Initial comment: This was my 5[SUP]th [/SUP]trip to the island, though first time with the kids.
Day 1: Arrival St. Barth Commuter– these people are really awesome. Granted, we had a private charter so service was expected to be good, but it was excellent. On arrival in SXM they seamlessly took care of our baggage from our incoming USA flight, and whisked us to the departure terminal, avoiding Immigration/Customs altogether. They even managed to cut our long layover short by departing early, getting us into SBH almost an hour early. N.B.: the airport SXM is a very unpleasant place to spend a few hours, there’s nothing to do and no good food & beverage options. Next time will probably route through San Juan. After arrival at SBH, checked in to villa (Sibarth was GREAT meeting us at airport and transporting our bags) and then had a GREAT dinner at Le Repaire (highly recommend the lobster pasta). This place turned out to be a really good spot for a first-night dinner.
Day 2: Lazy morning getting comfortable at the villa, then lunch at Fish Corner. Was a little hard to find (got conflicting directions from nearby shop owners, including the store directly next store). But the trek was worth it – the fish dishes here are phenomenal. Service super friendly. After lunch drove to Gouverneur and had a glorious afternoon swimming and sunning on one of the top beaches on the island. Dinner at Bonito was SPECTACULAR with respect to both food (steak was great) and service. Easily one of the top 3 meals on island.
Day 3: Pearl Beach for lunch. Was just so-so. On reflection, although it wasn’t “bad,” it turned out to be the second worst meal we had in 10 days on the island. Would have gone somewhere else in retrospect. On the other hand, the beach chairs are a nice amenity (although you pay extra for them) as is watching the planes land/takeoff. Dinner at Maya’s, which was even better than I remembered it to be. Limited menu, but a couple of terrific items is all we needed. Warm, friendly service. Easy to see why this place is so well-loved. I’ve been back here every time I visited the island, and this time was actually the best, so IMO this place has only gotten better.
Day 4: Morning at Saline beach. Lots of seaweed in the water, but we happened to venture forth across the rocks on the left side and found a perfectly sublime spot to swim. Lunch at nearby Grain de Sel – wasn’t expecting much but was very pleasantly surprised. Had the whole fresh caught fish and it was delicious, and the service was great. Afternoon shopping in Gustavia, cocktails at the villa, then off to Tamarin for dinner. It’s been a few years so I almost forgot how beautiful a scene Tamarin is. If you haven’t been, do yourself a favor and go. Only problem this night was one of my kids wasn’t feeling well so we had trouble enjoying the experience, although I have to say everything we ordered (pork belly and ribeye steak, especially) were excellent. (We went back on last day – only place we went to twice this trip.)
Day 5: Another lazy morning at villa. Then off to lunch at Villa Marie/Francois Plantation. My wife thought this was the best meal she had the whole trip. We really loved it, food, atmosphere and service all first class. Numerous turtles visited our table during lunch, which my kids loved, and they welcomed the kids to spend some time in the pool after the meal (not all hotels will do this for non-guests). Great lunch at Villa Marie! Then off to Flamands for a GLORIOUS, actually PERFECT, afternoon of swimming. This beach rivals any I have seen, and I’ve been around. Back to villa, watched sunset in the villa pool drinking cocktails, then late dinner with the wife at Ociela, which was very nice (another great lobster pasta).
Day 6: In the morning took the wife for a couple’s spathing at the Hotel Christopher. Waves crashing right outside the spa treatment room – simply amazing. Then lunch at Le Sereno – man these Italian guys are super friendly and the food is equally awesome. Great lunch! Lazy afternoon at the villa, then dinner with the kids at Black Ginger. I liked the food at Black Ginger, and the manager and wait staff are very nice, but I guess because it’s open air, all the cancer-stick-suckers (a/k/a cigarette smokers) feel entitled to light up at will and ruin everyone else’s dining experience.
Day 7: Morning boat charter with Jicky Marine. Sailed a beautiful catamaran to Colombier and did some amazing snorkeling (saw tons of fish and several sea turtles) as well as some time on the beach, which as anyone who has been there knows is hands-down the best beach on the island (and one of the best in the entire Caribbean). Crew onboard was terrific, and the boat itself was very nice. Back in Gustavia, pizza for lunch at Isoletta, which was very good, though very hot out on their outdoor patio. Afternoon back at Gouverneur, a little rocky that day but still my fave beach after Colombier and tied with Flamands. Then back at the villa (swim in the pool). Ran over to Lorient beach for a quick solitaire swim (hadn’t been there before even after 5 trips so wanted to check it out – it was a little underwhelming). Dinner with the wife at Christo (Hotel Christopher). SUPERB! This place really stands out. Exquisite food, setting, and service.
Day 8: Lunch at Shellona. Was expecting not to like it. Turned out loving it! Great seafood, extremely good service. Afterwards swam/snorkeled with the kids in the water off Shell Beach – this too was better than expected, lots of amazing fish right there! Cocktails at villa, getting ready for dinner. Dropped off au pair at Nikki Beach, took wife and kids to Langouste. This turned out to be VERY DISAPPOINTING. Easily the worst meal of the trip for me, although in the restaurant’s defense I will say my kids liked the menu enfant.
Day 9: Lunch at Le Toiny Beach Club. Stayed at this hotel 4 years ago when the beach club was just under construction, so was curious how it turned out, and found it to be really great. A really nice way to spend a long lunch. Trip down on the jeep is super cool for the little ones, the food is quite delicious, and the view and overall atmosphere was really, really nice. Will go here again on my next visit for sure. Back to Gouverneur for some afternoon swimming, then crepes at Le Creperie in Gustavia (very good!). Dinner with the wife at Orega in Gustavia, really liked the spicy tuna sushi.
Day 10: Morning at Flamands with the kids. Hard to image any more perfect beach conditions. Lunch at Nikki Beach. Had to see what all the fuss is about. Was expecting to hate it but had a great time. Liked the food a lot (shrimp appetizer was my fave) and the service quite friendly. Watched the USA soccer ladies kick some English butt! Afternoon shopping in Gustavia to give the wife a chance to buy some more clothes. Because the creperie and all the gelato stores in Gustavia were unfortunately closed, stopped at the frozen yogurt place in St. Jean, it was not bad. Got ready for dinner with some cocktails and a short swim at the villa. Went back to Tamarin for dinner (canceled Eddy’s to do this) and was given a very nice table in the garden, though would have enjoyed a bit more breeze given the temperature. Still enjoyed the food at Tamarin, but not as much as the first time. Kids loved playing in the “house” though, and running around the trees. All in all quite an enjoyable evening.
Day 11: Departure day. Transfer through SXM more difficult than coming in, probably due to the fact that we went Winair and not St. Barth Commuter. Long layover in SXM, killed some time at Sunset bar but that place is close to my definition of Hell.
Other observations: Went with the advice on this forum and rented a car through Gumbs – this was a great decision, Odile is the best! I’m converted, will always use Gumbs from now on. Sibarth agency service is the best I’ve experienced so far, and I’ve now rented from all three big agencies (Wimco, St. Barth Properties and Sibarth). St. Barth Commuter is far better than Winair, will always fly them from now on. The island is missing a good liquor store (couldn’t find a premium bottle of bourbon anywhere). Lots of road construction at the moment, but of course that’s only temporary. Stopped by a looksie at Eden Rock, though still under construction, should be great when it’s ready to re-open in November. Found the island to be far more kid-friendly than I thought it would be. My kids really loved St. Barth. Looking forward to the next trip!
Day 1: Arrival St. Barth Commuter– these people are really awesome. Granted, we had a private charter so service was expected to be good, but it was excellent. On arrival in SXM they seamlessly took care of our baggage from our incoming USA flight, and whisked us to the departure terminal, avoiding Immigration/Customs altogether. They even managed to cut our long layover short by departing early, getting us into SBH almost an hour early. N.B.: the airport SXM is a very unpleasant place to spend a few hours, there’s nothing to do and no good food & beverage options. Next time will probably route through San Juan. After arrival at SBH, checked in to villa (Sibarth was GREAT meeting us at airport and transporting our bags) and then had a GREAT dinner at Le Repaire (highly recommend the lobster pasta). This place turned out to be a really good spot for a first-night dinner.
Day 2: Lazy morning getting comfortable at the villa, then lunch at Fish Corner. Was a little hard to find (got conflicting directions from nearby shop owners, including the store directly next store). But the trek was worth it – the fish dishes here are phenomenal. Service super friendly. After lunch drove to Gouverneur and had a glorious afternoon swimming and sunning on one of the top beaches on the island. Dinner at Bonito was SPECTACULAR with respect to both food (steak was great) and service. Easily one of the top 3 meals on island.
Day 3: Pearl Beach for lunch. Was just so-so. On reflection, although it wasn’t “bad,” it turned out to be the second worst meal we had in 10 days on the island. Would have gone somewhere else in retrospect. On the other hand, the beach chairs are a nice amenity (although you pay extra for them) as is watching the planes land/takeoff. Dinner at Maya’s, which was even better than I remembered it to be. Limited menu, but a couple of terrific items is all we needed. Warm, friendly service. Easy to see why this place is so well-loved. I’ve been back here every time I visited the island, and this time was actually the best, so IMO this place has only gotten better.
Day 4: Morning at Saline beach. Lots of seaweed in the water, but we happened to venture forth across the rocks on the left side and found a perfectly sublime spot to swim. Lunch at nearby Grain de Sel – wasn’t expecting much but was very pleasantly surprised. Had the whole fresh caught fish and it was delicious, and the service was great. Afternoon shopping in Gustavia, cocktails at the villa, then off to Tamarin for dinner. It’s been a few years so I almost forgot how beautiful a scene Tamarin is. If you haven’t been, do yourself a favor and go. Only problem this night was one of my kids wasn’t feeling well so we had trouble enjoying the experience, although I have to say everything we ordered (pork belly and ribeye steak, especially) were excellent. (We went back on last day – only place we went to twice this trip.)
Day 5: Another lazy morning at villa. Then off to lunch at Villa Marie/Francois Plantation. My wife thought this was the best meal she had the whole trip. We really loved it, food, atmosphere and service all first class. Numerous turtles visited our table during lunch, which my kids loved, and they welcomed the kids to spend some time in the pool after the meal (not all hotels will do this for non-guests). Great lunch at Villa Marie! Then off to Flamands for a GLORIOUS, actually PERFECT, afternoon of swimming. This beach rivals any I have seen, and I’ve been around. Back to villa, watched sunset in the villa pool drinking cocktails, then late dinner with the wife at Ociela, which was very nice (another great lobster pasta).
Day 6: In the morning took the wife for a couple’s spathing at the Hotel Christopher. Waves crashing right outside the spa treatment room – simply amazing. Then lunch at Le Sereno – man these Italian guys are super friendly and the food is equally awesome. Great lunch! Lazy afternoon at the villa, then dinner with the kids at Black Ginger. I liked the food at Black Ginger, and the manager and wait staff are very nice, but I guess because it’s open air, all the cancer-stick-suckers (a/k/a cigarette smokers) feel entitled to light up at will and ruin everyone else’s dining experience.
Day 7: Morning boat charter with Jicky Marine. Sailed a beautiful catamaran to Colombier and did some amazing snorkeling (saw tons of fish and several sea turtles) as well as some time on the beach, which as anyone who has been there knows is hands-down the best beach on the island (and one of the best in the entire Caribbean). Crew onboard was terrific, and the boat itself was very nice. Back in Gustavia, pizza for lunch at Isoletta, which was very good, though very hot out on their outdoor patio. Afternoon back at Gouverneur, a little rocky that day but still my fave beach after Colombier and tied with Flamands. Then back at the villa (swim in the pool). Ran over to Lorient beach for a quick solitaire swim (hadn’t been there before even after 5 trips so wanted to check it out – it was a little underwhelming). Dinner with the wife at Christo (Hotel Christopher). SUPERB! This place really stands out. Exquisite food, setting, and service.
Day 8: Lunch at Shellona. Was expecting not to like it. Turned out loving it! Great seafood, extremely good service. Afterwards swam/snorkeled with the kids in the water off Shell Beach – this too was better than expected, lots of amazing fish right there! Cocktails at villa, getting ready for dinner. Dropped off au pair at Nikki Beach, took wife and kids to Langouste. This turned out to be VERY DISAPPOINTING. Easily the worst meal of the trip for me, although in the restaurant’s defense I will say my kids liked the menu enfant.
Day 9: Lunch at Le Toiny Beach Club. Stayed at this hotel 4 years ago when the beach club was just under construction, so was curious how it turned out, and found it to be really great. A really nice way to spend a long lunch. Trip down on the jeep is super cool for the little ones, the food is quite delicious, and the view and overall atmosphere was really, really nice. Will go here again on my next visit for sure. Back to Gouverneur for some afternoon swimming, then crepes at Le Creperie in Gustavia (very good!). Dinner with the wife at Orega in Gustavia, really liked the spicy tuna sushi.
Day 10: Morning at Flamands with the kids. Hard to image any more perfect beach conditions. Lunch at Nikki Beach. Had to see what all the fuss is about. Was expecting to hate it but had a great time. Liked the food a lot (shrimp appetizer was my fave) and the service quite friendly. Watched the USA soccer ladies kick some English butt! Afternoon shopping in Gustavia to give the wife a chance to buy some more clothes. Because the creperie and all the gelato stores in Gustavia were unfortunately closed, stopped at the frozen yogurt place in St. Jean, it was not bad. Got ready for dinner with some cocktails and a short swim at the villa. Went back to Tamarin for dinner (canceled Eddy’s to do this) and was given a very nice table in the garden, though would have enjoyed a bit more breeze given the temperature. Still enjoyed the food at Tamarin, but not as much as the first time. Kids loved playing in the “house” though, and running around the trees. All in all quite an enjoyable evening.
Day 11: Departure day. Transfer through SXM more difficult than coming in, probably due to the fact that we went Winair and not St. Barth Commuter. Long layover in SXM, killed some time at Sunset bar but that place is close to my definition of Hell.
Other observations: Went with the advice on this forum and rented a car through Gumbs – this was a great decision, Odile is the best! I’m converted, will always use Gumbs from now on. Sibarth agency service is the best I’ve experienced so far, and I’ve now rented from all three big agencies (Wimco, St. Barth Properties and Sibarth). St. Barth Commuter is far better than Winair, will always fly them from now on. The island is missing a good liquor store (couldn’t find a premium bottle of bourbon anywhere). Lots of road construction at the moment, but of course that’s only temporary. Stopped by a looksie at Eden Rock, though still under construction, should be great when it’s ready to re-open in November. Found the island to be far more kid-friendly than I thought it would be. My kids really loved St. Barth. Looking forward to the next trip!
