That is interesting that you mention Ti' Corail's so called "lobster roll". I think I may have mentioned that what they call a "lobster roll" is more like a chopped up lobster salad and the lobster part was not big chunks of expected lobster. That being said, at ER, I have to say that my lobster roll was more of what I was expecting. I will admit that dinner at ER was more of a hit or miss when it came to service and I still believe that they utilize too many "hospitality stagiaires" because the service is inconsistent. I guess SBH is a great place to be "posted" and do one's internship but who doesn't love coming back to a place that has consistent employees? The challenges of SBH being a small island is understandable, but there have been a number of places where the staff has been there quite awhile and dining has been a better staff experience in those places.
Sand Bar another miss
- Thread starter CaribbeanSoul
- Start date
As you note, Gina . . . “
One of the biggest “challenges“ today explains why there’s such high turnover in newer restaurant staff: There’s insufficient affordable housing for them. Those servers who have been in a restaurant for quite awhile generally are blessed with adequate “staff housing.” Newcomers aren’t as fortunate, however, as housing has become VERY difficult to find . . . and what’s available typically is at very high rates. Newly arrived restaurant personnel may be fortunate enough to get employer-provided housing, but it’s crowded & not conducive to building loyalty staff. Without housing support, newcomer staff simply cannot afford housing on the island.
le_reve
Senior Insider
We have been going to the SBIPOA fundraising luncheon at SB for a few years now, and I am always impressed with the food and service during this fun event. That being said, I have not gone to SB for lunch or dinner in years due to some of the misses you all have talked about in this thread. The last time we were there was a Valentine's dinner three or four years ago that was almost laughable in the bad food/bad service categories, so it went off the list. It is a wonderful place for a cocktail, especially at sunset time. It is sad, it was one of our favorite places pre-Irma. And, I will continue to enjoy the fundraiser luncheon in the future, they always hit it out of the park for that - not sure why it doesn't carry over to regular table service.
. . . hitting the nail on the head, Tiffany! The annual SBIPOA fund-raising luncheon -- always a "sell-out!" -- is a remarkably affordable, not-to-be-missed, island occasion. For its contribution, BTW, to very worthy island-serving causes.
I'm sorry that I also, otherwise, have had unfortunate ER experience (in this regard, there have been "highs" & "lows" . . . sadly, the latter have left an indelible impression). Nonetheless, as you describe, sunset cocktails at the Remy Bar are breathtakingly memorable.
Jeanette
Senior Insider
To me, dining oceanfront at the Sand Bar is magical and we never miss a visit, for better or worse. Our last few visits have been hit or miss. My 2024 Thanksgiving main course was politely returned to the kitchen because it was tough and I honestly couldn't identify that it was poultry. Lunch in November 2025 was splendid and the local fish in ginger sauce over mashed potatoes was the best meal of my trip. During a family dinner a few days later, the sommelier quickly swept my son-in-law's sole meuniere off the table while deboning because it wasn't cooked sufficiently. Then recently in March, his rack of lamb was delivered so undercooked that it was still chilled inside. We sent it back and requested to have it cooked to medium rare, as ordered. After 20 minutes of waiting, we reminded the waiter who had clearly forgotten about it. He brought back lamb that was so well done that it was inedible. They comped the lamb without asking, but his meal was ruined. We went to the lounge for pre-dinner cocktails and they were so slammed by earlier visitors that we ordered drinks directly from the bar after an extended wait at our table. We are headed back again for a family vacation in November and I will skip dinner at the Sand Bar.
amyb
Senior Insider
It seems that holidays such as Thanksgiving Day and also Valentine’s Day previously mentioned one could consider the day a good time to dine in your villa…the restos are slammed. And February 14th is celebrated by visitors and locals to create the crowds. Maybe get a chef to cook fot a few couples or your family instead of fighting the crowd.
Cwater
Senior Insider
I am distressed when I hear about the negatived reviews of sb. I wish it were not so. However, parking at the lot across from Pearl, walking along the beach at St. Jean without shoes, experiencing all the souls that we have experienced over 40 years…hard to give it up. Still love to wash my feet at the showers and sit down for what I hope is a great gastronomic experience. Sand Bar can you please get it together? You are sitting on a gold mine. I can’t understand why you would create anything other than an incredible experience.
I second this. Sand Bar - Please get it together. We've only ever had sublime meals and ambience. Seven years have passed. Naturally, things change. We will be there for a meal in July. I'll report back.
Leon
Senior Insider
I want to confirm that Sand Bar is very inconsistent but we somehow (knock on the wood) were lucky enough to have at least good food by carefully evaluating what to order. The service is not that bad, unless there is a shift change, then it is all lost. We are still going there often if not for the best food (although some of the specials were exceptional) but for convenience. On another hand we had a very bad service in our last visit to Nikki Beach although our server knew that we are regulars as we talked to his peers we knew well. The food (including sushi) was mediocre.
Leon
Senior Insider
But the ambience and music (saxophone) still were great.
le_reve
Senior Insider
I hear you on the food at Nikki. I have had some incredible sushi there, and I have had some pretty not incredible sushi there. A few years ago I was a guest at a large birthday celebration and I had the best Beef Wellington of my life and some mashed potatoes good enough to lick your plate when nobody's looking. Then, shortly thereafter was there with some first timers that had to go there, and had a shoe leather steak. It really is inconsistent.
DaveM
SBH Insider
My wife and I had lunch at Sand Bar last week and overall it was enjoyable. Not amazing, nor disappointing. Fun for sure. Different, though, than pre Irma and pre Oetker management changes. Seems like it’s being managed more intensely . . . the post Irma rebuild gave all the hotels a chance at a fresh makeover and they could push out at the edges to boost the building footprints and other finished spaces to just plain get a little bigger. Sand bar is easily two or three times its old size when it had sand under your feet and overhead misters spraying for coolness. The boutique is much bigger, etc. and there are more people so it’s livelier, but also more of a scene. The table of a dozen women celebrating a 40th birthday next to us made for festive atmosphere no doubt. For us the Sand Bar was a fun lunch, indeed.
We’ve noticed many interns this visit as well, but so far they have had seemingly wonderful attitudes in all of our interactions, mostly as hotel staff in our encounters. Applause to the Gyp Sea hotel up in Colombier and to Manapany— both have excellent contributions from interns on assignment from France university programs.
The workforce housing is such a good issue to point out. Sure wish the notion of public-private cooperation worked better in real life. Just recently this exact same issue was raised in Aspen and even there where this community was an early leader in the 70s and remains so, it is a constant shortage. Still, with such a high level of overall commerce it seems like St Barths public and private should be able to get more ahead of this need instead of letting it possibly erode the island appeal. We do see some efforts for sure, though, such as in grand fond area where some multi unit housing is under construction for hotel employees we were told. For now we’re hoping for the best and try to be generous with our kind service providers to directly help a little.
PS btw, I happened to have the lobster roll at SB and it was a little small but super delicious!
I'm interested in your mention of GypSea in Colombier . . . did you go there? For many years, I enjoyed the chic, relaxed seclusion of lunch around the pool, but didn't get there in the past "season." ("So many restaurants, so little time!") I'm not sure if the Hotel still serves lunch . . . or maybe they direct everyone to their "beach club" in St. Jean?
DaveM
SBH Insider
We stayed at Gyp Sea for one week in May and had a superb overall experience. Lunch is around the peaceful pool and dinner inside the quietly elegant main building. Of course most forum readers probably know this used to be the Francois Plantation hotel. We were lucky to learn of the highly regarded Francois Plantation restaurant during our first visit in 2002. I still remember the evening. Such a beautiful room — nothing like it I recall on the island at the time. From the little history available, this period seems toward the tail end of the restaurant’s heyday. Some recent island acquaintances explained the property was first built as a family home by and for Francoise and Francois Beret, very approximately around 1980. Then, as a leading island chef, Francois opened the restaurant in about the very late 1980s.
Now fortunately, this charming property is being preserved and perpetuated by the able Sibuet family, who own and operate other similar properties in France. The staff really made us feel at home and our very high up room had views all the way to Atlantic Ocean end of the island. We were also lucky to be there during a visiting chef series of multi course dinners — and thoroughly enjoyed the food, ceremony and just seeing the unique dining room brought to life.
If you’re still on the island and would like to try lunch or dinner together, we’d love a good reason to return?!
Speaking of GypSea, I went up there to purchase their amazing Spa products, invented in the French Alps by Jocelyn Sibuet, who started the hotel group, Les Fermes de Marie, of which GypSea is part. The name of the spa line is Pure Altitude and I bought it in France (St-Tropez has amazing pharmcies..) and then went to resupply at GypSea followed by a lunch at La Langouste, which is in the same neighborhood. If you are up there, check it out, as they seem to have the whole line.
And if you like it, I advise you to stock up, because I just reordered some of my favorite products from their French online store (both in French and English) and I have ordered successfully before, with great communication. However, I just made another order and UPS sent me a lovely note asking me to pay $70.30 in TARIFF TAXES before I can get my package....there is talk about UPS going to bat to get the $$ money back but maybe only for businesses? Not really sure, but UPS actually sounds like they are trying. I will wait around (probably forever) to receive anything back so I am not holding my breath. (That being said, the prices on the Spa products are excellent compared to say, Sisley, which I really like and Pure Altitude eye cream and their fabulous Edelweiss cream even with the Tariffs are still worthwhile, compared to Sisley..small comfort!)
So if you are thinking of ordering anything from overseas, (maybe some Rhum Vanille or Pati de St Barth items), you might want to hold off as you will get hit with a BIG tariff bill.
And if you like it, I advise you to stock up, because I just reordered some of my favorite products from their French online store (both in French and English) and I have ordered successfully before, with great communication. However, I just made another order and UPS sent me a lovely note asking me to pay $70.30 in TARIFF TAXES before I can get my package....there is talk about UPS going to bat to get the $$ money back but maybe only for businesses? Not really sure, but UPS actually sounds like they are trying. I will wait around (probably forever) to receive anything back so I am not holding my breath. (That being said, the prices on the Spa products are excellent compared to say, Sisley, which I really like and Pure Altitude eye cream and their fabulous Edelweiss cream even with the Tariffs are still worthwhile, compared to Sisley..small comfort!)
So if you are thinking of ordering anything from overseas, (maybe some Rhum Vanille or Pati de St Barth items), you might want to hold off as you will get hit with a BIG tariff bill.
DaveM
SBH Insider
Oh, me too davesmom!! I got a curious text from DHL requiring that I pay about $50 before the shipment from Pure Altitude in France would be delivered to our Connecticut address. But I paid it and they did indeed deliver the package. We had a great stay in one of the Sibuet mountain properties, where we learned of Pure Altitude as the in house spa operation for the hotel.
Amery
SBH Insider
We enjoyed a few lovely dinners at Villa Marie (now GypSea Hotel) back in 2018-19 when they had a fanulous signature bouillabaisse on the menu. It is a gorgeous room! I recall it switched for a season or two to Italian cuisine, maybe during covid? Can’t recall which years, and then I stopped seeing ads or
mention of the restaurant. We happened to visit the hotel last November while doing a favor for friends—they had a colleague staying for an anniversary and asked us to deliver a bottle of champagne. I was happy to see the dining room just as stunning as I remembered. I asked to see a dinner menu and it looked updated and simplified, sadly no bouillabaisse. I got the impression they take outside of hotel diners. I know they used to also advertise day passes for lunch and loungers by the pool. If anyone has any updates on the restaurant there please share?
I just received my package today and wrote them to let them know about the tariffs, although they have nothing they can do about them. I thought the tariffs were supposed to be suspended but I guess not…
