Our First Couple Days in our Happy Place!

[Faye]

Arrived Friday evening. Fortunately we were bumped onto an earlier flight on WinAir as it turned out to be the last flight in.

If you were one of the 4 who were not allowed to board as your AF flight came in late, apologies. I could see the disappointment as you tried to get on the flight.

We booked the services of Vincent and once again it’s the best € we spent on this trip, especially if you have a tight connection.

Rented our vehicle from Meurice ( we had a great experience with them in May) and they were cheaper than Avis, our usual choice.

It’s way hotter here in Nov than I was expecting, but no mosquitos so far and I’m a mosquito magnet.
Also way busier than expected but so far no issues finding parking in Gustavia.

Friday Night : I was fading by 730pm but I rallied . Remy for pre dinner. Lots of well heeled beautiful people , great vibe, awesome service. Had something with Passion Fruit and Mango, delicious!

Dinner : Le Cafe 930pm.
In April we went on a Wed nite and it was great but if you’re a Nikki Sunday Late seating regular then late seating on Fri/ Sat at Le Cafe will be just up your alley.

Amazing service, no upsells, no touting for tips. Great ambiance,( demo is varied ) , not just the younger electro music crowd. Everyone was very well dressed. This is the place to bring out your big name purses. I far prefer Le C to Bagatelle/ Petit Plage. Food is tastier , waitstaff not pushy.

The food we ordered was good. Endive salad ( delicious), Prawns Carpcccio ( meh!)
Lamb- Moroccan flavours( amazing).

Entertainment : D/J, male and female singers , very very talented. Great music selection, Bee Gees, MJ, Frank Sinatra etc. We had great table mates on both adjacent tables so had a really fun time.

We left around midnight at which time it feels like the vibe changes to more of a clubby atmosphere with the younger set and music became more Electro slanted. We had been awake since 5am so it was time to catch up on my beauty sleep!

Great first night.

Of note: we had made reservations for many places way back in July/ August and surprisingly many were booked and we had to make adjustments. I wasn’t expecting it to be soo busy since the season had just started but lesson learned.

 

[Faye]

Day 2: I had booked a Spa Day Pass at Guanahani.
Excellent value. The spa is gorgeous, so zen.
Constance did my massage and she was phenomenal. Better than my regular therapist at home. My DH had a great massage as well. We ambled the property. I like splitting my time between two spots so wanted to ascertain if this would be an option moving forward. Had a delicious toes in the sand lunch at the Beach House. Apparently they had a visiting chef , but the food was good , not exceptional. Desserts were divine.
I nibbled as we had reservations for Mamo later that night.

 

[cec1]

Day 2: I had booked a Spa Day Pass at Guanahani.
Excellent value. The spa is gorgeous, so zen.
Constance did my massage and she was phenomenal. Better than my regular therapist at home. My DH had a great massage as well. We ambled the property. I like splitting my time between two spots so wanted to ascertain if this would be an option moving forward. Had a delicious toes in the sand lunch at the Beach House. Apparently they had a visiting chef , but the food was good , not exceptional. Desserts were divine.
I nibbled as we had reservations for Mamo later that night.

Were you at Mamo last night (Saturday)?

 

[Faye]

Were you at Mamo last night (Saturday)?

Yes we were. Thought we recognized you but didn’t want to intrude. Hope you had a lovely dinner.

 

[cec1]

Yes we were. Thought we recognized you but didn’t want to intrude. Hope you had a lovely dinner.

Exquisite dinner . . . thanks! I’m sorry that we didn’t meet! You’re off to a great start . . . I’ll be eager to follow your visit. Enjoy every minute!

 

[Faye]

I’ll update on this thread rather than starting a new one.

Day 3 : Sunday
Had a lazy, light breakfast and then headed to NB for early lunch.
Food was amazing, service professional, music phenomenal. Love the Sax player.

Thereafter did some shopping in St. Jean. Bought a cute top at POP. We then took a refreshing swim in the water and went back to the hotel to chill.

Supper : La Casina. The place was humming. Great service, good food. Perfect for a casual Sunday night out and excellent price point.

Day 4
We booked loungers and lunch at GypSea. Loungers front row €80 pp with a parasol. Again great service on the beach and in the restaurant. Lovely ambiance. Highly recommend for a beach day.
Scattered showers throughout the day, but nothing to disrupt our fun.

 

[Faye]

The days are flying by. Lazy mornings, a light brekkie, we make a loose plan for the day.
I do miss a hotel close to the beach but the views are stunning especially at sunset.

We had dinner on Monday evening at Nyama.
Tuti and her assistants are wonderful. Soo personable and accommodating.
A definite on the list for next time.
The table next to us had the Grill. The spread looked delish but nope I’m not cooking .

Tuesday was a bank holiday so a fair number of stores were closed in town. We ambled, did some shopping. Sat out a rain shower at Bar d’ Oubli. Another first for us. Listened to the band across the way at Le Select. I planned on giving them another try and having a burger for lunch but my LDL nos from last week were lingering lol so opted for a Greek salad at Bar d’ O.

Took a drive to check out GypSea hotel for potential stay next time but I don’t think it’s for us. The road up is way too windy for me.

Stopped at Governeur for a swim and on our way back ventured up to Vitet. I know some like the area. Again too windy for me lol. I get motion sickness on a straight road .

Finished off the day with a fabulous dinner at Tamarin.

It’s been an amazing trip so far. I thought it would be overkill doing two trips in one year but we’re having a wonderful time. Each trip is soo different.

Today, our plan is no plan! Will see where we end up.

 

[Saline Man]

Tuesday was Armistice Day, not a bank holiday.

 

[Faye]

I’m aware. We call it Remembrance day and many of us wear our Poppies from after Halloween and everyone honours the 2 minutes of silence at 11am on the 11th. My great grandad (M) was in the RAF.

However many stores had signs on the door that they were closed for Tuesday Bank Holiday and the assistants at Lolita Jaca, and Soleil both referenced it as a Bank Holiday!

We had to tell them we call it Remembrance Day.

 

[Saline Man]

Gustavia parking was easy on Tuesday.

 

[Faye]

Heading back home.

Spent another gorgeous day at GypSea.
The only place the whole week btw, that we were asked if we wanted to leave to tip.

The service was phenomenal on both the days we spent there. If you’re looking for a chill beach day, with comfy loungers,and good food, I highly recommend.

We popped in late one evening to Bonito for their amazing souffle. Sat in the lounge area. Again amazing service and ambiance.

We ended our week with supper at Eddys.
I know the place gets lots of love on the board but for us it just misses the mark. Maybe we’re ordering the wrong thing??
We went there 4 yrs ago and hadn’t been back since.The papaya salad and the chocolate nems were delicious, but the coconut prawns curry and Wahoo with ginger, imo was waay too light on flavour. I’d tried the Goat curry years ago and also felt it just did not achieve the flavours of a Caribbean curry, ie until I asked for hot sauce.

We loved the setting though and I’ll go back but likely will order a bunch of apps.
Service was once again amazing.

Not sure if we’ll be back in ‘26, have a few land trips and family commitments but we’re sitting on the plane already considering where we’d stay the next time !!
I still haven’t made it to Bbq night at Toiny or L’Esprit, so I’ll have to come back!

Happy travels all and ty to forum for the tips and info that you all have provided over the years.

 

[amyb]

Thank you for sharing your vacation. I enjoyed your point of view

 

[cec1]

Heading back home.

Spent another gorgeous day at GypSea.
The only place the whole week btw, that we were asked if we wanted to leave to tip.

The service was phenomenal on both the days we spent there. If you’re looking for a chill beach day, with comfy loungers,and good food, I highly recommend.

We popped in late one evening to Bonito for their amazing souffle. Sat in the lounge area. Again amazing service and ambiance.

We ended our week with supper at Eddys.
I know the place gets lots of love on the board but for us it just misses the mark. Maybe we’re ordering the wrong thing??
We went there 4 yrs ago and hadn’t been back since.The papaya salad and the chocolate nems were delicious, but the coconut prawns curry and Wahoo with ginger, imo was waay too light on flavour. I’d tried the Goat curry years ago and also felt it just did not achieve the flavours of a Caribbean curry, ie until I asked for hot sauce.

We loved the setting though and I’ll go back but likely will order a bunch of apps.
Service was once again amazing.

Not sure if we’ll be back in ‘26, have a few land trips and family commitments but we’re sitting on the plane already considering where we’d stay the next time !!
I still haven’t made it to Bbq night at Toiny or L’Esprit, so I’ll have to come back!

Happy travels all and ty to forum for the tips and info that you all have provided over the years.

I'm with Amy -- enjoyed your reporting!

Interesting to hear about souffles at Bonito . . . didn't know they are offered (I stopped going there several years ago when I got tired of the persistent efforts of waiters to upsell me on wine . . . thank you, sfbarts for highlighting this issue!).

Eddy's . . . it's funny that you found the coconut prawns curry and Wahoo with ginger to be light on flavor -- the flavors are quite personal, and -- as someone who eats often at Eddy's -- I know that the chef, "Franck," struggles a bit to achieve a balance in the flavors for guests who like them strong and others who want only a hint of them. Next time you're there, I suggest that you emphasize to your waiter that you like a lot of flavor . . . if that's how you're feeling. Meanwhile . . . agree -- the papaya salad and nems are among my favorites on the menu. (As an aside, I'd also strongly recommend the lamb chops . . . dependably delicious, IMO!)

"BBQ nights" at Le Toiny and L'Esprit . . . pretty sure that the latter doesn't have a BBQ night. Le Toiny . . . not familiar with it there either, though it does offer dinner on the beach once a week (it has been Thursday . . . not sure if it has changed) -- maybe some grilled items that night.

It's great that tips & info from the Forum have been useful . . . as has your input been valuable! I hope that you'll be able to squeeze in some time in 2026 for SBH!

 

[Risa]

Hi Faye! You actually got me to log into the forum instead of just lurking.

Sounds like a great trip! Interesting to hear your restaurant choices and reviews, since I am ALMOST done with booking all of mine for my trip in 2 months. Between waiting for them to get back to me, filling out the forms and sending back...it's a full time job. This time I'll be going with 5 friends - the most I've ever done is 3 other friends, and that was almost 15 years ago, will be interesting to see how we all get along. Fingers crossed.

I have some overlap with you (there are no shortages for restaurants, of course), but have elected not to go to any Italian as we have an embarrassment of riches with Italian restaurants in NYC. Mapo (which I'm eager to check out) doesn't open up reservations for the day I need until Sunday, which is my last one I need to book. We're also going to Tamarin so happy to hear it was "fabulous." Dinner booked at Bonito (which I really do love.) And Le Papillon Ivre, which is also a favorite. I thought about Thursday night at Le Toiny, but instead we will do lunch there on Sunday (instead of Nikki - the group didn't want the hoopla, we're going for a lower key lunch there on Friday). Plus TiCorail one day, and one night we'll cook at home - we have fabulous views in Devet.

I've never heard anyone admit that they don't love Eddy's. I never got into either, but never admitted that aloud. I just had some not great meals in my early years and kind of gave up on it.

I also plan to do Remy for an aperitivo one night and maybe the Baron De Rothschild Lounge as a few of us are serious wine drinkers and the by the glass options are great. Glad you posted your report!!

 

[Saline Man]

Miss Faye:

We where there on the same night as you. We agree, we try to make it work, but it is just OK.

 

[elgreaux]

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The Thursday dinner on the beach at Le Toiny is quite a party scene... a friend posted this this week....

 

[cec1]

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The Thursday dinner on the beach at Le Toiny is quite a party scene... a friend posted this this week....

Hi Ellen . . . I'm sorry that the link that you posted won't open for me -- not sure what it depicts, but I'd like to see what is meant by "quite a party scene." It was a year ago that I was last there (with guests), and it was a fun evening with excellent dining, fairly priced wines, & light-hearted, amusing entertainment. “Quite a party scene" . . . I wouldn't say so. Certainly not "hedonistic," as "The Barry" promises. In my experience, it was very much a scene out of an evening parade at a Disney park . . . one of those "nighttime spectacular" parades with dancers and figures illuminated with hundreds (maybe thousands?) of dazzling, brilliant LED lights.

Who knows, however . . . things can change a lot in a year. Or maybe I‘ve only been there on tame nights. In any event, my Thursday Le Toiny evenings have been enjoyable. But not party scenes such as one can find more easily elsewhere on the island.

 

[JEK]

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The Thursday dinner on the beach at Le Toiny is quite a party scene... a friend posted this this week....

 

[Faye]

I'm with Amy -- enjoyed your reporting!

Interesting to hear about souffles at Bonito . . . didn't know they are offered (I stopped going there several years ago when I got tired of the persistent efforts of waiters to upsell me on wine . . . thank you, sfbarts for highlighting this issue!).

Eddy's . . . it's funny that you found the coconut prawns curry and Wahoo with ginger to be light on flavor -- the flavors are quite personal, and -- as someone who eats often at Eddy's -- I know that the chef, "Franck," struggles a bit to achieve a balance in the flavors for guests who like them strong and others who want only a hint of them. Next time you're there, I suggest that you emphasize to your waiter that you like a lot of flavor . . . if that's how you're feeling. Meanwhile . . . agree -- the papaya salad and nems are among my favorites on the menu. (As an aside, I'd also strongly recommend the lamb chops . . . dependably delicious, IMO!)

"BBQ nights" at Le Toiny and L'Esprit . . . pretty sure that the latter doesn't have a BBQ night. Le Toiny . . . not familiar with it there either, though it does offer dinner on the beach once a week (it has been Thursday . . . not sure if it has changed) -- maybe some grilled items that night.

It's great that tips & info from the Forum have been useful . . . as has your input been valuable! I hope that you'll be able to squeeze in some time in 2026 for SBH!

Soufflés at Bonito and BeefBar are delicious.
I try to have one somewhere on each trip.

Re Eddys: good to know will ask for a bump in heat/flavours next time.

Re Le Toiny, I seem to have gotten my wires crossed. In the midst of planning our trip to
Val d’ Orcia next summer and the Borgo we’re staying at has a Thursday Night Tuscan Bbq.
I did want to book the Thursday Night Beach dinner at Le Toiny but no time this trip and hope to try Esprit sometime in the future as well.
There’ll probly be many more new openings so looking forward to reading the reports for the upcoming season.

 

[Faye]

Hi Faye! You actually got me to log into the forum instead of just lurking.

Sounds like a great trip! Interesting to hear your restaurant choices and reviews, since I am ALMOST done with booking all of mine for my trip in 2 months. Between waiting for them to get back to me, filling out the forms and sending back...it's a full time job. This time I'll be going with 5 friends - the most I've ever done is 3 other friends, and that was almost 15 years ago, will be interesting to see how we all get along. Fingers crossed.

I have some overlap with you (there are no shortages for restaurants, of course), but have elected not to go to any Italian as we have an embarrassment of riches with Italian restaurants in NYC. Mapo (which I'm eager to check out) doesn't open up reservations for the day I need until Sunday, which is my last one I need to book. We're also going to Tamarin so happy to hear it was "fabulous." Dinner booked at Bonito (which I really do love.) And Le Papillon Ivre, which is also a favorite. I thought about Thursday night at Le Toiny, but instead we will do lunch there on Sunday (instead of Nikki - the group didn't want the hoopla, we're going for a lower key lunch there on Friday). Plus TiCorail one day, and one night we'll cook at home - we have fabulous views in Devet.

I've never heard anyone admit that they don't love Eddy's. I never got into either, but never admitted that aloud. I just had some not great meals in my early years and kind of gave up on it.

I also plan to do Remy for an aperitivo one night and maybe the Baron De Rothschild Lounge as a few of us are serious wine drinkers and the by the glass options are great. Glad you posted your report!!

Sound like a fun trip. Looking forward to your report. Happy planning.