Just returned from an II exchange week at the Oyster Bay Beach Resort (OBBR). Didn't see any construction in progress at this resort. Nice pool area and beach access. Here's where we ate: 1) Daniel's, just steps away from OBBR (really good); 2) Infinity at OBBR (don't bother); 3) Tabba Khady's (great service, eclectic and interesting flavors) at Oyster Pond; 4) Bistrot Caraibes at Grand Case (friendly service, great value with the 1/2 off coupon received at OBBR orientation); 5) Temptations at Atlantis Casino (terribly over-priced, fish not so fresh...don't bother); 6) Lee's Roadside Grill at Simpson Bay (horrible table service; great service at the bar; fabulous red snapper fillet if you like garlic); and 7) L'Hibiscus at Grand Case (incredibly inspired and tasty food cooked and served with warm graciousness by an Italian couple--this was our favorite meal). I was disappointed not to be able to sample Chanteclair's famous Inomable dessert...alas, this restaurant was closed for a month. Toward the end of our week, we were told a couple interesting tidbits by some locals. First, the drive to/from the Atlantis Casino at night can be dangerous as there have been carjackings; there are a lot of abandoned houses along that stretch of road and squatters have been known to accost cars. Gee, that would have been a nice experience a couple days prior on our anniversary. Weird real estate situation there because that area looks otherwise very desirable. Second, as tranquil and residential as Oyster Pond seemed, cars have been burglarized fairly regularly there. OBBR has on-site security, so there has not been the same kind of problem within the resort. Now, an observation about the jewelry shopping in Philipsburg: the final prices (i.e., as we were walking out the doors) quoted on items of interest were about 25% of the starting prices (i.e., when we 1st walked in the doors). Not so much bargaining spread at the airport shops.

Forgot to mention we rented a car from Lesley Bruce at Kenny's Car Rentals because of what we read in these posts. This experience was exactly as good as everyone said it would be. Also forgot to mention our emergency doctor visit at the hospital near OBBR cost $50 (no, we didn't need to get our stomachs pumped from eating too much rich food). Ah, if only we had those kinds of med care prices here. The flip side of this is no one answered the emergency # at the hospital when we called at 3am. Lesson learned here is it's good to find out where you would need to go quickly for unexpected medical care.

please tell me more about daniels. what do they serve for food and what are the prices like. where is it. thanx.

lagunagirl,

Years ago when our girls were young, we had to find emergency medical for our daughter and we learned the hard way that the quickest and best route to good medical care on the island was probably not going to the hospital and counting on ER treatment but in the middle of the night I'm sure that's what I would have done, too. I know I probably wouldn't want to wait for an ambulance if I was in dire straights, so I'm thinking you've given me something to work on for next years trip. Any thoughts or suggestions from those of you who live on the island? I'm sure Sonesta and some of the larger hotels would have an emergency medical contact and while I would like to hope they would also, I'm just not so certain about the smaller hotels and timeshare properties.

Also glad you tried Lesley Bruce - he really is a very nice guy who does his best to provide excellent service to his clients. We've used him for quite a while now and have always been more than pleased with him.

Respectfully,

pat
:-) :-)

Hi tom2,

Daniel's is located right on Dawn Beach. You turn at the road with the Oyster Bay Beach Resort (OBBR) sign, and Daniel's is on that same road just before you get to OBBR's security gate. The thing to know about Daniel's signage is this restaurant is called Mr. Busby's Beach Bar during the day. So, look for signs with that name. Daniel's menu had quite a bit of variety: pasta dishes, beef, lamb, veal, seafood, etc. I had the lobster and loved what Daniel did with the lemon butter dipping sauce (this isn't the right word...it was lighter than sauce). My husband can't remember what he ate, but he remembers he liked the whole meal and experience. Daniel's prices range from $20-$35 per entree. We had a really nice bottle of Beaujolais Villages red wine (not the thing to do with lobster, I know, but we are red wine lovers), which cost less than $30. Service was just right--attentive, but not overly so. We had a pleasant conversation with Daniel. Coincidentally, we dined next to Daniel's parents, and had fun learning a little about the family's Italian background and French living experiences.