Pretty exhaustive review of my couple of weeks in St Barts
Isle De France dinner
Lobster Tortellini, Lime Consumme and apples
Textures of Corn with grilled Scallops
Risotto with Guinea Hen and caramelised onions
Branzini with rattle potatoes
Lovely way to start our St Barts culinary adventure. Service was good, and we had a decent gap between starter and main that I requested. The Lobster Tortellini and Risotto were the highlights.
Bonito dinner
Mahi Mahi ceviche
Grilled Octopus
Confit Pork(amazing)
Beef Tenderloin
Always one of the best dinners in St Barts. Love the atmosphere. The food was very good as always. The confit pork was especially good, very rich though. The service was a bit too rushed, we were sat down and finished in about 45 mins.
Santa Fe lunch (ask for a table on the edge with a view)
Crispy Tomato Tart (great dish)
Fish Carpaccio
Mahi Mahi with sweet potato
Grilled Octopus with pepperonata and salt baked potatoes
You can't beat Santa Fe for the view. Had a very good leisurely lunch there with a couple of bottles of rose. Loved the crispy tomato tart especially. Service was amongst the best on the island. The fish carpaccio was a tad disappointing but it didn't detract from the experience.
Le Tamarin dinner
Tuna Tartare (shared)
Beef Picanha to share with chips and spicy sauce
The tuna tartare was pretty good, and the Beef Picanha was cooked perfectly and enormous. We took home half for sandwiches the next day. I love the setting but I find the menu a bit boring. Wasn't one of the stand out dinners this time. Staff were friendly.
Tiawana lunch
Whole Snapper cooked in sea salt crust
Tuna Nicoise
Had the Whole Snapper, with tomato/olive sauce. Tasted great. Lots of small bones which I almost choked on. Nice setting. The filleting of the fish ruined the lunch really.
Bo Kao dinner
Anticuchos (chicken bites, chiso tempura, corn cream)
Soft shell crab sushi
Beef stir fry (weakest dish)
Salmon Tataki
Shrimp Tempura keemchi mayonnaise
Couldn't find any reviews but decided to take a gamble. Anticuchos, Tataki and sushi were good dishes. The beef stir fry was a bit bland. The shrimp tempura was nice but they'd smothered it in mayo so the batter was soggy which was a bit weird. It was quiet the night we went, the staff were friendly and enthusiastic.
Great cocktails especially the take on a coffee Negroni. No 5 XO Black Coffee. Mai Thai also great, which they set on fire. Cocktails the best on the island along with 25 Quarter.
Isle De France lunch (on the beach)
Shared the club sandwich and burger. Both excellent, the fries were great, as was the tarragon mayonnaise. One of the best lunches on the island (food, service, view, people watching)
Aux Amis dinner
Tuna tartare
Crab cannelloni
Snapper with chicken jus
Lamb fillet with black garlic crust
Menu a bit strange. Only two starters that either of us could eat unless you like foie gras, pineapple and cucumber juice (weird?) or caviar
Had the tuna tartare and crab cannelloni for starter. Both tasted good without being particularly exciting.
Main course came far too quickly after the starter, 3/4 mins at most. Very frustrating when you are hoping for a relaxed dining experience.
The main courses were much better. Both tasted great and the Snapper was beautifully presented.
Had my first dessert on the island too. The Manjari chocolate cube. It was delicious and again the presentation was of Michelin star standard.
Overall, the food was good, service had some problems. Slow wait for starters, then main straight after. Liked the decor of the restaurant. They need more options for both starter and main, as I could only find a few dishes I liked the sound off.
Lunch at Aux Amis
Pizza with Parma ham
Rotisserie chicken
Had a relaxed lunch on my birthday. Menu has far better lunch options that dinner ones. Pizza was good, better than the one at Sand Bar.
Can use pool and sun beds which is a bonus. Spa was really nice as well.
Eden Rock
We arrived at 5.30 to check out the new bar for sunset. Had some good cocktails before our dinner. Go early if you want a table on the edge with a view for the sunset as they filled quickly.
Lobster medallion, coconut and lime emulsion
Crispy tuna
Veal Chop, capers, polenta
Lamb Rack, sauce vierge, cous cous
Had a great table of the edge for dinner. Food was outstanding. Much better than our meal there a couple of years ago. Couldn't fault any dish. Lobster medallion maybe the stand out. Service top notch too.
Le Toiny (2 meals)
Black Truffle pasta made table side
Local Lobster Ravioli
Lamb chops
Veal Chop with sage
Beef Milanese
Had a couple of dinners at Le Toiny as we were staying there. Service was attentive throughout. Tables on the edge of the water provide one of the most romantic meals in St Barts. Had the black truffle pasta, which I'm unable to resist every time I come back the Le Toiny. The local lobster ravioli was excellent, as was the veal chop. The Beef Milanese was just ok.
L'espirit
Seared Fois Gras with langoustine broth
Duck Spring Rolls
Fillet of Veal with veal tortellini
Roasted Pigeon, Tortellini artichoke and chestnut.
L'espirit always has some of the most technically good dishes on the island, especially the sauces and combinations. Despite the fois gras dish not looking great, the taste was sensational, the fois gras was like butter. All the dishes were really good, the restaurant was maybe lacking in a bit of atmosphere compared to some other dinners.
Le Toiny Beach Club
Was pretty sceptical about the food having read reviews but was pleasantly surprised. Had the bbq prawns, lamb chops and chicken. All were great and decent portion size as well. The cooked everything on the BBQ by the beach, I'd read something about them not cooking the food by the beach, but they are now. Nice ambiance. Plenty of beds to lounge on. Nice relaxed vibe.
L'Isola
Vitello Tonatto
Beef Carpaccio
Pata Negra fettuccini
Rosemary Risotto with wild boar
Always a classic. Had my birthday dinner, the execution of the dishes is as good as the top Italian restaurants in London. You can never go wrong with any kind of there food. Wasn't too rushed as it has been in the past too. Pata Negra fettuccini the best dish (was a special on the night)
Shellona
Trio of mezzo
Grilled squid
Chicken and lamb kebabs
Arrived with low expectations after reviews. Had a great lunch. A trio of Mezze and Grilled squid were both delicious starters. Followed by the lamb and chicken kebabs. Service was efficient, atmosphere was fun, definitely an upgrade on Do Brazil. Ended up spending 4 hours drinking beers and wine as was having such a good time. Probably the best surprise of all our meals, as I didn't have high expectations. Not too pricey compared to most of St Barts restaurants.
Bars
Went to Villa Marie for cocktails. Staff were really friendly and I really liked the decor and cocktails. Bumped into a few people later on in the trip that recommended eating at Francois Plantation.
25 Quartier. Barman really knows his stuff. Huge Bourbon selection. Great chicken quesadillas as a pre dinner snack.
New Rock Bar. Eden Rock. Cool to have a live DJ. Go early to get seat/watch sunset. Good snacks too.
Bo Kao. Great cocktails and very inventive drinks. Barman will make anything you ask for.
Baz Bar - Classic, always fun and live music. Bunch of drunk ladies pulling up their skirts to the music was great entertainment.
Overall, with much difficulty deciding. Best three dinners were Eden Rock, L'espirit and L'isola.
The best lunches were Isle De France (beach restaurant), Shellona and Toiny Beach Club. So hard too choose though, I'm always looking to have great time when I'm on such a special island, so there were hardly any negatives at all.
Isle De France dinner
Lobster Tortellini, Lime Consumme and apples
Textures of Corn with grilled Scallops
Risotto with Guinea Hen and caramelised onions
Branzini with rattle potatoes
Lovely way to start our St Barts culinary adventure. Service was good, and we had a decent gap between starter and main that I requested. The Lobster Tortellini and Risotto were the highlights.
Bonito dinner
Mahi Mahi ceviche
Grilled Octopus
Confit Pork(amazing)
Beef Tenderloin
Always one of the best dinners in St Barts. Love the atmosphere. The food was very good as always. The confit pork was especially good, very rich though. The service was a bit too rushed, we were sat down and finished in about 45 mins.
Santa Fe lunch (ask for a table on the edge with a view)
Crispy Tomato Tart (great dish)
Fish Carpaccio
Mahi Mahi with sweet potato
Grilled Octopus with pepperonata and salt baked potatoes
You can't beat Santa Fe for the view. Had a very good leisurely lunch there with a couple of bottles of rose. Loved the crispy tomato tart especially. Service was amongst the best on the island. The fish carpaccio was a tad disappointing but it didn't detract from the experience.
Le Tamarin dinner
Tuna Tartare (shared)
Beef Picanha to share with chips and spicy sauce
The tuna tartare was pretty good, and the Beef Picanha was cooked perfectly and enormous. We took home half for sandwiches the next day. I love the setting but I find the menu a bit boring. Wasn't one of the stand out dinners this time. Staff were friendly.
Tiawana lunch
Whole Snapper cooked in sea salt crust
Tuna Nicoise
Had the Whole Snapper, with tomato/olive sauce. Tasted great. Lots of small bones which I almost choked on. Nice setting. The filleting of the fish ruined the lunch really.
Bo Kao dinner
Anticuchos (chicken bites, chiso tempura, corn cream)
Soft shell crab sushi
Beef stir fry (weakest dish)
Salmon Tataki
Shrimp Tempura keemchi mayonnaise
Couldn't find any reviews but decided to take a gamble. Anticuchos, Tataki and sushi were good dishes. The beef stir fry was a bit bland. The shrimp tempura was nice but they'd smothered it in mayo so the batter was soggy which was a bit weird. It was quiet the night we went, the staff were friendly and enthusiastic.
Great cocktails especially the take on a coffee Negroni. No 5 XO Black Coffee. Mai Thai also great, which they set on fire. Cocktails the best on the island along with 25 Quarter.
Isle De France lunch (on the beach)
Shared the club sandwich and burger. Both excellent, the fries were great, as was the tarragon mayonnaise. One of the best lunches on the island (food, service, view, people watching)
Aux Amis dinner
Tuna tartare
Crab cannelloni
Snapper with chicken jus
Lamb fillet with black garlic crust
Menu a bit strange. Only two starters that either of us could eat unless you like foie gras, pineapple and cucumber juice (weird?) or caviar
Had the tuna tartare and crab cannelloni for starter. Both tasted good without being particularly exciting.
Main course came far too quickly after the starter, 3/4 mins at most. Very frustrating when you are hoping for a relaxed dining experience.
The main courses were much better. Both tasted great and the Snapper was beautifully presented.
Had my first dessert on the island too. The Manjari chocolate cube. It was delicious and again the presentation was of Michelin star standard.
Overall, the food was good, service had some problems. Slow wait for starters, then main straight after. Liked the decor of the restaurant. They need more options for both starter and main, as I could only find a few dishes I liked the sound off.
Lunch at Aux Amis
Pizza with Parma ham
Rotisserie chicken
Had a relaxed lunch on my birthday. Menu has far better lunch options that dinner ones. Pizza was good, better than the one at Sand Bar.
Can use pool and sun beds which is a bonus. Spa was really nice as well.
Eden Rock
We arrived at 5.30 to check out the new bar for sunset. Had some good cocktails before our dinner. Go early if you want a table on the edge with a view for the sunset as they filled quickly.
Lobster medallion, coconut and lime emulsion
Crispy tuna
Veal Chop, capers, polenta
Lamb Rack, sauce vierge, cous cous
Had a great table of the edge for dinner. Food was outstanding. Much better than our meal there a couple of years ago. Couldn't fault any dish. Lobster medallion maybe the stand out. Service top notch too.
Le Toiny (2 meals)
Black Truffle pasta made table side
Local Lobster Ravioli
Lamb chops
Veal Chop with sage
Beef Milanese
Had a couple of dinners at Le Toiny as we were staying there. Service was attentive throughout. Tables on the edge of the water provide one of the most romantic meals in St Barts. Had the black truffle pasta, which I'm unable to resist every time I come back the Le Toiny. The local lobster ravioli was excellent, as was the veal chop. The Beef Milanese was just ok.
L'espirit
Seared Fois Gras with langoustine broth
Duck Spring Rolls
Fillet of Veal with veal tortellini
Roasted Pigeon, Tortellini artichoke and chestnut.
L'espirit always has some of the most technically good dishes on the island, especially the sauces and combinations. Despite the fois gras dish not looking great, the taste was sensational, the fois gras was like butter. All the dishes were really good, the restaurant was maybe lacking in a bit of atmosphere compared to some other dinners.
Le Toiny Beach Club
Was pretty sceptical about the food having read reviews but was pleasantly surprised. Had the bbq prawns, lamb chops and chicken. All were great and decent portion size as well. The cooked everything on the BBQ by the beach, I'd read something about them not cooking the food by the beach, but they are now. Nice ambiance. Plenty of beds to lounge on. Nice relaxed vibe.
L'Isola
Vitello Tonatto
Beef Carpaccio
Pata Negra fettuccini
Rosemary Risotto with wild boar
Always a classic. Had my birthday dinner, the execution of the dishes is as good as the top Italian restaurants in London. You can never go wrong with any kind of there food. Wasn't too rushed as it has been in the past too. Pata Negra fettuccini the best dish (was a special on the night)
Shellona
Trio of mezzo
Grilled squid
Chicken and lamb kebabs
Arrived with low expectations after reviews. Had a great lunch. A trio of Mezze and Grilled squid were both delicious starters. Followed by the lamb and chicken kebabs. Service was efficient, atmosphere was fun, definitely an upgrade on Do Brazil. Ended up spending 4 hours drinking beers and wine as was having such a good time. Probably the best surprise of all our meals, as I didn't have high expectations. Not too pricey compared to most of St Barts restaurants.
Bars
Went to Villa Marie for cocktails. Staff were really friendly and I really liked the decor and cocktails. Bumped into a few people later on in the trip that recommended eating at Francois Plantation.
25 Quartier. Barman really knows his stuff. Huge Bourbon selection. Great chicken quesadillas as a pre dinner snack.
New Rock Bar. Eden Rock. Cool to have a live DJ. Go early to get seat/watch sunset. Good snacks too.
Bo Kao. Great cocktails and very inventive drinks. Barman will make anything you ask for.
Baz Bar - Classic, always fun and live music. Bunch of drunk ladies pulling up their skirts to the music was great entertainment.
Overall, with much difficulty deciding. Best three dinners were Eden Rock, L'espirit and L'isola.
The best lunches were Isle De France (beach restaurant), Shellona and Toiny Beach Club. So hard too choose though, I'm always looking to have great time when I'm on such a special island, so there were hardly any negatives at all.
