Jan 9th - Jan 16th

We are going to Sereno on our first night. Surprising about L'Espirit? Where was the checkpoint as we have never seen one either except on the curvy hill in the daytime into the Port but we believe that is for seat belts more than anything else? Great report!
 
I'm not surprised about L'Esprit. We like it and food is very well conceived and executed, but service amateurish in our limited experience. It's really hard on Saint-Barth to have truly professional wait staff. For a number of reasons...
 
I'm not surprised about L'Esprit. We like it and food is very well conceived and executed, but service amateurish in our limited experience. It's really hard on Saint-Barth to have truly professional wait staff. For a number of reasons...

That's very interesting.

Was it over crowded that night? I heard some reports about bad service at night but the place was packed at the time (Dec 2013).

We've only been there for lunch and have always had great service, but the place was probably only 1/3 full.
 
No, Bart, not crowded dining room, just amateurish service. Like presenting your wine to be approved, opened, and poured after
the first course was on the table. And that only with additional prompting. No apology either. Not island time, just poorly trained amateurs.
This guy was no where in site:
image.jpg
 
No, Bart, not crowded dining room, just amateurish service. Like presenting your wine to be approved, opened, and poured after
the first course was on the table. And that only with additional prompting. No apology either. Not island time, just poorly trained amateurs.
This guy was no where in site:
View attachment 29398

That sums it up. I would say about 30-40% of the tables were occupied. When we criticize service we actually set the bar relatively low. We're in NYC and visit a lot of the higher end restaurants, but we don't bring those standards on the trip. We had to request the wine list, flag someone else down to give the order, and the same for the order and then the check itself.
 
We are going to Sereno on our first night. Surprising about L'Espirit? Where was the checkpoint as we have never seen one either except on the curvy hill in the daytime into the Port but we believe that is for seat belts more than anything else? Great report!

The checkpoint was right before Tom Beach. They asked if I drank and I motioned "1" glass of wine, they still had me take the blow test. The more junior guy showed the screen to his superior and then they sent us on our way. I'm not sure what my BAC was or if I passed, or what the fine/repercussions would be.
 
Well, you were eating in a place with no walls, no one in suits and no opulent dining rooms like that one.

Do any servers where suits anywhere on the island? They don't at Le Gaiac (for brunch).


But I get your point about the wine and the lack of apology

Hardly a suit wearing kind of island or uniform at most places. Crash at the beach the night before and shake your jeans or shorts off, throw on a ratty t-shirt and head to work. Aaaaaah……island life:)kr
 
Y'all are missing the point. It's not that the sommelier is in fine livery, it's that he's clearly a pro. L'Esprit's prices are not much different from the grand restaurant pictured and J-C D takes his cuisine seriously like un grand resto. He needs to bring his wait staff up to snuff. I agree with sailaway, I don't expect same level of service as NYC or Paris (or Collonges-au-Mont d'Or) but I expect competency.
 
I've had that happen (late wine service of the previously selected bottle) at a few places, including Le Gaïac -- usually early in the year with new staff. Decidedly a first world problem, especially while on vacation.
 
Y'all are missing the point. It's not that the sommelier is in fine livery, it's that he's clearly a pro. L'Esprit's prices are not much different from the grand restaurant pictured and J-C D takes his cuisine seriously like un grand resto. He needs to bring his wait staff up to snuff. I agree with sailaway, I don't expect same level of service as NYC or Paris (or Collonges-au-Mont d'Or) but I expect competency.


I get it Cass. Trust me:) I can count maybe a little over a hand full of places that I feel have proper service on SBH irregardless of the attire worn. It is very hard to find seasoned "professional" waitstaff in resort locales. Housing is the key problem. I have never heard of lack of housing being such a problem as it was being spoken about this year. Same thing on Nantucket last summer. Seems like the season hits too quickly and the staff are never properly trained……presuming there is someone to properly train them. No part of this comment is geared toward JCD's place btw. kr
 
Y'all are missing the point. It's not that the sommelier is in fine livery, it's that he's clearly a pro. L'Esprit's prices are not much different from the grand restaurant pictured and J-C D takes his cuisine seriously like un grand resto. He needs to bring his wait staff up to snuff. I agree with sailaway, I don't expect same level of service as NYC or Paris (or Collonges-au-Mont d'Or) but I expect competency.

Who knew that JCD had waitstaff. (tee hee hee....:eek: :couple_inlove: )
 
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