Fueled by hot young French chefs and hotel dining rooms that keep ratcheting up the excellence quotient, the St. Barts dining scene is superb. It's also really, really expensive -- and the weak dollar only makes dining out in St. Barts that much more pricey for Americans. But the island is not just about five-star hotel dining. You can eat very well at the many casual beachfront, hilltop, and harbor-side restaurants. Keep in mind that prized tables are often booked along with hotel reservations in high season. You might snag a seat at lunch or at the bar.
Eating Well with the Plunging Dollar -- Eating out in St. Barts is pricey to begin with, but it's practically become the sole domain of multimillionaires as the dollar continues its slide against the euro. You can, however, find ways to eat at many fine restaurants for less. Many of the island's most popular spots offer an affordable and filling lunchtime plat du jour (daily special) for 10€ to 12€ ($15-$18). Restaurants offering plats du jour include La Marine, the Wall House, and Le Repaire in Gustavia, and The Hideaway in St-Jean.
New at press time was the ultra-casual O'Corail Restaurant, a beach bar that opened in April 2008 on the sands between Le Sereno and the former La Gloriette in front of the Ouanalao Dive shop. It has lovely views out over the bay at Grand Cul de Sac and good, fresh-tasting food, from burgers to lobster salad to paninis. The restaurant serves breakfast and lunch daily and is open from 9am to 5pm.
Picnic Fare on St. Barts -- St. Barts is so expensive that many visitors buy at least one meal (perhaps a "gourmet lunch to go" package) from an epicurean takeout deli, or traiteur. The most centrally located, La Rôtisserie, rue du Roi Oscar II (tel. 590/27-63-13), is proud of its endorsement by Fauchon, the world-famous food store in Paris. On display are bottles of wine, crocks of mustard, pâté, herbs, caviar, chocolate, and exotic oils and vinegars, as well as takeout plats du jour from pâtés to pissaladière (onion tart) usually sold by the gram, costing around 8€ to 18€ ($12-$27) for a portion suitable for one. The place is open Monday through Saturday from 7am to 7pm, Sunday from 7am to noon; go early for the freshest items. There are two other worthy traiteurs in St-Jean. Maya's To Go (tel. 590/29-83-70) is operated by the famed island restaurateurs . Its windswept patio (with Wi-Fi access) is a great place to watch the planes and enjoy such takeout specialties as papaya and shrimp salad, Thai beef salad, and sauteed noodles with lemongrass. It's open from Tuesday to Sunday 7am to 7pm. American-born I. B. Charneau named Kiki-é Mo (tel. 590/27-90-65) after her sons Keefer and Marlon. It channels the Italian salumerias of her Short Hills, New Jersey, childhood with pizzas, pastas, and panini -- and the best espresso on island. And if you want to stock up on basic supplies and groceries, St. Barts has a number of grocery stores with excellent selections of imported French delicacies. There's a very good Match supermarket (tel. 590/27-68-16) right across from the airport, and it's open on Sundays.
