Maya’s is one of the restaurants where you can clearly tell that the tables around you have been dining there forever. A staple on the island since 1984, the menu changes depending on what the fisherman brought that day, and it has lovely waterfront views. Go with the family, or for a hearty dinner between friends.
Tamarind
To dine at Tamarin is to feel like you’re in the middle of a tropical oasis – if, well, the jungle had glamorous guests dining in sequins and feathers, as well as guests playing games of backgammon watered on his ground. Serving French island-style cuisine (think ceviche but also foie gras) and a huge selection of freshly caught fish, you’d be remiss if you didn’t order their signature cocktail, the Tamarini, before heading to town.
Skipjack
Perhaps the best word to describe Bonito is the simplest: fun. Drinks come in silly glasses (think copper tub with rubber ducky), music is blaring, and the entire restaurant crowd is there to have a good time.
Trifle
Just like Bonito, Bagatelle is the place to go when you want to dine scene. It’s always packed and always DJ defined. Stay late enough and people will start dancing on the tables, bottles of champagne in hand.
Isola
Looking for a more romantic and less exuberant dinner? Head to L’Isola in Gustavia, which offers fine Italian cuisine in a dark and brooding setting.
Beach Clubs to book
Shellona
Shellona, the beach club at Hôtel Barrière Le Carl Gustaf, always draws a stylish crowd, thanks to its innovative Greek cuisine, vibrant music, and position on a pearly-white beach.
Sea of gypsum
A relative newcomer to the St. Barts scene is Gyp Sea, a vibrant bohemian club on Pelican Beach that offers “sea, sun, rum and barbecue.” Drinks are playful in parrot-shaped glasses and anything edible – from fish to pineapple, corn and meat – is tossed on the grill.
