My favorite side of St. Martin is the French side..

Marigot has great restaurants and bars

“Le Saint Severin” Les Portes de Bellevue, Marigot tel 87-97-00 MUST make reservations… this is a very local crowd and FULL… no credit cards but you can sign the check and bring the money in the next day. They have fabulous mussels on Friday & Saturday.

The best buy & best food is at the small restaurants in Grand Case. Try “Le Ti Provencale”…

“Bistro Caraibes” incredible fish… the best creme brulee I have ever had… reservations a must.. tel 29-08-29

“l’Hibiscus” 5 tables… great food… tel 29-17-91

If you are tired of French food… try Italian… “Portofino” is great… on the beach… has music… casual… excellent… tel 29-08-28

Orient Beach is OVERBUILT and overcrowded… lounges are for rent at $9.00 a day and they are 3 deep… you can’t walk on the beach anymore… but there sure is a lot of ‘bodies showing’..

Beaches are outside of town so you need a car… Drive carefully – lots of motorbikes go much too fast…

Trip to Pinel Island – $7.00 Round trip. It is another world. – fun..relaxing and a great beach restaurant.
If you stay at Hotel Marquis you can sign at the restaurant.

All casinos are on the Dutch side of the island – so if you want to gamble go to the Dutch side.. I think that is boring so I opt for dining in a cute open air restaurant and then going to a harbor side bar to meet the locals… but I loved one new restaurant…

“Temptation” in the Atlantic Casino Courtyard – opened by Dino Jagriani, the first St Maarten graduate from the Culinary Institute of America. Great seafood. Must reserve – 545-2254.

Everyone will talk to you so don’t be shy...