Wednesday, July 27, 2011

ST. BARTHELEMY

GENERAL
Information – st-barths.com; for commentary, event, gossip, and guidance.

BARS & NIGHTCLUBS
Bete a Z’alies – Gustavia Harbor (Gustavia); 011-590-590-297-409; bazbar.com; sashimi, seafood, and sushi.
Do Brazil – Shell Beach (Gustavia); 011-590-590-290-666; www.dobrazil.com; to watch sun set.
Nikki Beach – Plage de St. Jean (St. Jean); 011-590-590-276-464; nikkibeach.com/stbart.
Le Ti St-Barth – Pointe Milou Street (Gustavia); 011-590-590-279-771.
Voyageur Lounge – 6 Rue Jeanne d’Arc (Gustavia Harbor); 011-590-590-278-639; newly enclosed; harder to get into than Studio 54 in 1972; looks over harbor; must call ahead because not sure that you will get in.

BEACHES
Anse Saline – Anse de Grande Saline; nude sunbathing.
Colombier – shady, isolated bay-beach.
Cote Sauvage – beach area.
Lorient – beach.
Marigot – beach accessible primarily by boat.
Washing Machine Beach – beach accessible primarily by boat; can hike down trail from Grand Cul de Sac.

HOTELS
La Banane – Baie de Lorient (Lorient); 011-590-590-520-300; labanane.com; 9 bungalows, chic and clean; each has private patio.
Eden Rock – Baie de St. Jean; 011-590-590-297-999 or 877-563-7105; edenrockhotel.com; gorgeous retreat surrounded by water; former home of island’s 1st mayor; good food.
Hotel Guanahani & Spa – Grand Cul de Sac Bay; 011-590-590-276-660 or 800-223-6800; leguanahani.com; pastel bungalows flanked by 2 beaches; beautiful; spa.
Hotel St-Barth Isle de France – Flamands; 011-590-590-276-181 or 800-810-4691; isle-de-france.com; Nantucket meets French colonial retreat overlooking Baie des Flamands; “heaven on earth”; good food; spa.
Hotel Carl Gustaf – Rue des Normands (Gustavia); 011-590-590-297-900; hotelcarlgustaf.com; 14 rooms; lovely.
Hotel Christopher – Pointe Milou; 011-590-590-276-363; hotelchristopher.com; gently priced, diamond in rough.
Hotel Taiwana – Flamands Beach; 011-590-590-276-501; hoteltaiwana.com; not much written about Hotel Taiwana because owners prefer to maintain under-radar gem status; intimate, beachy retreat; 12 suites and 1 guestroom with ‘Mexico meets modern’ feel; gorgeous water garden with ponds and beautiful water lilies; white-washed villas (suites have 1-3 bedrooms), all individually designed, scattered amid tropical gardens full of fragrant flowers; centered around lovely pool; all have astonishing ocean views and some have private pools and terraces; recently renovated; beachfront restaurant; fitness center.
Hotel Le Sereno – Grand Cul de Sac; 011-590-590-298-300; lesereno.com; surrounded by palm trees on pristine swath of secluded Grand Cul de Sac beach; among chicest Caribbean hotels; French sans attitude; all-suite hotel opened in 2005 to rave reviews for decor and furnishings from renowned Parisian designer Christian Liaigre; look is minimalist, yet everything is comfortable, and 37 suites and villas stunning in simplicity, mostly white with teak slatted windows, tropical wood furnishings and floors, and spacious bathrooms with deep soaking tubs; all have large, louvered doors that open up to private decks overlooking lagoon; Pecheurs is its stylish restaurant; book 1-bedroom Villa du Pecheur, which has own plunge pool; all rooms have iPod docking stations and flat-screen TVs; huge and gorgeous freshwater pool, long enough for getting in some laps.
Le Toiny – Anse de Toiny; 011-590-590-278-888 or 800-932-3222; letoiny.com; secluded, sexy, and stylish; private pools overlook garden terraces; on isolated stretch eastern shore.
Village St. Jean – Baie de St-Jean; 011-590-590-276-139; villagestjeanhotel.com; most affordable accommodations on island, relative to ambience and service level; 28 units (5 hotel rooms & 23 cottages) on 10 acre, hillside property; beach is 3-minute walk.

RESTAURANTS
Bar du Village – Baie de St-Jean (at Village St. Jean); 011-590-590-276-139; villagestjeanhotel.com; market-driven small plates.
Bonito St. Barth – Rue Lubin Brin (Gustavia); 011-590-590-279-696; ilovebonito.com; French-Latin restaurant with ceviche bar.
L’Esprit Jean Claude Dufour – Anse de Grande Saline Street (Saline); 011-590-590-524-610; in grand garden setting near Saline beach; indoor and outdoor dining rooms; teak deck under interconnecting pergolas and palm forest facing sea; innovative farm-to-table cuisine accented in market-sourced seafood and sauces with pan-Asian influence.
Restaurant Le Gaiac – Anse de Toiny (at Le Toiny); 011-590-590-278-888; letoiny.com; beautiful setting and exquisite food.
La Gloriette – Cocoloba Beach (Grand Cul de Sac); 011-590-590-277-566; creole food.
Le Grain de Sel – Route de Saline; 011-590-590-524-605; le-grain-de-sel.stbarthsrestaurants.tel; shack-like space helmed by Maya’s former chef; creole dishes, such as goat stew.
Hotel St-Barth Isle de France – Flamands; 011-590-590-276-181; isle-de-france.com; sets up tables on beach.
L’Isola – Rue Roi Oscar II (Gustavia); 011-590-590-510-005; lisolastbarth.com; Italian classic dishes, including dozens of house-made pasta dishes, prime meats, and huge, well-chosen wine list; pretty and romantic room; try hearty veal chop in sage-butter sauce, and supernal risottos, with wild mushrooms or wild boar.
L’Isoletta – Rue Roi Oscar II (Gustavia); 011-590-590-520-202; lisolastbarth.com; pizza.
Le Tamarin – Plage de Saline (Grande Saline); 011-590-590-277-212; perfect place for lazy afternoon on beach; open-air bistro sits amid rocky hills and forests in thatched, gingerbread cottage with teak-and-bamboo interior; lunch is more animated meal, with customers dining in T-shirts and bathing suits; if you have to wait, savor aperitif in hammock stretched under tamarind tree or even take dip in swimming pool.
Taiwana Hotel – Flamands Beach; 011-590-590-29-8008; www.hoteltaiwana.com/en; grilled chicken, lobster salad.
Le Ti St-Barth – Pointe Milou Street (Gustavia); 011-590-590-279-771; island’s late-night epicenter; dressing for dinner is competitive and dancing on tables frequent.
Maya’s – Public Beach; 011-590-590-277-573; open-air restaurant on Gustavia harbor; sophisticated, Asian-inspired cuisine.
Victoria’s – Rue des Normands (Gustavia, at Hotel Carl Gustaf); 011-590-590-297-900; hotelcarlgustaf.com; emphasis on seafood.
Le Yacht Club – 6 Rue Jeanne d’Arc (Gustavia Harbor); 011-590-590-278-639; newly enclosed waterfront supper club and lounge; harder to get into than Studio 54 in 1972; looks over harbor; dinner is served, but no one really eats; must call ahead because not sure that you will get in.

SERVICES
Kiki-e-Mo Catering – Route St. Jean (St. Jean); 011-590-590-279-065; st-barths.com/kiki-e-mo; picnic catering and take-out.
Ocean-must – Pointe Milou (Gustavia); 011-590-590-276-225; oceanmust.com; boat rentals to visit out-of-way bays and islands (Colombier, Fourchue, etc.).
VitOlive – (Lorient); 011-590-590-529-622; picnic catering.

SHOPPING
Bijoux de la Mer – Rue de la Republic; 011-590-590-523-768; bijouxdelamerstbarth.com; one-of-kind pearl jewelry; one of their 9 children, Yvan Mignot, sells his own line at mignotstbarth.com.
Blue Coast – Pelican Plage (St. Jean); 011-590-590-296-018; clothing.
Calypso – Les Hauts du Carre d’Or (Gustavia); 011-590-590-276-974; www.saint-barths.com/calypso; stylish women’s wear.
La Casa del Habano – La Villa Creole (St. Jean); 011-590-590-277-873; www.access-stbarth.com/en/shopping-st-barts/cigars/la-casa-del-habano.html; cigars.
House – Rue General de Gaulle (Gustavia); 011-590-590-278-804; stylish villa accessories and antiques.
KoKon – Rue Fahlberg (Gustavia); 011-590-590-297-448; women’s accessories.
Lolita Jaca – Les Hauts du Carre d’Or (Gustavia); 011-590-590-275-998; lolitajaca.com; clothing.
Mandarine – Ti Case Vert, Rue de la République (Gustavia); 011-590-590-297-477; st-barths.com/mandarine; clothing and jewelry.
Mia Zia – 8 Villa Creole (St. Jean); 011-590-590-520-300; clothing and shoes.
R. St. Barth – Rue de General de Gaulle (Gustavia); 011-590-590-272-177; rhumstbarth.com; rum purveyor; owned by former Manchester United player Mikael Silvestre.
Sabina Zest – St. Jean; 011-590-590-279-001; sabinazest.com; children’s, men’s, and women’s clothing.
Sysuma – Le Carre d’Or (Gustavia); 011-590-590-277-504; stylish villa accessories.

SIGHTS & SITES
A.J.O.E. Tennis Courts – Lorient; late-night summer movie screenings on Saturdays.
Fourchue – small island.

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