TravelTalkOnline Forums Travel and Vacation Forums St. Maarten - St. Martin Marina Royale Bars/Restaurants via dinghy

We'll be on a Sunsail charter with a crew of nine (4 real adults/5 young adults). We usually spend our first night in Grand Case, but we'll be there two nights after the charter. So, I thought we might try Marigot. We'll anchor in the outer bay. I've been thinking about planning a little dinghy bar crawl and then dinner at Marina Royale for our crew.
Are there a couple of bars we could dinghy to in that area (inside the lagoon)? Any recommendation for a restaurant in Marina Royale? Resto doesn't need to be over the top, need good quality at a good price, because I'm sure we'll be spending plenty on dinners in Grand Case and St. Barts.
Thanks, in advance.

I highly recommend La Main a la Pate in marina Royale. Great food, ambiance & friendly staff. We eat there at least twice during our stay. <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Thumbsup.gif" alt="" />

One of the best restaurants around is "Le Tropicana" and is right at the dinghy dock in Marina Royale. I didn't get a picture of the mains on my last visit, but here's what the dessert looked like (click on the pictures for full-size tasty images):

Imho I like Tropicana for a more intimate dining experience. A 9 adult group is a lot for there. Great food though.

Actually I've seen large parties at Le Tropicana for both dinner and lunch and they were handled with the same exceptional service as a party of 2. I think discouraging a party of 9 from trying this outstanding restaurant is underestimating the owners and staff.

Definitely not questioning the ability of the owners & staff. Larger groups are disruptive to the other diners in that size venue. I have experienced this from both sides. Just from my perspective for dinner anyway.

Thank you for the comments. As I've poked around the internet a little there are a number of comments that the marina area is run down. When I google some of the other restaurants a number of them are closed. Should I reconsider Grand Case even though we'll be there after the charter?
We've anchored there 3 or 4 times before (usually on a Sunday) and found it to be great. As I said, I was hoping to do something a little different and dinghy into Marina Royale. Does anybody know if Tropicana or Main a la Pate are open on Sunday evening? Le Chanteclair is closed on Sunday.
Do you think Marigot harbor front is any better? I think I'm starting to lean back toward dropping the hook in Grand Case.
Sorry for all the questions.....I just don't want a mutiny if we round the corner and the vibe is too subdued.

I would do Grand Case. Based on what I have read here as well. Margot seem to be a daylight excursion

One of my best dining experiences on St. Martin was a visit to "Le Marrakech". We dinghied into Marina Royale and then walked there; it is opposite the sports stadium on the road leading to Grand Case/Howell Centre. Unassuming on the outside, it is a cultural and culinary experience on the inside.

That could be different. Maybe grab a beer at what ever place is happening in the Marina and then walk to La Marrakech.
Whoa, Hold on. Zanshin, I was checking it out on line and getting excited. What a cool place.......but closed on Sunday. Aargh.
I'll keep poking around about Marigot. GC is a good fall back.
One of the other reasons I wanted to get to Marigot is I thought the sail to Anguilla the next day might be a little quicker than from GC.