Another mid trip report

Good morning all. First time poster, but long term viewer of this site. For context, we have about 30 years of history with SBH and more trips than I can count - easily 50 or more. We have normally been winter season visitors, but trying it again in the summer. Had not been back since Christmas/New Years of 2019/2020

Uneventful trip down. UA from IAD to SJU and Tradewind in to SBH. Covid protocols straightforward. We relied on the at home antigen tests that UA now sells. Very easy process. Late arrival on a Friday as Tradewind leaves SJU at 5:15. Had Wimco provision with the necessities - big help.

Staying in a villa called King Gustaf. Effectively at the top of the hill near the lighthouse. One of the better ones we have used. Full A/C, great electronics and nice breezes. Also great towels and linens - which is not always the case in these places. Candidly, at this point in our travel lives, we prefer access to some decent enclosed A/C spaces on these trips. Fewer bugs,more comfortable in the afternoon and easier to lock things up if needed.

Meals consistently good. Dinners so far at Eddys and Bonito. Lunches at Little Rock and Shellona. No review of Eddys needed. Everyone here knows it. The global influence of the menu very impressive. Little Rock is, in our view, probably the best of the St. Jean beach places we have been to. Excellent food and service. Frankly, less of a “scene” than is Pearl Beach or Nikki - fine for us. We go for the food and the view. Pleasant surprise at Shellona. We stopped going in the Christmas season a couple of years ago when, in their wisdom, they imposed some sort of absurd minimum check total. I may have it wrong, but it was in the range of 500 euros pp. There was also high pressure up selling in the past, which was also a turn off. This time very pleasant, great service and really good food. Bonito nice. Big crowd at 700 on a Monday. Very consistent. Take out Pizza from Isoletta on Sunday. Always a consistent experience.

General observations. Wine lists are priced ridiculously high. Even at Eddys the number of what should be mid priced selections over 100 euros is sort of amusing. Is what it is. Sometimes we pivot to cocktails and order the wine by the glass. Parking in Gustavia also nuts. As is well discussed, more cars and they are larger than ever. Can’t imagine what it will be like in the high season. Sunday very very quiet. Surprised to see most of the grocery stores closed - including Marche U. If you arrive late on Saturday, plan your provisioning.

More to come…..

Glad the trip down was uneventful and that you like your villa. Forum members had posted a while back about minimum charges at Shellona but we have never experienced it. We agree Eddy’s is Eddy’s- consistently good. Lil Rock is less of a scene than Nikki or Pearl. Try Nikki on a week day- never on Sundays.
Sorry to hear parking is difficult in the low season. The wine prices sound ‘silly’- nothing to do but ‘grin and bear it’ with a smile.
Thanks for sharing your time on the island with us. Keep on enjoying!

I’m surprised to read that an antigen test was acceptable for entry into SBH . . . I thought that PCR was required.

Antigen for fully vaccinated folks two days prior now works as of June. From what I’ve seen the information on the Tradewind site is the most consistently reliable. Definitely follow the Tradewind stated protocol in SJU as well. We did have to show our same day tickets to avoid the QR code’s and other requirements. We went ahead and did the protocols for SJU, just in case, but did not need to rely on that.

One other observation. Saw some questions on Form Fitness earlier. Big fans of that place. Appears to have changed hands over the years, but reliable option. Friendly folks and lots of equipment - most of it in good condition. That said, be forewarned its popular with the locals and can get crowded. Make your choice based on your relative comfort with indoor spaces. They also have a covered outdoor strength training space if that is your preference.

DCTravler said:

Antigen for fully vaccinated folks two days prior now works as of June. From what I’ve seen the information on the Tradewind site is the most consistently reliable. Definitely follow the Tradewind stated protocol in SJU as well. We did have to show our same day tickets to avoid the QR code’s and other requirements. We went ahead and did the protocols for SJU, just in case, but did not need to rely on that.

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Good tip! Here is the link to the TW COVID protocols

DCTravler said:

Antigen for fully vaccinated folks two days prior now works as of June. . . .

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Great to know!

Thanks for a great “middy” and welcome to the forum!

Uneventful travels and consistently good restaurant experiences is a great start! Wishing you a great 2nd half.

Thank you for sharing.

DCTravler said:

Wine lists are priced ridiculously high. Even at Eddys the number of what should be mid priced selections over 100 euros is sort of amusing. Is what it is. Sometimes we pivot to cocktails and order the wine by the glass.

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Eddy's son Mahé has ungraded the wine list significantly in the past few years. In the summer he travels the world tasting and ordering. Yes, the prices are higher. Do some comparison at the local wine shops to see what comparable wines are going for. For us Montrachet is part of the overall experience and the prices can be intimidating, but we suffer through!