We rent a car for the freedom as well, but we also use John in Taxi2. PP's is good, the little French place across from the port(whose name escapes me at this time)in Marigot, Capt Oliver's, there is also a place in Grand Case that has a great platter of ribs,chicken,rice,collards, and corn on the cob for $7. Again, can't think of the name, but is on the street, and has open air dining. The old hotel on Front Street is good,too. Lee's is really good, and a lot of fun. Cheri's has great burgers. The poolside cafe at Divi is surprisingly good.

Dan and Pam,

If you ask any ten people what constitutes a great restaurant on St. Maarten/St. Martin, you're probably apt to get eight out of ten totally different responses based on their personal attitudes towards dining in the first place, but I'm definitely inclined to agree with you about Antoine's, but that's not much of a secret, is it?

There are those who consider 'dining out' to be the earmark of the best there is of SXM and they're apt to be the diners most inclined to be into the more gourmet dining around the island - LeSantal, LaVie en Rose, Rare, Mario's Bistro, Captain Oliver's these days (from what I'm told and hope to find our firsthand on my next trip...) and a few other places in Grand Case and Marigot and scattered across the island. And these are some of the places where one will probably spend the better part of an arm and/or a leg for dinner if they're into full meals with wines, etc. For those that enjoy this, St. Martin/St. Maarten is the best, for sure, of all the dining locales in the Caribbean, IMHO.

And then there are those who enjoy going out to dinner - and this is more or less the category we fall into - we're more apt to go for the places like Chesterfields, Antoines, Halsey's, Bajatzu, The Hideaway, Pineapple Pete's, Paris Bistro and so many other places where we can go and enjoy good food and good service in a pleasant setting, and not feel like we're breaking the bank or in need of taking a second mortgage to do so.

And lastly, there are those of us who enjoy eating out - we belong in this category about a third of the time, too - and we'd be just as happy eating at Mark's or Lee's or Passangrahan or Bavaria or any of a few dozen other spots around the Marigot marina or any of a number of other places across the island as well.

And I almost forgot - there's a whole lot of us who end up some days so spent from our day of doing 'What ever' that we fall into the 'gonna grab a quick bite' somewhere crew and even we have many choices - any of the lolos, lidos ribs for takeout (although last years takeout from there just wasn't up to what it used to be), a great number of pizza places and even Subway and Mickey D's. We enjoy eating in now and then so it's not at all unusual for us to grab something 'to go' and enjoy it in the privacy of our unit sitting on the balcony and overlooking another St. Maarten sunset.


The really incredibly great thing about St. Maarten/St. Martin is that all these choices exist and we have the option to choose what best suits on any given evening.

On our next trip a few of the places we're hoping to try, although they're not necessarily new places, include Moulin Fou, Captain Olivers, Loterie Farms Restaurant and lastly, yvettes and I can't believe over all these years and all these trips we've never gotten to that one.

Respectfully,

pat




Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/23/2009 07:52PM by pat.

HI Lizz and all,
actually you are right: Captain Oliver's Restaurant is "technically" on the Dutch Side... but the resort itself stand on the French side, from which you enter it and the hotel is on the French side too. So it really doesn't count as an "exception",
I don;t really think that "side" matters anyway on such a small island, it is a false criteria, since restaurant owners/chef from one side can open an establishment on the other side at anytime... Except for the currency/service charge issue, it is one island! Doesn't matter where and on wich side the restaurant is located, it will not interfere with its quality. You have good restaurant on the French side and on the Dutch side, and you have bad and terrible restaurant on the French side and the dutch side too!! Nobody can generalise anymore...

Kind Regards,
Philippe



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Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 02/23/2009 11:44PM by Tabba Khady.

Philippe,

I can agree with what you are saying. However, with exception of Halseys in Simpson Bay, we find the restaurants there to be much the same as back home. Now thats OK for some, but we like to experiance island and French food while on SXM. Thats why we prefer the Oyster Bay, Grand Case and Marigot restaurants. We would like to some time patronize the French restaurants in Phillipsburg, but will not put up with the traffic and parking problems there. Again, we look forward to our Captain Oliver's visit for the buffet later this March.

Regards,

Lizz

Lizz
you are missing out on some very good restaurants if you don't get to the ones in Philipsburg. Antoine's is superb. Both Antoine's and Le Escargot have valet parking.

also there are many restaurants on the Dutch side that are hardly what you would find "back home"
I agree with Philippe.. both sides have much to offer.

[barcann.livejournal.com]

Amazingly, in almost 20 years I never eat at l'Escargot..
But I do remember a VERY nice diner at Antoine's a few month ago, with Barbara and Maureen...
I like Pineaple Pete (for lunch..never been for diner since years...), and I never been but my boss told me that Bajatsu was excellent!

Kind Regards,
Philippe



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Barbara and Philippe,

Thank you! Thank you! You have expressed my sentiments exactly. I only wish we had a Hideaway or a Paris Bistro or an Antoines back home.

Well, at second thought, for all the obvious reasons, it's probably just as well we don't.

Respectfully,

pat




Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/24/2009 05:38PM by pat.

Lizz...I understand what you are saying...The French side is more sofisticated...and that suits you better...If you take a cab to Philipsburg...you don't have to worry about parking...C'mon slum it for a day!!!

Dutch Side
Recommended Fine dining: Paris Bistro, Moulin Fou, Temptation, Rare, La Gondola, Antoines, L'escargot, The Hideaway, Bajatzu, Montmartre, La Rosa Too, Le Charolais, RomAntica - in no particular order.

Recommended middle of the road: Captain Oliver's, Big Fish, Pineapple Petes, The Boathouse, El Rancho Argentine Steakhouse, Sopranos, Peg Leg Pub, The Stone, 3 Palms, Lal's, Bella Napoli, Bamboo Bernies (Sushi), Cheri's - in no particular order

Recommended low cost dining: Pizza Pasta, Fashion Cafe, Sugar Cane Cafe, Buccaneer Beach Bar, Rosie's at Mullet Beach, Sunset Bar & Grill, The Driftwood Beach Bar, Karackter's, Tortuga, various chain restaurants like Pizza Hut and Dominoes - in no particular order.

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Life is not a child's game of follow the Leader. Instead, life is more about finding one's own purpose in life....your life's plan, and then making a positive difference on earth.

I always found the French side more laid back.

Just curious, is Pineapple Pete's what used to be Pegleg Pete's?

No, it's a few doors further on from there (if you're coming from the West). It's hard to miss with the ground up green glass on the forecourt! The 3 Palms cocktail lounge & restaurant is now where Pegleg's was. It's been completely revamped & has a lovely terrace on the lagoon.

Anonymous User Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Just curious, is Pineapple Pete's what used to be
> Pegleg Pete's?

Not so sure it was ever Pegleg Petes. I alwyas knew it as Pegleg PUB. Leastways thats what my shirt from right after Neil and Shawn opened it reads.
Pegleg pub moved over to Port de Plesance and there was a place called The Palms or Three Palms or something sililar that opened up in the old PLP spot.

Pineapple Pete is where the Charolais was before it moved to Maho, and was never where pegleg pub was used to be.

Kind Regards,
Philippe



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Hey Philippe:

I had lunch at Captain Oliver's today.
However, I saw you with car keys in your hand walking out the door near the parrots, so I just missed you. Maybe next time.