TravelTalkOnline Forums Travel and Vacation Forums St. Maarten - St. Martin Restaurants for classic french foodies.

Someone on another thread mentioned O'Plongiour in Marigot and said it was good, plus Barranco in GC was also mentioned...... started to reply but seemed a new thread was better...

My favs...for medium to high end

La Cigale.....Foie Gras bisque avec a few glasses of Sauterne
Tropicana.....Everything, but Souffle incredible. (probably one of the best Restaurants in the Caribbean and excellent value for money.)
L'Auberge Gourmand......Dover Sole and when they have it Mille-Feuille. Truly a great restaurant and the owner will do what you like with notice. (Rare these days)

Never tried O'Plongeoir, menu just seemed inferior to Tropicana, must give it a go as well as Barranco....

Bistro Caraibes, Le Cottage and La Villa, all good. La Pressoir, re-opened, might give it another go, but last two times very noisy due to bikers in the car park.

Mario's, didn't think was up to the standard of the above. La Santal(destroyed apparently) was a true gem..anyone ever eaten there?

Moulin Fou, Will try again if time allows..was for me 6.5 out of 10.

Escape..Maho. Never went before Irma, now re-opened, getting good reviews..will possibly try

Finally for those who love Indian food. In Philipsburg off Front Street, literally a hole in the wall on the left hand side....authentic and really delicious. Nobody ever in there, but made by the owner chef himself, when it comes out..be prepared for a spice party. beautifully flavored. Called Anand. Oh and hoot outside and you can park in their driveway..its difficult to find though.

What have I left out or missed? looking purely for french..no italian or mexican etc..

We always loved Pressoir, and we’re glad to see they finally opened. All nicely done as usual. Now the downside, all they had was a prefixed menu with about 4 choices at 65 E per person. While the food was good and trendy, it absolutely did not meet expectations for the money. Us and one other couple were the only patrons that night (last Wed). Not sure if the reasoning behind the prefixed menu, but they had better change it fast or there will be no patrons.

Le Bistro Nu. Last May when we were there I was less than whelmed, but that may be re-opening pains. In the past we have enjoyed their foods. Risky, perhaps, but we'll give 'er another try. Good bistro eats.

Try Le Taitu for lunch, but stick to the French dishes instead of the island dishes. There's nothing wrong with their island cuisine, but they really shine on the French dishes. Plus at around 14 Euros, for wine, plat, coffee, you can't go wrong.

Where is Le Taitu? Thx for the info. Regarding Dannan's comments on La Pressoir, check out some of trip advisors recent reviews, the comments from management don't seem to really care(take it or lump it, the French way and read the menu before you book attitude) and as for the incident regarding the(alleged) stabbing in the street and their Valet not wanting to take the guests to their car, if true, is extraordinary and somewhat worrying.

Le Taitu is on Mont Vernon road. Go left at round about at hope estate then right on road to Mont Vernon. . Lovely setting, dinner excellent with great homemade soups. Cozy . The owner will greet you. Very good value for your money.

Champagne Bistro in the Orange Grove shopping center in Cole Bay. Wonderful French cuisine! While you're there, visit Sylvain in the Select Wine Cellar right next door for some excellent wines.

Ah, I had forgotten about Champagne Bistro. Definately worth a visit, especially if the have buchot mussels. Otherwise, the duck confit is wonderful.

Sol e Luna had a wonderful prix fixe lunch in November. Very good food and service. Mario's was also top notch. Both were new for us. We will definitely return to both in the Fall.

Do not think you left anything out. Good job! Now I have even more places to try and less time left.

I can comment on O'Plongeoir and Escape, as I've eated at both recently.

I would not put O'Plongoire in the category with some of the Grand Case restaurants. It's more of a bistro. The menu is definitly French, with andouilettes,etc, but not fancy.

Escape is not French at all. The food is very fresh and healthy: salmon, sous vide chicken, beef, and shrimp, as well as tofu and a few other vegan offerings. You chose a "protein", something from the "starch: and "veggie" lists, and a sauce, which comes on the side. They serve a standard and a large size. There are also some pre-designed plates on the menu.
The decor is lovely and sevice was good and friendly. However; these are things I can cook for myself at home and I don't consider it a French dining experience.

You might try Be Kool (for lunch,as I don't recommend the Marina Royal at night at this time) in the Marina Royal for a very good French meal, though not high end dining. It's directly across from Tropicana.

In Orient Village both La Voile Blanche and Le P'tit Bistro are very French. While they certainly have some non French items both have French dishes from the owners area of France. We have eaten at both places this trip and both were excellent.

Wendy, is it that unsafe to go the Marina for an early dinner at night?

Thx Wendy and all, great info....getting hungry. Very hungry. I have lost 13lbs in three weeks and aim to lose the same again in the next month and hope by the time we get there, I will have lost about 30lbs in total so have plenty of room to stuff myself silly but try to keep it in control with swimming and walking....

Tried Be Kool last October and imho just not in the same league as Tropicana. Never had a problem walking around at night in Marina Royal but if you can bag a space at the back entrance of Tropicana and thereabouts, you will be much nearer to your car. As a matter of interest, I only carry enough money in cash with me with what I think I will use at a given time. No CC's no id etc.

Love all these suggestions, keep em coming. Escape, definitely not for me. Orient Village is not somewhere I really am familiar with as normally stay in Terres Basses and a bit far to travel at night for us I believe, but will check out your suggestions pandpfromcabnada. Many thx all.

p.s. Has anyone ever been to Le Santal when they were open?

Le Santal was lovely when they were open. It was our special night out for either a Birthday or Anniversary. The view was spectacular at sunset. Wonderful souffle's. <sigh> Definitely missed.

You are not kidding BeachKitten. Only went there twice but what a setting and the biggest Souffle I have ever seen and their Dover Soul....unbelievable. La Cigale comes close though.

We only did Le Santal once, about thirty or more years ago and it was an experience, for sure. We were aware of their dress code, but without long pants and at a minimum a sports jacket, gents would not be admitted - unless you happened to be the size of one of their ‘loaner’ jackets and were willing to wear it, and it goes without saying, ladies were expected to be not just dressed up but well dressed to match. This was back in the day, for sure, and most places required more of an effort to ‘dress’ for dinner, but most places did not go to this extent.

I have to admit, I’m glad we can say ‘bin der, dun dat’ but as neither of us are real foodies it was a bit of a wasted experience for us, and a very expensive one back then, too. I will admit, it was lovely and the food was very good but our taste buds just aren’t that sophisticated. But at least, now that it’s gone we can savor the memory.

What ever happened to Claude Miniclub in Marigot? I still remember the Dover sole I had.......

It was long gone before Irma. We used to go there for the lobster buffet. Last time we were there it had changed venue and wasn't as good. Then it closed.

My husband surprised me with a dinner at Le Santal many years ago during one of our early trips in the 80's. Only 3 or 4 tables were filled and the service was incredible. The food, the ambiance, and the lovely sunset view are one of my favorite memories. It was expensive but as a one-time special event, we felt it was worth it.

We had many lunches and dinners at Claude Miniclub. The Dover sole the lobster, and some of the large salads were wonderful. And the sides were different and delicious. My husband and one of the waiters seemed to get along well because he greeted us on most visits and traded with another waiter to serve our table where much conversation about sports and other things followed. I especially enjoyed the view of the Marigot harbor.

Sadly, both of these lovely restaurants along with many others are in the past. My husband died a few years ago, but I have great memories of our many trips together. Now I look for new places and the island has lots of possibilities.

La Vie en Rose in Marigot was also a 1st class restaurant. Fantastic food and ambiance, and a rose for the lady. Sweet memories and sadly missed. Our favorite!

Someone mentioned it before but virtually opposite (underneath as such) Mario's in Cupecoy there is a restaurant that has I think new owners. Name and anyone already eaten there?

Le Bateau Ivre?

That's the one...but no reviews since last year in July?

I thought they were closed. Am I wrong?

We also loved Le Santal. Just for a very special occasion. So sorry to see it gone.
I believe the restaurant under Mario's is Le Quai, or something like that.

Yes Quai is still open. Opens later than the others, I believe it’s more of a nightclub after 9. Know for sure that it’s closed on Monday