Valerie
SBH Insider
This year my husband and I celebrated our 20th wedding anniversary, and we knew that we had to celebrate with a visit to our favorite island and for the first time also bring our children. While this trip was our sixth to St. Barth it was only our second time to visit in July with the first being our honeymoon 20 years ago. We once again chose St. Barth Commuter and had a wonderful experience both directions. We did travel mid-week both ways which seemed to help with the pain of traveling through SXM.
For this trip we stayed in Toiny at Villa Tichatola booked through Corcoran. We were welcomed with a box from L'Epicurien and a bottle of rose which was very welcome after our 13 hour travel day from DC! The villa met our needs perfectly with two bedrooms, one of which can be configured with two twin beds that worked great for our 9 and 14 year old children. The villa has also had some updates with décor and furnishings, not pictured on the website, which were lovely. We loved the location as we were only a quick 3 minute walk to both Toiny Beach and also Le Toiny Hotel. Chokola Vany was only a 5 minute walk away which made our daily pastry visits extremely easy. It also meant it was easy for the children to go with out us! The views were absolute perfection and the constant breeze helped keep the mosquitos at bay. There were a few minor inconveniences that we did report to Corcoran but it was a lovely villa and we would not hesitate to rent again.
We did end up enjoying quite a bit of down time at the villa during our 10 days to just relax and enjoy the view. When we found ourselves out and about we visited Fort Karl, the hike to the Natural Pools in Grand Fond, and Toiny, Flamands, St. Jean, Shell and Gouverneur beaches. The boys went out diving with Serial Divers on 3 days for my son to complete his PADI certification. Meanwhile, my daughter and I visited Toiny Beach Club and Hotel Christopher for lunches. There of course was shopping at old favorites Fabienne Miot (my daughter picked out a beautiful of St. Barth diamond stud earrings and has graciously told me I can borrow them!), M’Bolo for rhum, t-shirts from Pati St. Barth and then a new to me store, Sea Memory, where I found a beautiful and unique stingray leather handbag and my son chose a wallet.
Our meals ran the gamut from cooking in, to take-out, to chef tasting menus. Breakfast found us at Chokola Vany every morning they were open! We tried so many delicious pastries and appreciated all of the options for both sweet and savory. We also of course had the delicious ice creams. One afternoon we sent the kids alone to grab a couple things for lunch and while they did return with lunch they also spent nearly every Euro we sent with them on a big box of the wonderful ice cream filled macarons and ice cream bars. We obviously couldn’t be mad about it! On Monday with Chokola Vany closed we headed into Gustavia for breakfast at Creperie only to find it closed so we then pivoted and headed to Bar de L’Oubli.
Standout lunches were of course Toiny Beach Club, Hotel Christopher (such a great value for the day pass especially the children’s pass which included a gift with the cutest little stuffed turtle that my daughter adores), Grain de Sel (every dish was beautifully plated and delicious) and Sunday at Nikki Beach. The early seating was perfect for families and our children loved the sushi and mocktails while we loved they were perfectly entertained with swimming as we leisurely enjoyed our Sancerre! We also enjoyed take-out from all of the places in the Les Mangliers Food Court with Mamma Mia being the favorite with the fresh pasta and Bolognese. We did still quite enjoy both Papa’s Pizza and St. Barth Burger and loved the convenience to pop in and have our orders ready in 10 minutes to take back to the villa. One day we also picked up Black Ginger to Go when we were in town as well. The boys ventured out for World Cup watching and enjoyed lunches/drinks at Le Piment, Eden to Go and Mapo.
We had so many lovely dinners! Our first full day we went to a favorite, Pearl Beach. We were surprised to find the dining room with just one other table all evening but our meals, service and rhum vanille were all wonderful. We just love being able to dine ocean front there and appreciate they still maintain the rhum tradition! On Thursday we had planned to do the Beach Extravaganza at Toiny as a date evening but as it was still early in our trip our daughter requested a family evening that night. We went to cancel but our concierge worked some magic and told us he had it worked out with the GM that we could bring our children with us for dinner! It turned out to be an absolutely fantastic evening. Perhaps because it was low season but we found the entertainment was very enjoyable and family friendly. We had a great table for viewing one area of the fire show and the music and lively environment made for a memorable night! Shockingly our teenager couldn't keep up with his parents and we found him asleep in a hammock before the evening was over!
Our other big family night out was at Beefbar for Fete Nationale to see the fireworks. It was an absolutely fantastic evening though there was one surprise that I attribute to either a miscommunication between the restaurant and our concierge or in how the concierge relayed the information to us. When we booked we were told we needed to purchase a bottle of wine from a select list to secure a table on the terrace for best fireworks viewing. We requested the wine list and decided the price point was reasonable and reserved our table for four. When we arrived, however, we were told it was not one bottle for our table but rather one bottle per two people including children! It definitely came as a surprise we needed to purchase a second bottle of wine to account for a 100Euro/person spend in wine for two children. Thankfully we were able to take the second bottle with us to finish at our villa as there was no way we could drink two bottles in one seating! The meal itself was wonderful from start to finish with the Tacos Chicos being the unanimous favorite starter. Following our steaks, we finished with the Marbled Chocolate Bar!
My husband and I did enjoy two evenings out sans children. One morning when perusing Le News I saw an advert for the Guest Chef Series at Abyss with Rafael Gomes and immediately booked. The menu was so unique with unexpected flavors such as steamed sole with banana gnocchi and a dessert of rice pudding with black garlic. Every dish was both exceptional and beautifully presented.
Our second ‘date night’ found us at Le Café which was not originally in our plans. After arriving on St. Barth we learned that friends were arriving just a few days later so we made plans to meet for drinks on Sunday evening. With so many places in Gustavia closed on Sunday we decided to meet at Le Café which was new to all of us. Drinks turned into dinner and when we were told they could fit us at a table we stayed for dinner and the entertainment! We knew it was a ‘piano bar’ but it definitely was more lively than anticipated though we had a wonderful time!
For one evening we decided to have a chef come to the villa. We booked through Fabulous Feasts as their price point was more budget friendly (I assume this is likely tied to the fact they also offer services on St. Martin). Our chef was actually based on St. Martin but was in residence on St. Barth to assist as the local staff were gone enjoying their annual vacations. We so enjoyed talking with him and our meal was very good. We had selected a menu with grilled shrimp and beef with merlot sauce and a chocolate mousse to finish. It was lovely to have a night in and not have to dress and rush off for dinner but still have a served meal with no clean up needed!
Our simple evenings were either take-out from Eden to Go or easy meals cooked at the villa. We have always enjoyed cooking in a night or two and getting fresh fish from the fishermen in Gustavia. This time our chef shared with us that we could also find fresh locally caught fish at the Super U if we didn’t make it to town early enough and that is just what we did! The day we went we found local tuna for that evening. On another evening our daughter requested the chicken skewers she saw in the butcher case so we grilled those with a pineapple rice and salad and enjoyed the delicious macrons from Chokola Vany for dessert!
With this being such a special trip for us we did family photos one evening on Shell Beach and I will always treasure the pictures we received. It seems the way I'm posting my photos with thumbnails they aren't showing up very clear (and I also don't want to post close-ups of the children's faces) but I can promise we got some fantastic shots! Our photographer had us climbing all through the rocks so it was quite a challenging photo shoot! We had such a wonderful trip and it was a treat to discover St. Barth anew through the eyes of our children. In the end, our brief ten days only served to remind us why we love this island so much. It is safe to say the island we love is still there and we will return-hopefully much sooner this time as our last visit prior to this one was 7 years ago!
For this trip we stayed in Toiny at Villa Tichatola booked through Corcoran. We were welcomed with a box from L'Epicurien and a bottle of rose which was very welcome after our 13 hour travel day from DC! The villa met our needs perfectly with two bedrooms, one of which can be configured with two twin beds that worked great for our 9 and 14 year old children. The villa has also had some updates with décor and furnishings, not pictured on the website, which were lovely. We loved the location as we were only a quick 3 minute walk to both Toiny Beach and also Le Toiny Hotel. Chokola Vany was only a 5 minute walk away which made our daily pastry visits extremely easy. It also meant it was easy for the children to go with out us! The views were absolute perfection and the constant breeze helped keep the mosquitos at bay. There were a few minor inconveniences that we did report to Corcoran but it was a lovely villa and we would not hesitate to rent again.
We did end up enjoying quite a bit of down time at the villa during our 10 days to just relax and enjoy the view. When we found ourselves out and about we visited Fort Karl, the hike to the Natural Pools in Grand Fond, and Toiny, Flamands, St. Jean, Shell and Gouverneur beaches. The boys went out diving with Serial Divers on 3 days for my son to complete his PADI certification. Meanwhile, my daughter and I visited Toiny Beach Club and Hotel Christopher for lunches. There of course was shopping at old favorites Fabienne Miot (my daughter picked out a beautiful of St. Barth diamond stud earrings and has graciously told me I can borrow them!), M’Bolo for rhum, t-shirts from Pati St. Barth and then a new to me store, Sea Memory, where I found a beautiful and unique stingray leather handbag and my son chose a wallet.
Our meals ran the gamut from cooking in, to take-out, to chef tasting menus. Breakfast found us at Chokola Vany every morning they were open! We tried so many delicious pastries and appreciated all of the options for both sweet and savory. We also of course had the delicious ice creams. One afternoon we sent the kids alone to grab a couple things for lunch and while they did return with lunch they also spent nearly every Euro we sent with them on a big box of the wonderful ice cream filled macarons and ice cream bars. We obviously couldn’t be mad about it! On Monday with Chokola Vany closed we headed into Gustavia for breakfast at Creperie only to find it closed so we then pivoted and headed to Bar de L’Oubli.
Standout lunches were of course Toiny Beach Club, Hotel Christopher (such a great value for the day pass especially the children’s pass which included a gift with the cutest little stuffed turtle that my daughter adores), Grain de Sel (every dish was beautifully plated and delicious) and Sunday at Nikki Beach. The early seating was perfect for families and our children loved the sushi and mocktails while we loved they were perfectly entertained with swimming as we leisurely enjoyed our Sancerre! We also enjoyed take-out from all of the places in the Les Mangliers Food Court with Mamma Mia being the favorite with the fresh pasta and Bolognese. We did still quite enjoy both Papa’s Pizza and St. Barth Burger and loved the convenience to pop in and have our orders ready in 10 minutes to take back to the villa. One day we also picked up Black Ginger to Go when we were in town as well. The boys ventured out for World Cup watching and enjoyed lunches/drinks at Le Piment, Eden to Go and Mapo.
We had so many lovely dinners! Our first full day we went to a favorite, Pearl Beach. We were surprised to find the dining room with just one other table all evening but our meals, service and rhum vanille were all wonderful. We just love being able to dine ocean front there and appreciate they still maintain the rhum tradition! On Thursday we had planned to do the Beach Extravaganza at Toiny as a date evening but as it was still early in our trip our daughter requested a family evening that night. We went to cancel but our concierge worked some magic and told us he had it worked out with the GM that we could bring our children with us for dinner! It turned out to be an absolutely fantastic evening. Perhaps because it was low season but we found the entertainment was very enjoyable and family friendly. We had a great table for viewing one area of the fire show and the music and lively environment made for a memorable night! Shockingly our teenager couldn't keep up with his parents and we found him asleep in a hammock before the evening was over!
Our other big family night out was at Beefbar for Fete Nationale to see the fireworks. It was an absolutely fantastic evening though there was one surprise that I attribute to either a miscommunication between the restaurant and our concierge or in how the concierge relayed the information to us. When we booked we were told we needed to purchase a bottle of wine from a select list to secure a table on the terrace for best fireworks viewing. We requested the wine list and decided the price point was reasonable and reserved our table for four. When we arrived, however, we were told it was not one bottle for our table but rather one bottle per two people including children! It definitely came as a surprise we needed to purchase a second bottle of wine to account for a 100Euro/person spend in wine for two children. Thankfully we were able to take the second bottle with us to finish at our villa as there was no way we could drink two bottles in one seating! The meal itself was wonderful from start to finish with the Tacos Chicos being the unanimous favorite starter. Following our steaks, we finished with the Marbled Chocolate Bar!
My husband and I did enjoy two evenings out sans children. One morning when perusing Le News I saw an advert for the Guest Chef Series at Abyss with Rafael Gomes and immediately booked. The menu was so unique with unexpected flavors such as steamed sole with banana gnocchi and a dessert of rice pudding with black garlic. Every dish was both exceptional and beautifully presented.
Our second ‘date night’ found us at Le Café which was not originally in our plans. After arriving on St. Barth we learned that friends were arriving just a few days later so we made plans to meet for drinks on Sunday evening. With so many places in Gustavia closed on Sunday we decided to meet at Le Café which was new to all of us. Drinks turned into dinner and when we were told they could fit us at a table we stayed for dinner and the entertainment! We knew it was a ‘piano bar’ but it definitely was more lively than anticipated though we had a wonderful time!
For one evening we decided to have a chef come to the villa. We booked through Fabulous Feasts as their price point was more budget friendly (I assume this is likely tied to the fact they also offer services on St. Martin). Our chef was actually based on St. Martin but was in residence on St. Barth to assist as the local staff were gone enjoying their annual vacations. We so enjoyed talking with him and our meal was very good. We had selected a menu with grilled shrimp and beef with merlot sauce and a chocolate mousse to finish. It was lovely to have a night in and not have to dress and rush off for dinner but still have a served meal with no clean up needed!
Our simple evenings were either take-out from Eden to Go or easy meals cooked at the villa. We have always enjoyed cooking in a night or two and getting fresh fish from the fishermen in Gustavia. This time our chef shared with us that we could also find fresh locally caught fish at the Super U if we didn’t make it to town early enough and that is just what we did! The day we went we found local tuna for that evening. On another evening our daughter requested the chicken skewers she saw in the butcher case so we grilled those with a pineapple rice and salad and enjoyed the delicious macrons from Chokola Vany for dessert!
With this being such a special trip for us we did family photos one evening on Shell Beach and I will always treasure the pictures we received. It seems the way I'm posting my photos with thumbnails they aren't showing up very clear (and I also don't want to post close-ups of the children's faces) but I can promise we got some fantastic shots! Our photographer had us climbing all through the rocks so it was quite a challenging photo shoot! We had such a wonderful trip and it was a treat to discover St. Barth anew through the eyes of our children. In the end, our brief ten days only served to remind us why we love this island so much. It is safe to say the island we love is still there and we will return-hopefully much sooner this time as our last visit prior to this one was 7 years ago!
Last edited:
