you can parasail and do all watersports. this is a clothing optional so do not go if you are funny about seeing naked people."
• Restaurant Reviews by Allan & Patti [January 31, 2001]
  "This is our 5th year on the island, the last 3 at Divi's Little Bay Beach up the hill from Phillipsburg. A few spots not to miss. LePicolo at French Cul de Sac, specials are $7-9 and awesome. I know when you drive by in the daylight its not much to look at. A small cottage where you eat on the porch and they cook inside. But if you appreciate excellent french cusine and are tired of the 100US many places, don't miss this one. Zee Best in Marigot has nice crossaints, its true, but would you rather sit by the street inhaling exhaust and other interesting fumes and have the sidewalk go right thru the dining area and pay about 20-23 US for 2 for breakfast orrrrr go up the street about 200 feet or so walk out the Le Croisanterie on your left and have a contiental breakfast, (Lg. OJ, Coffee, Tea, butter, jam and 4 crossaints for $12US overlooking the Marina? Your choice. The Seafood Galley in Bobby's Marina at Phillipsburg is everything they say it is, for Quaint surroundings and great seafood of course including lobster. We can't not go to L'Alabama in Grnd Case on each trip. Bananas is getting raves in Simpson Bay,it was packed and we had already eaten when we discovered it. For sure next year. Follow generally what you read on these pages and remember while occasionally a restaurant gets a negative comment, if its three good to one bad, consider the author, some people are never happy. Thanks for providing us with information when we were St. Martin rookies and we hope this helps, we will write in again!"
• Michael's, Grand Case recommended by Bob and Kathy, Bethesda, MD [January 29, 2001]
  "I would like to second the recent rave review of Michael's in Grand Case. We have spent many happy hours there (pun intended) during trips to St. Martin, including one during Hurricane Lenny. We consider Michael and Marilyn personal friends; the best sign of a great host in the restaurant/bar business! Happy Hour is great! There is a beautiful 8 X 10 of the St Martin sunset on my office credenza as I type this that was taken over Michael's railing. Hope to be back soon!"
• Harborview, Philipsburg recommended by Barbara & Jordan Elliott [January 29, 2001]
  "Best omelettes on the island. Harborview in Phillipsburg. Friendly service, great view,and terrific breakfasts. Eric is the owner. We have been going to the island for 25 years, & guarantee these are the best omelettes anywhere."
• Great Restaurant by Estallbe [January 25, 2001]
  "The La Ferme Des Papillons at Le Galion Beach Road phone 599-544-3562 great bbq lobster lamb chops can describe how good the food was and reasonably priced for st maarten"
• La Cigale, Nettle Bay recommended by Wayne Susan Miles [January 24, 2001]
  "La Cigale at the Laguna Beach apartment complex at Nettle Bay (across from the shopping complex) is one of the best kept secrets in St. Martin.
  The food is comparable to the marina restaurants and the prices are much lower. Olivier provides friendly, knowledgeable service in a relaxed casual atmosphere. //the restaurant is on the lagoon side and is covered but open on three sides. Casual and refined quiet clientele. You will not regret dining here."
• Michael's Cafe, Grand Case recommended by Allen and Ted, Charlotte, North Carolina [January 21, 2001]
  "On a recent trip to St. Martin, I was strolling through the eclectic streets of Grand Case, a beach town on the French side of the island. My friend and I spotted a sign that said "Michael's of Boston" and I was happy to be able to read a restaurant sign without regressing to my tenth grade French classes. We walked into the beachfront resaurant and were instantly greeted by a woman who personifies the motto of St.Martin ( The Friendly Island.) Marilyn's bubbly energy and warm sense of humor was so engaging we struck up a conversation and soon learned that she and her husband, Michael had moved to the island from the northeast after many years of hard work and planning. The gregarious redhead then informed us of all the best restaurants on the island, all within a few blocks of Michael's. She even knew the day and time when Maeva, an excellent, affordable French resaurant nearby was to receive its fresh catch of seafood. When I forgot her name, she returned and whispered, "Just think of Monroe."
  Happy hour was like living in a virtual novel. Characters from all parts of this paradise came out of hiding and joined in with us, sampling the Caribbean beers and excellent rum drinks that Martilyn kept sliding our way. In no time we felt as if we too were expatriots on the island, running to or from whatever got in our way. Among our aquaintances were three artists and a striking woman named Poison Ivy. The combined effect of the warm January beeze off the soft waves and the cold beer in my stomach had me seeing the world in a relaxed, unjudging way. Which was appropriate since we were amongst arguably the most fascinating and unpredictable people on the island.
  As the week progressed, we soon found out that Michael's was the place to be for a delicious, filling American breakfast and then later for the most entertaining happy hour one could join in on. The cozy restaurant has an unbeatable view of the ocean and a priceless, welcoming atmosphere that only Marilyn and Michael could provide.
  Is it the beach or a tropical island itself which has you suddenly open to the quality of light all around you? Luminosity is everywhere on this wonderful island, in the amazing strangers you'll encounter and the equally beckoning landscape. An inimitable part of this landscape is Michael's. Go to Grand Case and check it out. You'll be happily rewarded!"
• Three strong recommendations by Alan Cross [January 16, 2001]
  "(1) A quick lunch while shopping in Phillipsburg: Don't overlook The Big Cheese, an informal pizza-and-beer spot at the west end of Front Street. Occuppying the Barrymore's spot, The Big Cheese has solid (and inexpensive) pizza and sandwiches combined with an amazing view of Great Bay. Highly recommended for a quick break during your duty-free power-shopping.
  (2) An out-of-the-way dinner spot: Le Piccolo remains one of the gems of the French side. Located in French Cul de Sac (it's on your right side as you head towards the beach with the Pinel Island ferry; if you hit the Texaco station, you've gone too far), service is friendly and unpretentious. The kitchen sometimes errs on the side of being a little too creative, but more often than not, everyone walks away satisfied if not downright impressed. The prices are substantially lower than what you'll find in many Grand Case restaurants, too. Reservations are a must.
  (3) Still the best on the island: L'Alabama in Grand Case. We had an absolutely flawless meal--again. The ambience, the attitude, the service, the food--if you can find better on St. Martin, please tell us because we can't find it. Do yourself a favor: spend the extra dollars for the foie gras appetizer. You may never taste something this amazing ever again."
• Spartaco's, Almond Grove recommended by Rgnoel12 [January 15, 2001]
  "I read about many familiar restaurants and yet never see Spartaco's mentioned. We have been there at least 20 times over the years and are never disappointed. Located in a large old stone building, once part of a plantation, at Almond Grove across the road from Food Center on the way to Marigot. Beautiful table settings and a porch wrapped around three sides, the building is on the hillside with a lovely breeze. The food is excellent Italian served with great attention and Spartaco himself will take your order. Fresh arugala salad from the nearby garden served with long shaved strips of true parmesan cheese is my favorite appetizer, but there are large assortments for each course, all complimented with a fine wine list."
• Restaurant Reviews by Kathy & Bob Brehm - Union, NJ [January 14, 2001]
  "Just returned from our 6th visit to island. Here's a run down on our experiences:
  Brasserie de la gare on Marigot Pier. When Air France arrives on Thursday, it brings along the freshest of mussels. Last year we had one of the most memorable meals there. For just $12. we each received a plate of the most tender delicious mussels I've ever had. I stopped counting with the 84th mussel on my plate alone and brought home enough for lunch. This year, after talking up this meal with friends for an entire year and bringing them to SXM for the first time, we were sorely disappointed. The portion was much much smaller - maybe 30-40 mussels and out of the first 15-20, we encountered 10 empty shells and two closed!!! They did bring another portion but we were still disappointed at the portion and also the size.
  We had a forgettable meal at Pizza Pasta - very ordinary menu and just OK - but it was very reasonable.
  Chez Raymond on the Beach - contrary to a recent review I read, they did not serve delicious and generous portions. We ordered snadwiches - tuna salad and mahi mahi on french bread. The tuna salad sandwich had no more than 4 teaspoons of tuna and the mahi sandwiches were also scant. I'm accustomed to yesterday's french bread toasted for breakfast but not for the bread of a sandwich.
  Mark's Place was a pleasant surprise. Only negative is fact that it is located in a supermarket parking lot. It was very reasonable and very good. All items were freshly prepared. The baby back ribs rivaled the best I've had in the states and the snapper menurie was great. The oven baked chicken was also good.
  LeChanteclair - This place was overrated an underhanded. First of all, the menu posted outside listed prices in franks with little white stick-ums showing the dollar cost for each item. However, upon closer look we noticed that the exchange rate wasn't consistent. For example, there were three different items listing the cost in franks at 42FF, 45FF and 50FF yet the US $$ amount was shown as $7. for each. After sitting down and ordering, and only after being asked, did the waittress say that the exchange would be $6.50. (Most other restaurants on the pier were giving $7.). The food was also not consistent. The french onion soup was definitely entirely prepared ahead and merely reheated. The cheese was already drying out and moving from the sides of the serving dish. The bread was getting stale. A French restaurant should be able to get the onion soup and bread right!!! The snapper was served over eggplant and was overcooked. The sea bass was tasty but was served over mushroomm cannelloni - a very heavy/rich sauce - more appropriate for beef.
  Ranchito - their canned fruit cocktail sangria not withstanding, the salad was very good as was the grilled seafood special. The ribs here were not in the league with Mark's Place.
  Friar Beach Cafe - The salad nicoise was great as were the burgers. If you buy lunch the beach chairs are free (Most other beaches charge $5. per chair).
  Sunset Beach Bar was fun and we did get to enjoy a clear sunset. I still don't understand the attraction to seeing the planes land!!
  Cheri's Cafe - definitely a fun place to have a drink and dance."
• St. Martin restaurants by DregsD [January 11, 2001]
  "We spent Dec. 19 to 26 at La Plantation in St. Martin. and were very pleased with the accommodations. The included breakfast is a great way to start the day and enough food to get away with skipping lunch. Visitors should be aware that the golf cart service to the beach is no longer included, even though it remains in the brochure we received.
  We visited the following restaurants:
  Bikini Beach (Orient Beach) - Food was OK, though a tad overpriced. We were the only patrons at 7:15 and were told that closing time was at 8. Service is, according to our local information, included in the price here, but our waitress told us that it was not.
  Bistrot Caraibes (Grand Case) - Great food and service at a very reasonable price. An excellent value.
  Cpt. Oliver's (Oyster Pond) - Everything was great here, except for the food and service. This was easily the worst meal we had for the money on St. Martin - a steep price to pay for ambiance.
  Le Piccolo (Cul de Sac) - Best bang for the buck we found. Huge creative menu, bargain prices, great service, and friendly management. We at here twice in 6 days.
  Hevea (Grand Case) - We had a special Christmas Eve 3-course lobster dinner here that was excellent, but we can't judge the regular menu. We did not feel cheated, and the service, presentation and ambiance were all first-rate. This place has a great small European Hotel feel to it."
• Restaurant Recommendations by Barbara Jean [January 9, 2001]
  "Hi! We returned from St. Maarten/St.Martin last weekend and enjoyed a few new (to us) restaurants and some old favorites.
  Sadly, Bye Bar Brasil in Grand Case, as reviewed by me before, is gone!
  Le Bistrot Nu is located on a tiny alleyway just off the main road out of the town, just about across from the Texaco gas station. There is a parking lot by the gas station. The sign for the restaurant is just across the street. The place is very small, no view, and rather interesting. At 7 p.m. it was almost full. The food was excellent. I had sliced breast duck with mushrooms. Hubby is more adventurous and had the trunk fish! Our main course dinners came to about $37. You might want to look it over before you decide if you want to eat there. I will probably return to it.
  I just read someone's review about L'Hibiscus. We visited there, too, and enjoyed our dinners. The young couple there were very attentive. It's quite expensive so it's certainly not for the budget minded. I had snapper and my husband chose the sea bass. Both were fresh and delicious.
  Argentinian Grill was our choice for New Year's Eve. A prime rib dinner for 2 was $37.50 and delicious. I've had only good experiences at this restaurant. The house red wine was only abut $14...so the evening was not terribly expensive.
  We went to Lee's Roadside Grill for lunch. We always order fish there, especially when we learn that he had caught some that morning. This day, though, we tried his ribs. They were great. We've watched Lee's grow from a little lunch stand where he grilled his own fish, to a nice tiled pavilion, covered, now serving on china plates (no plastic any more!) and live music many evenings. I have reviewed his restaurant before.
  I haven't noticed restuarants at Port Royale mentioned here, but I probably have overlooked them. Thursday nights at the port are fun. They are strolling musicians, mimes, and the night we were there, Santa and Mrs. Claus! This was a couple days after Christmas. The restaurants open out onto the pier area and vendors set up their wares on the dock...jewelry, pareos, etc. It's a fun time, for me, anyway.
  We chose Jean Du Pont Restaurant. We enjoyed the food and the passing "show". We had excellent veal dinners.
  I tried to get a reservation at Mario's with no success! They were booked till Jan.9th!
  Claude Mini Club in Marigot is always a favorite of mine. Wednesdays & Saturdays are buffet night. The feauture is lobster(cold), French onion soup, salad ingredients, a whole pig (yes, with an apple in its mouth!), a whole snapper, and French pastries. The $40 per person price includes bottled water, wine (as many bottles as you care to order), unlimited trips to the buffet table, and gratuities. It's nice to know the price before you venture out, I think. And this price has remained the same for years. Make an advance reservation so you can sit on the outside balcony of this treehouse style restaurant. Oh, yes, and there is live music, a local musician who's been there every Wednesday and Saturday that I can remember!"
• Just a few reviews from Dec. 10 -17 2000 by Jim [January 7, 2001]
  "I usually don't lend my opinions or reviews especially if there not good because because of how hard people work to make a living trying to please others. We're average people of average means and we thought the following places were outstanding....Lee's Roadside grill {excellent barbecue served with rice, salad, and potato sald}.....The Boathouse {Surf and turf delicious and Seafood Fettucini to die for, not too heavy a sauce}.... El Rancho Argentine Grill {have seen some not so favorable reviews here and that's mind boggling to me {Prime Rib for two for lunch with excellent service from 2 very nice young ladies. It was mouthwatering and plentiful}....We only had one bad dining experience and we'll keep that to ourselves especially in light of the fact that it's supposed to be a 5-star experience.....one more review.....dinky little place in Simpson Bay called The Diner.....{ best spaghetti and meatballs I've had in quite some time and we had the nice waitress} Thanks for your ear."
• Earlier reviews:
  • Most recent
  • July 1 - December 31, 2000
  • January 1 - June 30, 2000
  • July 1 - December 31, 1999
  • January 1 - June 30, 1999
  • July 1 - December 31, 1998
  • January 1 - June 30, 1998
  • 1997

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