An Alternative Universe Known as Saint-Barth
by Marla Norman & Michel Thibault
photos by Marla Norman unless otherwise noted
It’s 9:00 pm. We’ve just arrived in St-Barth on the last ferry from St-Martin. (More on this in a bit…) The streets are quiet and deserted. Our echoing footsteps and chirping tree frogs are the only sounds.
“I thought it would be a little livelier here.”
“I don’t know.” Michel says, shaking his head. “It’s Sunday. Maybe everything’s closed. Wonder if we’ll find a place for dinner?”
A few blocks further we spot a bright neon-lit sign: Le Café. Several couples dressed in cocktail attire are outside with flutes of Champagne. We’re in jeans (REALLY wrinkled from hours of travel) but the posh group doesn’t seem to mind. After a brief conversation with the maître’d, we’re sitting at the last available table in the restaurant.
From our corner, we can see that the massive room is packed! A band is playing at 90-decibels. The beautifully dressed crowd is dancing — some on chairs and tables. There’s no doubt. St-Barth can party!!!
Views from our apartment overlooking Gustavia.
ISLAND LIFE
The following morning we have coffee on our terrace — we’ve rented an apartment overlooking Gustavia, the island’s largest city with some 3,000 residents. The views are tantalizing and we’re eager to explore. We pick up our rental car and take off.
St-Barth is tiny — only 9.7 square miles. But it’s a very mountainous few square miles. The roads are narrow and twisty. To make it all the more interesting, local drivers are oblivious to the crazy turns and zigzags. Moreover, speeding is… how do you say… “de rigueur.” Michel, of course, quickly adapts to the regional customs and is blissfully racing along while I nervously watch the rocky precipice below.
All is forgiven, however, as soon as we pull into Hôtel Le Toiny. The property is stunning. There are two restaurants: one within the hotel itself, located on a high bluff over the sea, and a second on the beach, reached only by a staff chauffeur who accompanies guests down a steeply inclining road with panoramic views all along the way.
We choose the beach restaurant. Here, right on the water itself, the food is fabulous and the wine list is remarkable. Basking in the Caribbean sun, we pinch ourselves in this heavenly setting.
Drink in the ocean views at Le Toiny.
WHY IS ST-BARTH SO SPECIAL?
This past New Year’s Eve, St-Barth hosted the “largest super yacht gathering in its history, with a record 226 vessels.” (Yacht Buyer) How did this itty bitty island become an epicenter for the super rich?
Once upon a time, some 48 million years ago, St-Barth was already a “hot spot” — formed by intense volcanic activity. Thousands of years later, as the region cooled off, the island was inhabited by Giant Hutia — essentially rats “reaching proportions comparable to those of a brown bear, weighing up to 200 kg or 440 lbs.” (Musée Territorial Saint-Barthélemy) Fortunately, these monstrous creatures died out some 7,000 years before Christopher Columbus visited the island in 1493 and definitely before the mega yachts began to arrive.
Giant Hutia inhabited St-Barths some 500,000 years ago. Display from Musée Territorial Saint-Barthélemy.
France officially took over St-Barth in 1648 only to sell it to Sweden in 1764 when Louis XVI decided the territory was worthless. Under Swedish rule, the island languished for years plagued by hurricanes and fires. Then in 1946, Sweden returned St-Barth to France.
In 1950, the lonely island caught the attention of two notable investors: David Rockefeller and Baron Edmond de Rothschild. Both men significantly shaped St-Barth’s modern history by attracting wealthy visitors and real estate investors.
At the same time, Rémy de Haenen, a charismatic French aviator and adventurer opened a small hotel named Eden Rock. The place quickly established itself as a discreet escape for the rich and famous. Guests at the time included Howard Hughes and Greta Garbo. More recently, Beyoncé, Leonardo DiCaprio and the Kardashian-Jenner Clan (Kim, Khloe, Kris, Kendall) and Kylie Jenner have visited. Sadly, there were no celebrities in sight the evening we stopped in.
Rémy Club, at Eden Rock, named for the original owner Rémy de Haenen.
The St-Barth airport is also named for the beloved Rémy de Haenen, who in 1946 was the first to land a plane on the island. Today, the St-Barth airport is still known for it’s perilously short runway— a mere 2,000 feet wedged between a steep hill and the sea. In spite of the risk, small planes land and take off constantly with no issues in over 20 years.
When traveling to St-Barth there are only two choices: planes or boats. In our case, Michel (who is never happier than behind the wheel of a fast car on twisty mountain roads) is miserable on a plane. Needless to say the SBH airport with a runway considered one of the world’s most dangerous approaches was a no go.
But, all that said, here is Michel himself with a list of our favorite restaurants and general recommendations.
BEACH RESTAURANTS
Driving around and discovering St-Barth quickly became our favorite activity. The beach restaurants are great destinations for water views and to enjoy fresh tuna, mahi-mahi, cuttlefish and other exotic dishes. Eating barefoot under a straw roof with a glass of good Rosé is hard to beat!
Cheval Blanc
Located along an isolated stretch, Cheval Blanc claims one of St-Barth’s loveliest beaches – Anse de Flamands. After a long walk along the beach, we lunched at their La Cabane restaurant. Here, we enjoyed a bottle of Secret de Léoube Rosé – with interesting structure and depth. To accompany the wine, I had a Lentil Salad with plantains & avocado. (I swore off lentils after a daily diet of it during my French army time, but this was exquisite!) Marla ordered Seafood Ceviche marinated with scented watermelon. After lunch, we explored the entire property, which is a remarkable feat of architecture, luxury and style. Rooms start at 3,000€ a night — out of our budget. Maybe next time.
Le Toiny
Marla mentioned this gorgeous resort off the island’s famous Grand Cul de Sac, but I’ll reiterate that Le Toiny is a treat! We rode down to their beach restaurant in a Land Rover Defender. The views are splendid, with St-Kitts and Nevis on the horizon. My dish here was the finest I had on the entire trip — a velvety smooth purée of avocados, mangos and tuna tartare on a slightly spicy sauce (called Sauce Exotique). A small plate, but just the right size for a refreshing bite. Marla chose the lobster salad, similar to mine but with the addition of tomatoes and a passionfruit sauce. We chose a bottle of By Ott Rosé. Some good! Le Toiny is a little far from the action in Gustavia, but with a private beach and lots of possible hiking and gourmet food to top it all, it seems like the ideal refuge.
Le Sereno
What a surprise to find an Italian property on this French beach — with a lively Italian staff. The highly-touted house cocktail is a blend of white and dark rums with passionfruit and coconut flavors. I have to admit it was so delicious I had two. For food we shared a Niçoise Salad with Tuna Belly to start and then treated ourselves to a whole Sea Bass that was expertly deboned by our charming server. Needless to say, the ocean views were exceptional.
Hotel Christopher
Situated on Pointe Milou, overlooking the ocean, Hotel Christopher boasts some of the best sunsets on the island. And the food and drinks at the bar are a great match. To top it all, an incredibly friendly staff makes this place a must visit. For wine recommendations, consult the excellent sommelier – Zoé Knauf.
“La belle vie” at Cheval Blanc
Fresh whole fish deboned tableside at Le Sereno.
Sunsets from the terrace of Hotel Christopher on Pointe Milou.
Mathilde, Zoé & Hugo – Charming and professional staff at Hotel Christopher.
ISLAND DINING
Le Tamarin
Set in an idyllic forest of palm trees with festive lights, you feel as if you’re in a magical garden. Another very knowledgeable sommelier was there to assist us. It was the food, however that really wowed us, with a whole Chilean Seabass expertly boned table side. Definitely a memorable experience.
Le Papillon Ivre
A restaurant and wine bar that sports an amazing list of exceptional vintages and great estates. The staff is knowledgeable and the menu offers many fun dishes to share. Our favorite selections were the Baby Sardines in olive oil & lemon, Roasted Cauliflower flavored with pomegranate and a Whole Artichoke in an eggy-like tartar sauce called “Gribiche.” Wine in this restaurant is the star and we paid homage to it by ordering a 2023 Saint-Aubin by cult winemaker Pierre-Yves Colin-Morey.
Champagne Baron de Rothschild Lounge
Baron Edmond de Rothschild established this very classy spot when he maintained a home on St-Barth. This well-appointed lounge showcases not only the Rothschild Champagnes, but wines from all the family estates, with decent prices. I mean, these are some of the finest wines in the world so they won’t be cheap, but to have a glass of Château Duhart-Milon or a bottle of Aile d’Argent (I just love that white) is a treat anywhere, and it was even better in this plush setting we did not expect to find. The food is terrific as well and a good value, plus Philippe Joly, the Manager and Rothschild Family Ambassador, has a wealth of island knowledge and is very friendly.
Fish Corner
Just behind Louis Vuitton, Dior, Prada and other pricey shopping on Rue de la Republique is an actual bargain — at least by St-Barth standards. Fish Corner serves beautifully prepared fish, in generous portions, for under 40€ and sides for only 10€ (!!!). The wine list includes many affordable choices by the glass.
Exotic tropical dining at Le Tamarin
Exceptional wine list and small plates at Papillon Ivre.
A toast to Barons de Rothschild Champagne & Philippe Joly, Rothschild Family Ambassador.
DINING DISAPPOINTMENTS
Bonito
This place receives rave reviews, but was just OK in our estimation. The views of Gustavia Harbor are pretty and the food is good, but the service was almost too-fast. It seemed as if the staff wanted to turn the table and their constant push to order caviar and the most expensive items on the menu was annoying. In addition, the loud music (at 7:00 pm??) didn’t help the overall experience.
Bagatelle
Especially disappointing!! The appetizers were weirdly bizarre. The fish entrée was literally inedible. The dessert mediocre. And prices were extraordinary — Bagatelle, mediocre as it was, was easily the most expensive meal of our trip. The only saving grace was Quentin, a well spoken sommelier whose enthusiasm was compelling.
🍷 Michel’s Wine Notes: In most restaurants, appetizers start at 40€ while entrées begin at 50€ and accelerate fast. So not suprisingly, wines prices are out of this world. A bottle of village Chablis will set you back 200€ and if you only buy a glass of wine that’s often 28-35€ minimum.
We are told that because St-Barth is an island, everything has to be brought in, therefore count on additional cost of shipping and taxes. I’m not sure that’s the complete answer however, as grocery prices at the supermarket are not so bad. Wine prices there are only 10-15% higher than in the US.
St-Barth is heavenly, but prices are definitely keeping heavenly experiences for the select few. Even water is expensive! (Potable water is not available on the island so you have to buy bottled water) A six-pack of Fiji water is 24€. Ouch! Added to high prices is the poor euro to dollar exchange rate; currently the euro is worth around $1.18.
General Recommendations: Not surprisingly, many luxury hotels are available on the island. Be aware that pricing during winter season is astronomical. Most places shut down from June through the summer, which is also hurricane season. Properties reopen in October. We rented an apartment through airbnb (Alizé Apartment). It was pricey, but we loved having a full kitchen at our disposal. And the magical view of Gustavia Harbor that we enjoyed from our terrace was priceless.
Touring around in a Jeep was one of our chief pleasures. Car rental agencies are at the airport and you can even pick up your rental at the ferry terminal if you so desire. Beware: You need a small car such as a Mini Cooper, or a Suzuki Jimmy. Those vehicles will negotiate hard corners and narrow roads nicely. Larger cars are much more difficult to drive around and almost impossible to park. A special shoutout to Enterprise who was terrific in helping us deal with our late arrival.
👜 Marla’s Shopping Notes: In many ways, St-Barth feels like a non-stop fashion show. There are over 200 botiques, including numerous high-end designers: Bulgari, Cartier, Chanel, Louis Vuitton, Dior, Hermès, etc. etc. It’s no wonder women (and men) seem to outdo each other with haute coture, eye-catching accessories and a bit (or a lot) of bling. In addition to the wide selection of luxury goods, shopping in St-Barth is duty-free. Even more appealing — prices are almost always less than in Europe and the US. And if you happen to be on the island at the end of the season, May-June, you’ll find even greater discounts.
In addtion to the well-known Louis Vuitton, et al, there are a number of small unique shops. Our favorite was Mademoiselle Hortense. The collection here has a real island feel to it, with items you wouldn’t find anywhere but St-Barth. Be sure to say “hello” to the shop manager, Cécile. For cute souvenirs, must-have caps and interesting T-Shirts, pop into MC2 St-Barth.
A Final Word: Most of the hotels, restaurants and shops are staffed by French kids who have a yearning for travel and want to spend a few years in St-Barth then move somewhere else for new experiences. They hail from Normandy, Brittany, Paris, the Riviera. All speak excellent English and are quite professional. One of our pleasures was conversing with them, as they made us feel at home.
In the end, if you can afford it, St-Barth is wonderful. Unmatched sights, awesome temperatures (while the rest of the world is freezing) amazing food, shopping and the alluring feel of a foreign country within a laid back beach setting. Definitely worth trying at least once. Then keep playing the lottery for a possible second trip!!
