La Guerite

Dennis

Senior Insider
Does anyone go there anymore?

Not much intel on the place. Trying to rough out our dining plan and don't know if it's worth consideration.

Time was when the Wall House was a must visit. Multiple times.
 
La Guerite is not Wall House, by any stretch. It's more upscale than Wall House though. I've never been. The menu has not appealed to me. There are a few posts here. The lack of posts may be a bit telling.

Consider L'Isola. I've never been there either, but there are a lot of posts, all favorable if I recall correctly. And that too may be a bit telling.
Consider Orega. It was the restaurant of the season when it opened, and is still killing it.
Consider Tamarin. The grounds of Tamarin at night are magical. The food ain't bad either. It too was the restaurant of the season when it opened.

If you want to try something which very few have tried, look at Zion St-Barth in the old Hideaway location.
If you want to try a wine bar with interesting food, check out Le Papillon Ivre, on the Route de Saline in St Jean. (Go up the road between Hideaway and Le Piment, maybe 100 yards up on the left.)

Both Zion St-Barth and Papillon Ivre have FB pages.
 
And Bananiers and QG are more reliable go to places. Not to mention Maya’s and L’Esprit. We are hoping Langouste is back on track too.
 
We go several times each year. It is very good but quite expensive but c'est la vie? Ask for a Banquette table on the harbor side.
 
And Bananiers and QG are more reliable go to places. Not to mention Maya’s and L’Esprit. We are hoping Langouste is back on track too.
Maya's, Bananiers and Langouste are always on our list. We went to L'Esprit many years ago and thought it wasn't worth the price. I was much poorer then. Maybe worth a try again Amy?
 
I adore the food from Jean-Claude's kitchen. A special occasion or date night is well worth the splurge and the experience of dining in his Saline Garden setting.
 
La Guerite is not Wall House, by any stretch. It's more upscale than Wall House though. I've never been. The menu has not appealed to me. There are a few posts here. The lack of posts may be a bit telling.

Consider L'Isola. I've never been there either, but there are a lot of posts, all favorable if I recall correctly. And that too may be a bit telling.
Consider Orega. It was the restaurant of the season when it opened, and is still killing it.
Consider Tamarin. The grounds of Tamarin at night are magical. The food ain't bad either. It too was the restaurant of the season when it opened.

If you want to try something which very few have tried, look at Zion St-Barth in the old Hideaway location.
If you want to try a wine bar with interesting food, check out Le Papillon Ivre, on the Route de Saline in St Jean. (Go up the road between Hideaway and Le Piment, maybe 100 yards up on the left.)

Both Zion St-Barth and Papillon Ivre have FB pages.

Orega is on the short list.
L'Isola...maybe, maybe not. Been a few times and enjoyed it but might pass this trip.
Tamarin....maybe, maybe not. was not wowed last time.

Eddy's is night 1.
Maya's has already been secured for Thanksgiving dinner.

Still trying to pick a place for my 60th dinner.

Santa Fe will get at least one lunch.

Sand Bar, if opened will get a lunch and maybe a dinner.

There's been talk of a Sunday late seating at Nikki Beach just to see what the fuss is about.

La Langouste perhaps for the 1st days lunch as we'll arrive before our villa is ready.

Shellona and L'Esprit will be visited.

As has been said: "so many restaurants..."
 
I go to La Guerite one or two times/year and wholeheartedly agree with Hopper's comment -- get a banquette table on the harbor side. As far as it being "quite expensive" . . . I'd say that the phrase is somewhat superfluous in discussing the identified restaurants. Are any of them not "quite expensive?" And I don't find La Guerite to be extraordinary in this regard (though, I would caution anyone going there to ask the price of any special before ordering it . . . the prices of "special" items can be breathtaking).

The restaurant and bar actually are, I believe, quite interesting -- even exciting, at times. Food has been very good, in my experience . . . wait staff excellent . . . always a beautiful young hostess . . . lovely early evening view . . . gracious and very attractive bar area for pre-dinner cocktails. As evening progresses -- occurring generally about 9 PM -- there is a growing number of European guests . . . who tend to smoke. Similar issue at QG and in a few other mentioned restaurants that excuse smoking by claiming to be "open air." Thus, one good reason for being in a banquette on harbor side of the restaurant -- much better air circulation.

As the European (visitors as well as local "Metros") crowd grows in size during the evening, the music level is ramp'd up . . . much like at Bagatelle. By 11 PM, I'd venture a guess that La Guerite is the after dinner venue-of-choice for most of the European Gen Z and Millennial crowd on the island as well as an appreciable number of people of a "more mature" age and affluent means. You'll also find Americans in -- and enjoying -- the scene.

No doubt, La Guerite isn't The Wall House Restaurant . . . nor is David's Santa Fe the same as Manu's Santa Fe . . . or Shellona like Do Brazil . . . or Tamarin under Manu like Tamarin was under Paco & Julie. On the other hand, Eddy's remains the same as it has been since opening . . . same might be said for L'Esprit and Maya's and Le Grain de Sel.

I love the dining room of Le Sereno . . . I expect that the new "Sand Bar" is going to be pretty spectacular in setting and food . . . oddly enough, because it is far from a "trattoria," I feel that L'Isola offers exquisite "comfort food" . . . I think that Zion is the best spot to open on the island in many years Orega, as far as I measure, has become ridiculously over-priced (but still go there, occasionally).

Birthday dinner . . . L'Esprit.
 
Birthday dinner . . . L'Esprit.

Dennis,

Thank you for that feedback and intel.

My birthday dinner will probably be "downtown" so that I may enjoy an after dinner cognac at Baz before the short drive up the hill to the villa in Lurin.

I'm trying to decide between Bonito and Bagatelle.
 
Interesting decision . . . I probably would go with an outside table at Bagatelle. Either way, I'm sure that it'll be a very special celebration.
 
Dennis,

Thank you for that feedback and intel.

My birthday dinner will probably be "downtown" so that I may enjoy an after dinner cognac at Baz before the short drive up the hill to the villa in Lurin.

I'm trying to decide between Bonito and Bagatelle.

Son, go to L’Esprit and then carefully drive to Baz. Don’t waste a birthday on either of the B restos in town.
 
Son, go to L’Esprit and then carefully drive to Baz. Don’t waste a birthday on either of the B restos in town.

I appreciate the advice, strangeman. My hesitation is that the one time we went to L'Espirt, it was us and 3 other tables. This was during Christmas week.

Zero atmosphere but good food.
 
. . . My hesitation is that the one time we went to L'Espirt, it was us and 3 other tables. This was during Christmas week. Zero atmosphere but good food.

Amazin’! I pretty much qualify as a “regular” at L’Esprit . . . and rarely find it that empty. There is growing (& growing!) competition in the dining market, however. In this regard, I can say that L’Esprit has a somewhat disparate following — a lot of “locals” (well over 50% . . . “Metros” included) and Americans who find that L’Esprit offers “fine dining” without glitz. (Once in a while, unfortunately, there’ll be a loud, intoxicated group of young Americans.j

“Atmosphere,” thus, is another relative concept. I recently celebrated a birthday there, for example, & pre-arranged — for me & guests — a chocolate mousse birthday cake (as anyone can do). There was no “Roman candle” or gathering of staff to sing happy birthday. My guests & I shared champagne, mousse, & the cheer of being together. It was memorable fun, & we were largely oblivious to the many guests at other tables who, likewise, were oblivious to us!

My conclusion, as a result, is to find the venue that “lights your fire!” (Maybe the new Joel Robuchon restaurant will be open & of interest?). Whatever the choice, you know that the Forum eagerly awaits a post about the evening! Wishing an early happy birthday!
 
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Hey Menace...have you given any thought to Francois Plantation for the "big" dinner? I dined there in in July and was blown away by its awesomeness...food, service, ambiance, etc. I went to the original back in 1997 and my memory of the the evening was just as fantastic. Price-wise, it's in line with the other fine-dining establishments on the island.

FWIW...I'm with that "JEK" dude: Skip the B restaurants in Gustavia for this momentous meal.
 
Missy and John are exactly aligned with my register. Although, I enjoy Bagatelle, not ranking as my 1st of choices.
 
I'd have a birthday dinner at Orega. A thought about Nikki's on Sunday ...... I would opt for the
earlier seating (which can be "entertaining") and then move to the bar area to take in the craziness at the
later seating. Then you can enjoy lunch and leave when you've had enough of the action.
 
Hey Menace...have you given any thought to Francois Plantation for the "big" dinner? I dined there in in July and was blown away by its awesomeness...food, service, ambiance, etc. I went to the original back in 1997 and my memory of the the evening was just as fantastic. Price-wise, it's in line with the other fine-dining establishments on the island.

FWIW...I'm with that "JEK" dude: Skip the B restaurants in Gustavia for this momentous meal.

Thank you, Chop.

I hadn't thought about the FP @ VM. I'll look into it.

Also, I'll bet this JEK clown is a 1 hit wonder, never to be heard from again. Probably a daytripper from SXM.
 
Thank you, Chop.

I hadn't thought about the FP @ VM. I'll look into it.

Also, I'll bet this JEK clown is a 1 hit wonder, never to be heard from again. Probably a daytripper from SXM.

True 'dat...I'll bet he wears black socks with white tennis shoes and carries around a big a** camera, too.
 
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