St. Bart's restaurant recommendations

[kellysan]

This is our first time to St Bart's and we're looking forward to dining there. So far I've selected the following restaurants for dinner: Wall House, Eddy's, HIdeaway, K'fe Massai and Le Repaire. I know it's expensive in St. Bart's and we're not looking to break the bank there but we do enjoy food being from NYC. In any case, we would appreciate any suggestions for places to have dinner or lunch in St Bart's. Any recommendations for creole food as well? Thanks! kellysan

[katetate]

Wall House, K'fe Massai, Piri Palace, and Maya to go (for take-out) are all excellent. Avoid Pa Cri as it is incredibly mediocre and horribly over-priced.

[ddavis]

Just got back from down there. Changes since this thread started include the closing of Cocoloba and New Born. Word is the chef/owner of Pa Cri has already left the island and the restaurant will close at the end of this season. Also gone are La Gamelle, La Saladerie, Jao, Francois Plantation, Kazz 'n Blues, Au Port, O'Corner and La Gloriette.

[Angelina]

I LOVED Pa Cri. The homemade pasta just melted in my mouth. Plus, the owner was gorgeous!! haa haa..

ddavis, say it is not true about La Saladerie!!! I loved that place for lunch.

[ddavis]

Sorry, but it is true. New places this season include Central Park, where La Gamelle used to be, and L'Isola, in the space where O'Corner was the past couple of years and where Barbecue was before that.

[Angelina]

I wish someone would take over Le Wok. I just can't stand driving past that place to Saline.....sorry..I am a snob.......ha ha ha!!

[ddavis]

I know where it is but have never been to Le Wok. My wife isn't big on any kind of oriental, so that's not one we have been to.

[Angelina]

I have never eaten there either. It just does nothing for me that food, and especially when you have so many great places to pick, I would never wind up going there. Right now I wish I could run out to Maya's to go and pickup some food! :)

[Treva]

Love L'Isola! Was in St. Barth last week. My starter was a beatific Burrata, Island tomato, basil and olive oil. Next a porcini risotto, then a refreshing supple pana cotta for dessert - drizzled with fine dark chocolate. Top Notch. Good service. Surrounded by beautiful couples, we were yachties in semi-boat clothes. L'Isola was so good I wondered how I had missed media coverage. Oh yeah - it's new. I was looking for ethnic dining on St. Barth and was warned away from La Vietnam, a thai place and an African (really French place). In St. Barth L'Isola - Cucina Italiana - IS ethnic dining.

-----
L'Isola
Barthsgade, Aarhus, Midtjylland 8200, DK

[Alica]

Is Le Cave still there? That was a great wine store. There also used to be some pretty good sushi places there.

[Beso]

Yes, Alicia, La Cave is still there, although every time I go by it's closed! Baz Bar on the harbor in Gustavia is a great place for sushi, and so is La Mandala.

I love Le Vietnam. We usually eat there for lunch (one of the few restaurnats that is actually enclosed and air conditioned, nice in the heat of the day). They have terrific pad thai. highly recommended. I crave a little heat after all of the French food.

I believe the "african" place reffered to in the thread is K fe Massai, and it is not African, but the decore is. Well, sort of. It is a fabulous restaurant. The prix fixe menus are outstanding, as are the board specials. They make a killer mojito there, too.

[Treva]

I am glad to hear that you love Le Vietnam. I really wanted to go there, but my companions were swayed by a local know-it-all. Do they have good pho? We enjoyed Baz Bar so much we were there three nights in a row for the live music, libation and sushi. Very tolerant bartenders.

[ddavis]

I have read about a couple of new places in St. Barth -- both in Gustavia. Entre Doux is in the old La Gamelle space, right behind Totem. Tapas-type stuff. Harbour Saladerie in the old Jao (I think) location. Same folks as had Saladerie before it closed last year. Have not been yet, but reports are good.

[cpenn]

I am headed to St. Barth's next week for the 2nd time. Fell in love with the island last year! Considering Eddy's, La Mandala and "B4" (formerly Le Sapotillier) for dinner. Also, did PaCri actually close as discussed earlier?

[mb luvs SBH]

La Mandala is closed....now called Bonito and its getting good reviews. Nice decor but expensive. Pretty sure PaCri is gone but I'sola is very popular if you want Italian. I also recommend the new Harbour Saladerie (yes, in the Jao location.)

[mb luvs SBH]

Correction: PaCri is still open

[Beso]

I have not had the pho, but did have a simple broth/noodle soup. Had some seroius...hmmm...upset...and hubby did a soup run for medicinal purposes! Love Baz, fun! I think all of the bartenders on St. Barth's are very tolerant!

[Bkeats]

Have not been back to St Barths in 3 years and we're heading back in a couple of weeks. Is it true that Au Port is gone? I was looking forward to dinner there. Loved the place and the staff.

[Bkeats]

Just wanted to report that Au Port looks like a wreck. La Gloriette in Grand Cul de Sac has opened for lunch and its a wonderful spot to sit and enjoy the breeze and a planteurs.

[gooseterp]

I have family down there and the food can definitely be hit or miss. ddavis hit the nail on the head with his/her suggestions. Eddy's is a favorite and Eddy has been living there for a long while. The name escapes me but down the street from Flammande there is a hotel that does a great dinner with great wine. And for a great lunch spot I love Cocolobo.

[ddavis]

". . . down the street from Flammande . . . " ??? Do you mean Flammands beach? If so, you must be referring to Hotel Isle de France. The restaurant there is La Case de l`Isle. And just as an item of interest, the owner of Hotel Isle de France is Fr. Charlie Nicoll, the priest at the Anglican Church!

[kellysan]

We will definitely try Eddy's and Cocolobo for lunch! Thanks for the suggestions!

[Angelina]

For a funky, chic lunch...go to the Tom Beach Hotel...La Plague.

It is SOOOOO much fun!! They have a DJ, a fashion show...all on the beach!!

[ciclista]

Ok, I know this is a 2 year old thread, but please tell me the restaurant is called "La Plage" (the beach") and not "La Plague" (the plague)?? I look forward to returning to St Barts, but I do miss Lafayette Beach Club and La Gloriette!

[ddavis]

The restaurant at the Tom Beach Hotel is La Plage.

How long has it been since you were on the island? Lots of changes have occurred during the past few years.

[Angelina]

go to www.stbartstalk.com and introduce yourself there. We all LOVE this island. No matter where you eat here, it will be truely wonderful. Even JoJo Burger is good!

Mayas to go is great as well......right across from the airport.

I am jealous now!!! ha ha ..have fun!

[kellysan]

Thanks Angelina for the website!

[ddavis]

St. Barth is our absolute favorite place in the world. We go twice a year. Last went in February and have our villa and airline reservations made for June. I could talk about St. Barth's restaurants for hours, but you don't want that. I'll just give you a few suggestions. If you want much, much more or want to ask anything else about it, drop me an email at [e-mail] and I'll be more than happy to talk and talk about it!

I like all your current selections except for K'fe Massai, and we haven't been there so I just don't know. On a St. Barth board I spend some time on, it gets mixed reviews. Of course, most all of them get some bad reviews just because people are different and like different things.

For lunch I would suggest:

Do Brazil -- beautiful setting on Shell Beach -- expensive
Cocolobo -- feet in the sand kind of place on Grand Cul de Sac -- inexpensive
Le Tamarin -- near Saline Beach in a beautiful oriental garden setting -- expen-
sive
Le Piment -- in St. Jean village near Hideaway -- inexpensive, great paninis
Sandbar -- on St. Jean beach at Eden Rock Hotel -- very expensive but worth
it -- many say the best dinner on St. Barth is lunch at Sandbar
Chez Rolande-Wishing Well -- true creole food near Flamands Beach -- inex-
pensive

Suggestions for dinner:
Pipiri Palace -- downtown Gustavia -- excellent seafood dishes, including
grilled lobster -- good creole dishes -- expensive
New Born -- a many-generation St. Barth's family's place -- fresh caught
fish and lobster -- in Anse de Cayes -- moderate
Le Sapotillier -- in Gustavia right across the street from Eddy's -- real French
done absolutely beautifully -- very expensive
Esprit de Saline -- near Saline Beach -- excellent seafood, especially raw
dishes like tartares and carpaccios -- expensive

These are just some of them. Inexpensive, moderate, expensive and very expensive are all relative to St. Barth's prices, which are high. Let me know if you want to know more.

[kellysan]

Thank-you for taking the time to recommend restaurants for lunch/dinner in St. Bart's. You've given us some good choices that we'll include with the other restaurants we've already selected.
Kelly

[Margawil]

Enjoyed reading your restaurant suggestions. My husband and I will be visiting St. Barths for a week this coming May. Any updates on your rest. choices? Thanks.

Margarita

[Bkeats]

Is this your first trip to SBH? If it is, welcome to one of the most fabulous places around. Plenty of great food on the island starting at the aeroport. Some of the places ddavis mentioned are gone. If you want the latest on what's happening on SBH, go to sbhonline.com. Check the forums. You will get much better advice there.