Hi y'all.
Haven't done one of these in years so here goes.
Philly-SJU. Went well, airport hotel, Santaela for dinner. was fun. But not doing overnight in SJU again. Rather be in SBH one more night. AA used to not have flight to get there in time with much buffer to catch TJ. Maybe different next year.
Tradewind went perfect as usual.
Villa not ready so lunch. Not much open on Sunday. Repair it was. Pretty good. Full of cruise shippers. Why would a ship come on a Sunday... nothing open.
Then to the Villa, Kai Lio. Ok, but not the best. House below has junk all over and some kind of family garden under the villa. Astroturf garden and dead plants in pots. But ok I guess. $$ Second time there.
Then dinner at Isoletta. Great, low key, fun. Pies and Prosciutto app great a meal by itself. Parking easy on Sunday.
Monday. Lunch at La Cabane. Ok, I'm doin my best with spelling but not gonna correct, but you get the idea. Always great here. Staff is super, as are the sandwiches and sometimes the view of sunbathers.
Dinner, Bonito. has always been my fav. 2x usually. This year, booked months ahead. I always hit like on all there glamourous FB posts. Caved in and used Valet. We were taken to the worst table in the joint in the back by the server station. Food came like minutes after we ordered. Coulda been done in 30 minutes if we wanted. $500 or so. Most expensive whole trip. Food was overall good, but I got the ceviche sampler, one of them was vegetables... what?
Canceled our last night res.
The rest will be brief:
Tuesday, Pearl for lunch, ok I guess. Tamarin for dinner, tied for best of the trip. Great garden seat. people watching, and Foie Gras.
Wednesday Beef Bar. Stuck next to large noisy table. Why do they put a two top next to that? Filet was ok, but a weird shape...
Thursday, Nikki, always fun and happening. Nice people around us. Food, well you know, Nikki...
Dinner, L'Espirit. Complicated for us. We went forever, since opening. Then had a few crappy dinners, so gave it a break for a few. This year overall pretty good, but s I remember, service is gangbusters in the beginning and then disappears as the dinner goes on. Will try again.
Friday, lunch at Christopher, great setting by the water, sand, used to have I thought best burger on the island. Not any more.
Dinner L'Toiney. Excellent. First year that they started with a Tapas menu I was scared. last year and this time was great. Sit by the kitchen, fun to watch. a 10.
Saturday, Guerette for lunch, ok I guess. We have a thing with ceiling fans and they had like a hundred. They just make me crazy as I eat! Just me I am sure.
Dinner L'Isola. perfect as usual. Felt like a star. Ask to sit in front room.
Sunday, Cabane again, great. Al Mare for dinner. last year service was off, this year a really nice night.
Monday, last day, bummer, only 9 this year, lunch at Beach House. Excellent.
Dinner, what would have been Bonito, we went to La Case at Cheval. A great experience, food atmosphere, valet, just everything. Tied with Tamarin. And Toiney...
That's it for food. We are broke now. Thank god for Cap1 points!
Some island notes...
Always Ici&La and St Barth Services. VIP in SJU is recommended if you pass thru.
Tradewind if you can afford it. It is getting borderline for us. If you have to go SXM, get a VIP! Brice at St Barth Service can help.
Parking, yeah a pain, but always found something, except once. Valet at Bonito. Still cheaper than NYC.
Tipping. Nobody asked, we always use Euros for that, charge the rest. Everywhere in the US has tipping. Give these locals a break.
Euros, well that sucked. Guy up stairs downtown has always been great. No name I am sorry. Been there for years. Do it all at once, better exchange.
Car rental, we use Hertz, many are good I am sure, but they have Jimmy's. I think the best vehicle for the roads.
Wow, we discovered Eden to Go this trip, always went to the bakery in Lorient, but really good stuff, nice staff!
La Case Rum, and M'Bolo. I like rum. Super nice people. Ship it home.
L'Artisans. Albert fixed a ring I attempted to size for Lauren, and of course we got some stuff also...
New place, Le Grande Famille. Part of the Bijoux de la mer family, but much friendlier and happy! Great stuff at the shop. See Lucas and his sister. I wish them luck.
Oh, and of course, Cas Del Habano. The girls there are fun to talk to about the island. And cigars. I smoke two year, but love giving them to people in the states.
Hard to find a villa for just two lately, that we can afford. Going big in '27. In case it is our last.. Villa Star.
I often wonder if the restaurants track repeat customers. They should...
Oh lastly, we were leaving Tamarin and while waiting for car talked to nice young couple on honeymoon at Eden. We asked how it was. They offered, without us asking, "don't eat there". How can this be? Used to be one of the best. We stopped going two times ago mostly because of service. Oh well. Maybe 2027.
Trip home uneventful. Except, paid for a hotel room in SJU just incase, because weather forecasters in the Philly area are idiots. Killer storm coming.
We were an early arrival... only job I ever heard of where you can get it so wrong, and still come into work the next day! Thank god they are not pilots!
Sorry, this got long! I hope I didn't offend anybody!
This is a great source of info prior to our trip each year, and we appreciate all the people who input.
See you in '27!
Oh crap, I forgot, get trip insurance always... don't ask.
Haven't done one of these in years so here goes.
Philly-SJU. Went well, airport hotel, Santaela for dinner. was fun. But not doing overnight in SJU again. Rather be in SBH one more night. AA used to not have flight to get there in time with much buffer to catch TJ. Maybe different next year.
Tradewind went perfect as usual.
Villa not ready so lunch. Not much open on Sunday. Repair it was. Pretty good. Full of cruise shippers. Why would a ship come on a Sunday... nothing open.
Then to the Villa, Kai Lio. Ok, but not the best. House below has junk all over and some kind of family garden under the villa. Astroturf garden and dead plants in pots. But ok I guess. $$ Second time there.
Then dinner at Isoletta. Great, low key, fun. Pies and Prosciutto app great a meal by itself. Parking easy on Sunday.
Monday. Lunch at La Cabane. Ok, I'm doin my best with spelling but not gonna correct, but you get the idea. Always great here. Staff is super, as are the sandwiches and sometimes the view of sunbathers.
Dinner, Bonito. has always been my fav. 2x usually. This year, booked months ahead. I always hit like on all there glamourous FB posts. Caved in and used Valet. We were taken to the worst table in the joint in the back by the server station. Food came like minutes after we ordered. Coulda been done in 30 minutes if we wanted. $500 or so. Most expensive whole trip. Food was overall good, but I got the ceviche sampler, one of them was vegetables... what?
Canceled our last night res.
The rest will be brief:
Tuesday, Pearl for lunch, ok I guess. Tamarin for dinner, tied for best of the trip. Great garden seat. people watching, and Foie Gras.
Wednesday Beef Bar. Stuck next to large noisy table. Why do they put a two top next to that? Filet was ok, but a weird shape...
Thursday, Nikki, always fun and happening. Nice people around us. Food, well you know, Nikki...
Dinner, L'Espirit. Complicated for us. We went forever, since opening. Then had a few crappy dinners, so gave it a break for a few. This year overall pretty good, but s I remember, service is gangbusters in the beginning and then disappears as the dinner goes on. Will try again.
Friday, lunch at Christopher, great setting by the water, sand, used to have I thought best burger on the island. Not any more.
Dinner L'Toiney. Excellent. First year that they started with a Tapas menu I was scared. last year and this time was great. Sit by the kitchen, fun to watch. a 10.
Saturday, Guerette for lunch, ok I guess. We have a thing with ceiling fans and they had like a hundred. They just make me crazy as I eat! Just me I am sure.
Dinner L'Isola. perfect as usual. Felt like a star. Ask to sit in front room.
Sunday, Cabane again, great. Al Mare for dinner. last year service was off, this year a really nice night.
Monday, last day, bummer, only 9 this year, lunch at Beach House. Excellent.
Dinner, what would have been Bonito, we went to La Case at Cheval. A great experience, food atmosphere, valet, just everything. Tied with Tamarin. And Toiney...
That's it for food. We are broke now. Thank god for Cap1 points!
Some island notes...
Always Ici&La and St Barth Services. VIP in SJU is recommended if you pass thru.
Tradewind if you can afford it. It is getting borderline for us. If you have to go SXM, get a VIP! Brice at St Barth Service can help.
Parking, yeah a pain, but always found something, except once. Valet at Bonito. Still cheaper than NYC.
Tipping. Nobody asked, we always use Euros for that, charge the rest. Everywhere in the US has tipping. Give these locals a break.
Euros, well that sucked. Guy up stairs downtown has always been great. No name I am sorry. Been there for years. Do it all at once, better exchange.
Car rental, we use Hertz, many are good I am sure, but they have Jimmy's. I think the best vehicle for the roads.
Wow, we discovered Eden to Go this trip, always went to the bakery in Lorient, but really good stuff, nice staff!
La Case Rum, and M'Bolo. I like rum. Super nice people. Ship it home.
L'Artisans. Albert fixed a ring I attempted to size for Lauren, and of course we got some stuff also...
New place, Le Grande Famille. Part of the Bijoux de la mer family, but much friendlier and happy! Great stuff at the shop. See Lucas and his sister. I wish them luck.
Oh, and of course, Cas Del Habano. The girls there are fun to talk to about the island. And cigars. I smoke two year, but love giving them to people in the states.
Hard to find a villa for just two lately, that we can afford. Going big in '27. In case it is our last.. Villa Star.
I often wonder if the restaurants track repeat customers. They should...
Oh lastly, we were leaving Tamarin and while waiting for car talked to nice young couple on honeymoon at Eden. We asked how it was. They offered, without us asking, "don't eat there". How can this be? Used to be one of the best. We stopped going two times ago mostly because of service. Oh well. Maybe 2027.
Trip home uneventful. Except, paid for a hotel room in SJU just incase, because weather forecasters in the Philly area are idiots. Killer storm coming.
We were an early arrival... only job I ever heard of where you can get it so wrong, and still come into work the next day! Thank god they are not pilots!
Sorry, this got long! I hope I didn't offend anybody!
This is a great source of info prior to our trip each year, and we appreciate all the people who input.
See you in '27!
Oh crap, I forgot, get trip insurance always... don't ask.
