TravelTalkOnline Forums Travel and Vacation Forums St. Maarten - St. Martin Dining Prices on island? Up a little or a lot?

How are prices for food on island since end of pandemic?

Bakeries such as baguettes, croissants?
Beach Lunches Burger and Fries, beach ribs?
Restaurants like Pienapple Petes?
Restaurants like Grand Case?

I ask because lodging doesn’t seem much higher since last visit but wondering about the food component of the trip.

Thanks

I found the prices on dutch side were higher by at least 15%, the service charge.

For example...beers, no service charge. Beers n food at the bar, all has the service charge.

At da waterhole, a burger with no fries was $20 or $25usd. Again, sitting at the bar and incl 15% sc.

Bakery in Maho by Roma was reasonable. I remember sandwiches were quite a bit less than that at airport, but that's my only experience with bakeries lately.

But, this aint no st barths... 150e for lounge chair and 22e for liquid in a glass full of ice on Shell Beach. So they sat us on an air mattress ( thick air mattresses are not bougie to me). Or Antigua where there's a sc and 17.5% tax (total 25%). My bottled water was 23ec.

In my recent travels island hoping, sxm was higher but not by so much.

Enjoy your stay and all that the island has to offer.

Prices last May weren't much different than previous trips after pandemic. Back here at home they sure are.

We found in orient village the restaurant prices up & food quality down in some. For instance $48 for sole meuniere.

Dover sole is one of the most expensive fish so I don't find that price to be out of line.

I was serving dover sole about 15 years ago ala carte and I believe it was about $40 without any vegetable or potatoe.
I have deboned my share of fish and this is probably the easiest.

Just comparing to the excellent sole meunière at Tropicana at $38. And likely on the menu it was likely euros both times.

One thing for SURE, the price of the lobsters Maine or Caribbean has doubled to tripled since last year!!! A 3.5 Caribbean lobster at SkipJacks ( with no disrespect to them, it was to die for good) @ $29.95 with tax was $104.00!!! That's my lil honey, she has to have lobster at least once when we are on the island!!

Skipjacks price per pound yesterday for live Caribbean Lobster was $36.95 and $59.95 for Maine. Ouch.

Makes me angry that the lobsters think they can charge so much for themselves, especially the ones in Maine who get a free trip to SXM.

Do they hitch a ride on the backs of Canadian geese heading south?

Good one!

Possible delivery choices for your free lobsters.

We just got back from the first two weeks of April and I would estimate that food prices(French side only) may have been up a small amount(10% or less). We did spend a bit more per meal this trip mostly because my wife's taste in wine has moved from the $30-40 per bottle range to the $60-80 range. LOL! We certainly didn't experience any decline in the quality of our meals in the village. We had exceptional meals at LeBouchon, Le Piment, and L'Atelier. Sao and LaFavela were as good as they ever were too.

Lobster at boat in Galilee RI is $8/lb. I wonder if they fly First Class to SXM.

I can't believe those Live Maine lobsters at Skip Jack would taste any good. A cold water inhabitant in a warm water tank.

Huh. Never really thought about it, but I really don't imagine the taste would be any different. Obviously they are not going to thrive in that environment, but I can't imagine any individual lobster is there for too long. Anyone know for sure?

I would think the texture of the flesh would not be as firm and at $59.95 a pound I can see them living there for awhile and steadily going downhill in quality.

I don't know. To me, I doubt it would have any effect. I wouldn't pay that for it, that's for sure, so I won't ever find out.

We were told by a commercial lobster fisherman that once they are taken out of their environment and put in a tank they slowly feed upon themselves. Best to get a frozen tail unless they are consumed soon after caught.