Places to Dine

Known as the "Gastronomic Capital of the Caribbean", St. Maarten offers the widest variety of dining experiences of any other island in the world. Stay here for a year, and you'll never eat in the same place twice. Truly, a gourmet's paradise, worldwide cuisine is represented by the island's over 350 restaurants. Aromas blend in the air as chefs combine sweet and spicy Caribbean flavors with sophisticated worldwide recipes.

From the casual to the cozy to the uniquely Caribbean, Philipsburg holds a menagerie of tasty dining establishments. The most famously offbeat of these is Air Lekkerbek Bar and Restaurant, serving crab, chicken, conch and other lunchtime favorites in the hull of a converted airplane. More daring cuisine can be found at Anand Indian Restaurant, an old time Caribbean house converted into a cosy eatery with all the scented spices of curry and cardamom working to transport you to the wild and wonderful world of India. Valet park your car and enter into the soft lighting and romance of Antoine Restaurant, where you get to sample Jean Pierre's extensive wine collection and enjoy the soft, evening breeze blow in off Great Bay.

To find the richly unique, the family run or the cosmopolitan just catch a quick cab to the Simpson Bay Area and look for the
newly revamped and reopened 3 Palms Resto Lounge overlooking Simpson Bay, where modern dishes are served in bistro style platters and tapas. And who would have thought you could get a taste of Germany in St. Maarten? Bavaria offers truly authentic german meats and stews that proudly represent the owner, Annette's, German heritage.

Just a short walk from the cruise ship pier and stationed on the boardwalk of Great Bay Beach, Get Wet Beach Bar is where you'll find honeymooners stopping for special shooters, BBQ burgers and island style ribs. For those late night cravings, there's nothing more satisfying than the caribbean pub grub of the ESPN Cafe. Open until the wee hours of the morning, you'll find most travelers stop in for a quick bite and a few ESPN highlights before they call it a night.

In St. Maarten, variety is the spice of life. And at Lee's Roadside Grill and Bar, you never know what you're going to get. The daily menu depends on what comes in
on the fishing boats. Known for their fruity island drinks, fun atmosphere and nightly live music, the dish of the day always comes straight out of the ocean.

It's the local food scene that keeps travelers talking with their mouths full. Bring a napkin to Brother Jimmy's BBQ, known for fresh collard greens, cornbread and ribs that literally fall from the bone.

Not to mention a bourbon selection that will have you blushing. Famous St. Maarten Restauranteur, Mario, opened up his own Spanish Bodega combining a wide selection of tapas with choices of afternoon and dinner wine selection. Jimbo's Rock and Blues Cafe at the Simpson Bay Marina offers gourmet mexican dishes made to order. If the food's too spicy. Not to worry! You can grab a drink and take a dip in their poolside bar.

But if your looking for that one favorite spot, the mainstay of St. Maarten, look no further than The Greenhouse, serving certified angus beef and the freshest lobster since 1986.