TravelTalkOnline Forums Travel and Vacation Forums St. Maarten - St. Martin Food market near Orient

We will be staying in Orient Village for the month of August <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Clapping.gif" alt="" /> and will doing a good bit of food shopping. We used to like the Simply near Cul de Sac but seem to remember that it was gone last year. We'll probably hit Cost U Less a few times for major shopping but it would be nice to have something closer to Orient for in between. We usually stay in Simpson Bay but got a nice place in Orient Village this time instead. (It will save a lot of driving to Orient most days as well) I tried a search of TTOL but couldn't find anything on this. Thanks!

Petite Casino is right there in the village. I think it is more pricey but it's close. We shopped there just because of the time savings.

Hi Jim! We just returned from SXM (and are also from Maryland!) this morning (got in at 3:00 am due to storm delays out of Charlotte). We stay in Orient and we frequent 2 small groceries right across the street from Orient Village. One is called Petite Casino and the other is on the same street and same side of the street farther from the beach and I sadly can't remember it's name. Hope that sorta helps(!) and have a wonderful trip! We did!

Cocci Market in Cul de Sac has a really nice selection of good quality products. It is the road to the Pinel Island ferry on the right side. It is a bit more $$ but for the convenience it is worth it. By your staples at a larger store. https://www.facebook.com/pg/COCCI-Market-SXM-939531142751189/about/

We also enjoyed the Cocci market.

Petite Casino is excellent for last minute items and small order shopping but you may want to stop at Super U in Marigot to stock up upon arrival. It's in Howell Centre, just off the main road and next to the McDonalds.

Petit Casino has more, and more nice stuff, in it than most people would expect. And if you are buying french stuff (for example dijon mustard, or canned goods, or snacks, or wine, or cheese...) then I think the difference in price between Petit Casino and and the Super U in Marigot is miniscule. If, on the other hand, you go there looking for Bud Light, Doritos and Kellogs Corn Flakes, then you are going to believe that the place is exorbitantly expensive, as Petit Casino is supplied from the huge French grocery chain Casino, and they obviously don't have a good system to get American items to them for reasonable costs. So, give it a try. Also, try the rotisserie chicken from Yellow Sub - order in the morning, tell them when you will pick it up. Get the potatoes, for additional $, as they are basted in the chicken juices for hours ;-)

The responses have pretty much coverd the bases
Petit Casino and the Chinese grocery just up the same road in Orinet

We stayed in Orient village for 2 wks, pre stocked with ShopnDrop, and hit Super U mid stay otherwise it was Petit Casino for the balance

Petit Casino's cheese selection lacking, so stocked up with SnD and Super U, otherwise good little store. Excellent salad greens from France and good wine selection

Super U end of wk was a zoo, a contact sport!, I'm told it was busy due to pay day

Super U does not sell club soda in cans, but the Chinese grocery in the old Simply Complex does [located near the new BMW dealership]. Same comples [behind old Simply] has Bacchus for some high end treats and liquor. There is a Grape and Wine [?] store nearby almost same complex and the already named Cocci is also close by.

Failing that you are going the Dutch side, maybe can stop for fresh fish at Skipjacks and drinks at the yacht club!

Jealous of 4 wks!

J&B

Simply is gone, yes, near Cul de Sac, and in Sandy Ground. Both places are empty. As others have said, Petite Casino has a good selection, and they have FREE delivery -- at the SAME prices as in the store -- for orders over 50E, in the Orient Village area. For larger grocery stores, here's our rundown from this week so far

Super U--where the Match used to be in Howell Center. Usually very busy, but they have a HUGE parking lot. Take a quarter, which you can use to unlock the big grocery carts, or use the nifty rolling carts, which have an expandable handle. Super U is CLEAN, CLEAN, CLEAN!!!! Did I say they are clean???? Really. They have some specials in a bin a bit after the front door. We got some great marked down, short dated brie and blue cheese there the other day. Their selection of cheap wines is by far the best we've seen on the island. They have a huge selection of produce, lots of French label products, great looking meats. No free shopping bags, but they have GREAT HEAVY reuseable bags for .5 E. Buy one or two and reuse--great bags! Great bakery in the same shopping center--An Pain Gourmande.


Carrefour--Pretty close to Princess Casino, thus on the Dutch side. Reasonable amount of parking. HUGE cheese and pate, etc. section, with some great packages of assorted cheeses of all kinds, in one package. We haven't bought one yet, but they have 1/2 fresh Caribbean lobster, ready for you to pop on the grill, or under the broiler. LOTS of other 'goodies', if you like meats, cheeses, pates. Not a lot of American products, but a great selection of French stuff. It could have just been today, but I didn't like the excessive smell of fish when we walked in. The fish in the cases, like tuna, etc., looked wonderful though.

Grand Marche by Marks--NOT close to Orient at ALL, but if you want US products, the best place to get them. Store smells clean, lots of sandwich stuff. They have some Carrefour brands there, but it appears that most of the Carrefour brands are now available pretty much at the Carrefour. They no longer have free grocery bags there, so bring your own, or pay for them.

For me, my favorite market at the moment is Super U, Eric is probably Carrefour, but we still usually make our first stop at the Grand Marche. For what it's worth, Eric ran into Jeannie from Shop n Drop at Carrefour the other day! <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Grin.gif" alt="" />


Oh, and by the way, the former Gourmet Marche in Simpson Bay has been gone for a long time. They appear to be working on that building gow, but nothing open yet. I think it's supposed to be a casino?? The former Gourmet Marche in Cupecoy is not a Carrefour Express. We did not go inside there.

We have not been to Maho Market, or the Market Garden, as I don't care for them in general.

Thanks for all the great tips. I think we'll be well provisioned! We will probably be over to the Dutch side at least once or twice a week so we should be able to try most all of the markets along the way. For those of you who are still in SXM, have a great time!

"Petit Casino's cheese selection lacking"... I agree Petit Casino doesn't have very many varieties of cheese, but I would like to point out that Bruno was a fromager in Paris restaurants before moving to SXM, and he and Geraldine have an eye for the "real thing" in French cheeses: the whole milk, non-pasteurized cheeses that are generally getting hard to find even in France, so some of the few types they have are really exceptional. You may have to find Bruno or Geraldine in the store to get their advice on which to look for, but if you are into cheeses, it is worth it! :-)

LEADER PRICE ... no one has mentioned Leader Price ..it's right across the road from Cadisco ... LP is a popular food market in France. Many of the locals in the vicinity of Simply Market use this facility.
We live for two months @ Mont Vernon; I walk 15-20 minutes to LP and can find nearly all our needs.
1) If you're looking for America "stuff" forget it! .it's French
2) Alcohol of all sort is very economical. Wine bargains: In France, Leader Price is considered the place to buy your daily wine,
3) Packaged French cheese and meats are A-1.
4) follow the French locals around the Frozen foods (meats, fish, veg) to see what they're buying
5) Baguettes, French pasties are delivered very morning fresh, often hot
6) Because we are on an island, fresh veg., fruit are delivered by container; therefore, daily shopping will inform you. Not tons of choice, but daily! Eggs are Free Range and delicious.

Our gang at Mont Vernon on Orient Beach shop at Leader Price daily!