# Caribbean Vacations Forums > St. Maarten/St. Martin Travel Forum >  >  St. Martin

## Karen

We took a very short trip to SXM...not enough time to make the trip to SBH this year due to hubby's work schedule.   While there is still a lot to do to recover from Irma, the island is slowly getting visitors to come back.  They are really grateful.  We stay at Esmeralda on Orient Beach and they are doing great except their beach bar is still under construction.  They made arrangement for guests to use the chairs and umbrellas down the beach at several locations.  The disappointing thing is that I have yet to have a meal that blew me away, like they normally do here.  So far we have been to La Plantation, the hotel resto-L' Astrolabe, Spiga, and what replaced Il Netunno-Barranco.  That was the biggest disappointment of all.  I plan to write it on Trip Advisor.  Service was rude and awful (only catering to French) and the food was bad with a salad consisting of brown lettuce and nothing else.  It was very pricey.  Husband left a tip when i would have left none.  Hoping that our last night is better.  The airport arrival was smooth...hoping for the same at departure time tomorrow..We both missed SBH this year and hope to have more time next year.  I am also looking at other options and opinions are always welcome.   Even thinking about being normal and going to a US beach next year :Wink:

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## amyb

Auberge de Gourmand or Bistro Caraibe in Grand Case will not disappoint.

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## andynap

Le Pressoir. I would be surprised if Spiga wasnt good.

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## Theresa

We just spent 6 days in SXM. We had long beach days with amazing lunches at Karibuni on Pinel and Anse Marcel Beach Club on Anse Marcel. AMBC is a hidden gem and were looking forward to returning there next near. Because we dined in for dinner, I have no dinner recommendations.

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## amyb

Yes to Pressoir too. I knew it started with a P and then I could not come up with the rest  of the letters for the name. Thanks Andy...it was bothering me.

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## KevinS

Gault & Millau, "The Yellow Guide", plans to include 40 St Martin restaurants in it's next Antilles edition.

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## Theresa

Mario’s Bistro is always an excellent choice. They used to be located in Sandy Ground but I believe they’re in Cupecoy now.

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## andynap

> Marios Bistro is always an excellent choice. They used to be located in Sandy Ground but I believe theyre in Cupecoy now.



I remember that place. There was another high class restaurant in Sandy Ground right on the water. Cant remember the name now. Actually it was Marios now that I think about it. Fantastic food.

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## amyb

I remember when Mario was the Chef at Rainbow in Grand Case before he set out on his own.

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## Theresa

Andy, was it Le Santal?

I believe Rainbow is one of the few places still operating in Grand Case after Irma. I hoped to get there this trip but we ran out of time.

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## andynap

> Andy, was it Le Santal?
> 
> I believe Rainbow is one of the few places still operating in Grand Case after Irma. I hoped to get there this trip but we ran out of time.



No it was Mario’s Bistro.  Crayfish ravioli was divine.

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## Theresa

Yes,but you said there was another upscale spot in Sandy Ground. I wondered if that might have been Le Santal.

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## amyb

I loved Mario's duck.

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## andynap

> Yes,but you said there was another upscale spot in Sandy Ground. I wondered if that might have been Le Santal.



I don’t remember the name and was there once long ago. It was at the water’s end of the dock- very lush with little islands in the water and a South Pacific theme.

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## andynap

> Yes,but you said there was another upscale spot in Sandy Ground. I wondered if that might have been Le Santal.



I dont remember the name and was there once long ago. It was at the lagoon end of the dock- very lush with little islands in the water and a South Pacific theme.

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## Karen

Thanks for the info.  We got to chatting with some people that we met and ended up at L'Astrolabe and I am so glad that we did.  Dinner was amazing.  Definitely the best meal of the trip!  The scallops that we both had the other night were awesome, it was what they were served with that was so so.
As for Esmeralda, I highly recommend it.  We had the Presidential Suite and it was perfect.  The staff here is wonderful and makes sure that you are well taken care of.  I also like the extensive collection of books that you can leave a book and take a book.
Hoping fo,r good flight karma.  AA had moved our flight to PHL up an hour and now they have moved it back an hour.  YIKES!

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## mentaloriental

Nice to read you had a good time in SXM!  It was the first Caribbean island I've gone to back in the day with an old friend of mine.  I've also been there solo as well with no problems.  The last time wifey and I went to St. Barths we did a day trip via ferry to St. Martin and had a great time in Orient Bay where we rented chairs at Kontiki and had brunch & did some jetskiing.  We had some food also at a lolo in Grand Case.  I second Le Pressoir as a good dinner option.  I hoped to make it to Baie Rouge but lacked the time.  Probably my favorite beaches on the island.  The only thing negative was the traffic.

Some people like to post negative things about crime on the island and while it does occur, crime happens in America too if not more frequently and sometimes on a mass shooting scale.

I hope they make a speedy recovery!

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