We generally travel to the French side to eat ...either Marigot or Grand Case for dinner.

Six of us travelled to various places

We had our best dinner for the week at Le Soleil on the waterside in Grand Case. the portions were very decent and selections varied & everyone loved their meal ...pricing was very good. Service wonderful.

Also in Grand Case....

A very good dinner experience at the Blue Martini.... great fun service

Considering $ vs Euro, a good value.

Not so good at Alabama in G.C. ... more pricey, smaller portions (where's the lobster?? ...in one 11 Euro appetiser) they did have a beautiful presentation but.... This place was recommended by Le Soleil??? How do you figure!

In Marigot ... we had very good dinners at Tropicana in harbor area and at Mario's Bistro ...these places have always been first rate over the last 10 -15 years.

At Orient Beach ...earlier dinner at Boo Boo Jam (grilled whole red snapper) with the Sunday late afternoon "Latino" dance music is not to be missed.

Had a fairly pricey lunch at the Bikini Beach Bar ...great mussels though.

On the Dutch side ..... Pineapple Petes was just OK ... Le Charlelois (sp?) in Maho was a big disappointment ...they could not serve lamb chops medium rare after sending the entree back two times!!

Lunch on the beach... best value ( & delish) $3 to $5 chicken plates at Mullet Bay Beach. Lunch at Gus's on Baie Rouge was very good as well.

Albeit a geat island for food, there's just no comparison between the French & Dutch sides ... the French know how to cook!

T&D

Thanks for the nice report. just one question; I thought Alabama was closed?

Also you should post your reviews here: [gobeach.com]

Augie;

I am an agnostic dyslexic who questions if there really is a dog.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/01/2008 02:18PM by Augie.

We've also eaten at Le Charlelois (sp) and were very disappointed with the food. The waitress did nothing but complain about the owner 'stealing' the tips and the food was horrible tasting. Will never go again!

I understand L'Alabama has reopened under new ownership. The original owners have left the island.

I'm not gonna get into the argument of French v Dutch but there are some incredible good places on the Dutch side to eat and Pineapple Pete just wouldn't be on my top five or ten. I have never understood the hype for this place or PegLegs Pub. As bar food goes there both ok but a far cry from the fine dining this islands all about. Almost all the places at Atlantic Casino are out of the world. Expensive maybe but incredable food. Paris Bistro, Moulan Foo and Bajatsu in Maho are all good choices. The Argentine steak restraunt inside Pelican is excellent. The restraunt at LaVista is excellent. There are very good places on the dutchside if you know where to look. But at the same time no argument from me on Tropicana or Marios on the French side or Gutside to name just a couple and diffrent price ranges. The only disadvantage there is is the Euro to dollar ratio and for some of us it is starting to hurt.

I don't understand how the French side charges by the euro and the Dutch side the dollarand they don't equate. wouldn't they both buy from the same distributors? I can't imagine there cost or overhead being that different. Maybe I need a course in economics. I like Rosie's at Mullet beach.

if you are buying European products on either side, you will have to deal with the Euro.
For instance a medium wheel of Dutch cheese used to cost $22.00..now it costs closer to $40... that's retail on the Dutch side.
so anything imported from Europe will cost more no matter what side you are on.


however, many people from the french side are now shopping on the Dutch side and are buying American or South American products and the Euro is not then an issue.

But if you shop or dine on the french side and pay in dollars, you will lose money unless you happen to get a good rate.
The French side by law must charge you in Euros.

I will also add to what Barbara1 said; On French side rents power labor , insurance, taxes are all paid in Euro.

Augie;

I am an agnostic dyslexic who questions if there really is a dog.

We love GC..... Spiga is one of our favorites along with Le Cottage. We love the food at Le Carribean Bistro but no euro for $.... Very expensive. We were dissapointed on the Dutch side. Sub par food and HORRIBLE service! B

Where? We only eat on the Dutch side, and have both great service and great food.