Thoughts on Sunday Seatings at Nikki Beach

agenova

SBH Member
My wife and I are returning to St. Barth in January after a three year hiatus and I wanted to seek some Forum advice on the Sunday seatings at Nikki Beach. This will be our eleventh trip to the island and we have never been to Nikki Beach but some first timers are joining us who have expressed interest in checking it out for the Sunday experience. For those who have been, which seating/time would you suggest to get the best experience?

As an aside, this Forum has been an invaluable resource over the years for staying current and connected to the island and I want to thank the dedicated members (I am an admitted lurker) for all of the great information.
 
I would recommend that your group go to the first seating at !2:30. Good food and drink. By 2:30, things heat up with the sax player, people dancing on tables.. The staff will ask you to leave by 3:30. Get a drink at the bar and then watch things get really crazy. all over the restaurant and the beach.
Great experience and much fun.
Cheers
Lance
 
Depend what vibe you’re looking for. We’ve done both and it is quieter for the first seating. Still fun, but not as crazy. One year we were able to stay beyond the first seating, guessing our table wasn’t booked and /or we were ordering correctly :cool: Also we were seated next to the Matthews....

Last year we had the second seating and they asked the patrons at our table to leave. They had no food or beverages left and we’re both looking at their phones (?) so no biggie. We had a great time.
 
Having been on Sunday for many years, we actually more enjoy the weekday lunch dining at Nikki. The food is excellent at Nikki, the service very good and the view is awesome. We were turned off last January when Nikki asked for our credit card information for Sunday reservations.
 
The first seating on Sunday is really fun, and lively without being too crazy. We always bring our towels and jump into the sea for a swim after lunch so we can listen to the music for longer and watch people dancing on tables.
 
"some first timers are joining us who have expressed interest in checking it out for the Sunday experience"
The Sunday experience is the 3:30 seating IMHO. That doesn't mean it is the best fit for you or for them because it gets a little cra-cra, but if they know enough to want to try the Sunday experience they probably have heard/read/watched videos about the 3:30 seating...
 
We have always said the best seats to enjoy the Sunday Nikki experience is from our beach chairs just on the fringe of the mayhem.
We bring a bottle of our best and sit back and enjoy...
 
Many thanks for the replies and suggestions. It sounds like the first seating is still "fun" but a little less hectic and we can try to linger a little longer on the beach if our friends want to take in the late afternoon mayhem. I'll present both options to our friends and see what they prefer. We'll be there Jan 10th - 18th - how far in advance would you suggest we make reservations? Much appreciated.

Dave
 
I think the early seating is a perfect way to dip your toe in so to speak. As far as hanging around to watch the "mayhem", it could be a while while until the champagne kicks in...
 
I would make the reservation as soon as I knew which seating I wanted. We haven't been in there for high season for a number of years but even in November its packed. Last year Randy hurt his foot and was on crutches so I tried to move us to 12:30 PM but it was booked. On a related note, they could NOT have been nicer about it. I had to drop him off and find parking and by the time I got back he was nicely ensconced in a chair while we waited for our table.

I've always had good results emailing them. I think I heard they want a CC to hold the reservation now.
 
Thanks to all for the suggestions. I've emailed the request and look forward to checking it out with our friends. I like the idea of lingering longer but also value late afternoon lounge time at the villa before heading out to dinner. We can hopefully accomplish both by doing the earlier seating and then hang out on the beach for a bit with cocktails. Thanks again!

Dave
 
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