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Quest for a Good Time
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The Quest for a Good Time
Top 10 Places to Take it Easy… or Let Loose
“Honey, let’s take it easy tonight…”
How many times did my husband say that to me in St. Martin? Famous last words. There are so many fun places to go, whether beach bars or nightclubs or just amazingly good restaurants with fabulous French wines… why would we take it easy?
In our quest to find the best places to take it easy, we instead found ourselves in the best places to let loose. Because sometimes it’s a fine line, and our good intentions lead… well, you know how the saying goes.
We took our research obligation seriously. But, as we all know, the truly best places to let loose are the ones walking distance to your hotel, hence our slant toward Grand Case. I admit, we haven’t considered every single establishment on the island – that would take a lifetime, literally, since it seems a large percentage of the enterprising population has a beachside cooler and umbrella set up – but we’ve done our best to highlight our favorites, plus those recommended by friends and fans.
1) Hotel L’Esplanade Pool Bar (Grand Case). While we never seem to have trouble staying sober when we go to the pool in Berkeley, for some reason we rarely managed it at the Esplanade Pool. I blame Alain. Or should I say Julie McCoy? Mixing up amazing cocktails, always refilling your wine glass a second before you decide to ask for more (or decide not to, but then it’s too late, right?), cooking up crazy good shrimp and other goodies on his little BBQ, Alain is the epitome of a great bartender. When you first meet him, his imposing stature is a little intimidating, until he smiles, and chuckles, and the day gets a little brighter. Lover of jokes and riddles, purveyor of everything you need, his motto is “You call, I haul.” One day I was finally convinced to try Alain’s signature drink, the “Tiger Woods” – he’s tight-lipped about why he named it that, but I suspect it’s because you feel like you’ve been hit with a 5-iron the next morning if you have too many. Alain has a habit of getting people talking with each other, creating an instant party atmosphere. It’s probably lucky that he closes the bar at 6pm (usually does anyway, we had a few late nights there). For my husband’s 40th birthday, we arranged with Alain to grill up lobsterfest 2010 for us and another couple. It was lunch, right? How much trouble could we possibly get into? We stumbled back to our room around midnight.
2) Calmos Cafe (Grand Case). No matter where we ate dinner in Grand Case (and elsewhere), if we were looking for a nightcap, or a bit of excitement, it was all about Calmos Cafe. We often ran into people we had met elsewhere, as it seems to be the place all the locals go, and where everyone ends up, especially on the more raucous music nights (Sun & Thurs). You can choose to be inside in the thick of things, with the music and festivities blaring, or head out to the beach chairs for a more mellow experience, staring out into the sea, mesmerized by the sailboats bobbing under the moonlight, letting the waves lap at your toes. Calmos mixes up some of the best drinks we had on the island, especially their epic rum punch. Beware the large rum punch, it is brutal, though not as lethal as the Ti Punch, which bears a striking resemblance to jet fuel. I kick myself for never trying their frozen blender drinks, they always looked fabulous. Their signature homemade rum is banana vanilla… which is similar to many places, only it’s better at Calmos, where they steep it up on the roof. They also offer the dreaded centipede rum. Seriously. Dead centipedes, pickled in rum and their own venom. It’s a testament to how seriously these guys take their libations. I never tried it… will you?
3) Sunset Bar & Grill (Maho Beach). I’ve only been once to the Sunset Bar & Grill in Maho Beach, but it was unforgettable. Huge jet airplanes buzz you as they defy gravity and casually land with their eager passengers… and it is a wicked cool sight to see, even if you’re not an airplane aficionado. My mom and I went to Sunset mid-afternoon one day to truly appreciate the aeronautical attractions, and whiled away far more of the afternoon than we planned. Sucking down a couple tasty strawberry daiquiris, gorging ourselves on substantial, tasty burgers with thick-cut steak fries, and watching planes arrive and depart, while idiots stood behind the jet wash clinging to the fence clearly marked “DANGER” and got blown into the backward waves… yeah, there are way worse places in the world to kick back. I was just waiting to see one of the asshats knocked off the seawall, and it was a close call. I’ve heard a rumor that topless women drink free, so perhaps there is just the slightest hint of Jersey Shore to the scene… but hey, it all adds to the festive atmosphere. As far as the bar itself is concerned, it’s huge and completely open to the air and beach and scenery. No one batted an eye when I stood on top of the table to take my photos of the landing planes. This is a one-of-a-kind place that should not be missed.
4) Yellow Beach (Pinel Island). You might think having to take a ferry to/from a beach bar would be a deterrent, but you’d be wrong. Yellow Beach wasn’t the best food we had on Pinel, but it had the best ambiance and drinks. On our first trip, we sequestered ourselves with some friends in one of the two-story tiki huts, and started ordering some refreshing French Rose wine. I’m normally not a Rose fan, but on a hot day, tucked away under the shade, watching kids frolic in the warm water, enjoying the quiet getaway that is Pinel… it was perfect. We spent hours relaxing, enjoying good company. When they brought us not one, but three rum digestifs, and left the bottles, well, our minds were made up. Why leave before we saw the last ferry loading?
5) Friar’s Bay Beach Cafe & Kali’s Cafe (Friar’s Bay). Friar’s Bay has two restaurants, each of which has its own flare and deserves special note, but I’m going to include them here in one entry. Both occupy one of my favorite beaches anywhere, with perfect swimming and snorkeling conditions, and a far more mellow atmosphere than Orient Beach. Friar’s Bay Beach Cafe in particular serves up fine French fare for a beach cafe, and one of the best American Breakfasts around, not to mention delicious drinks. Kali’s offers more basic beach food, though still tasty. Both restaurants offer the perfect place to tuck in for an afternoon or evening of enjoyment, with picnic tables under palms and covered private tables. The key is to hit the Full Moon Party at Friar’s Bay. With bonfires and drinks galore, and no one near enough to call the cops with noise complaints, it’s a great place to let loose under the stars.
6) Bamboo Bernie’s (Maho Beach). Not only the best sushi we had on the island, Bamboo Bernie’s vibe is a mix of restaurant, club and lounge, offering a little something for everyone. We headed there one night with three other friends, and managed to snag one of the comfy couch areas, with a low coffee table, separated from the rest of the crowd. It was like being in our own living room… with someone else bringing us drinks and sushi all night. We tucked in for several hours of tasty mixed drinks and people watching, while we pulled out the “Apples to Apples” and had our own version of a party. This place turns a little bit meat-market later in the evening, but there are a lot of the beautiful people to keep you entertained.
7) Palm Beach (Orient Beach). As the longest beach on St. Martin, with literally dozens of beach bars, how do you decide the best spot to lounge or let loose at Orient Beach? We sampled several – Palm Beach, La Playa, Kakao, Kontiki – and wandered through the rest of them. I’ve heard rumors of wild fun to be had at both Le String and Andy & Cheryl’s toward the southern end of Orient Beach, and I’m not discounting them, but my favorite was Palm Beach at the northern end. Away from all the crowds, Palm Beach has a quieter, more mellow vibe, and doles out fabulous wine and drinks, and a better menu than most. It’s a great place to bask in the beauty of Orient, down a few cocktails, feast on high-quality food, and not feel overrun. Of course, if you’re *really* looking to let loose at Orient Beach, try Club “O,” the naturalist beach and hotel at the southern end of Orient.
Bacchus (Grand Case). Though we did manage to imbibe several incredible bottles of Chateau Margaux wine during our fantastic cream-laden, fat-saturated, syrup-covered lunch at Bacchus, that’s not the only reason they make this list. One of the best places to let loose in St. Martin is wherever you’re staying, sitting out on the balcony, listening to the sounds of the Caribbean night (note: do not skimp on the bug spray!). To this end, Bacchus is the perfect ingredient. One of the best wine stores I’ve seen anywhere – and I really, really love wine stores – Bacchus has a dizzying array of French wines of all prices and varietals. But that doesn’t mean you have to be intimidated – to the contrary. The wonderfully welcoming staff at Bacchus doesn’t expect you to be an expert, because they are. Simply tell them the type of wine you enjoy, and they will hook you up with a wine you will love enough to stash in your suitcase for the flight home, even if it means having to check your luggage.
And now for the fan and friend favorites. I haven’t been to these places myself, but all have received many votes and recommendations:
9) Lady C’s Floating Bar (Simpson Bay). Their motto is “The liver is evil and must be punished.” Must be worth a look, right? I also hear they have all you can eat ribs for $11.95. Another great reason to put them on my list.
10 (tied) Buccaneer Bar (Pelican Key). This place has been recommended by both friends and fans. Their motto is “I put the Sin in Sint Maarten.” They have bonfires (environmentally friendly, of course) every Friday and Sunday night, plus full moon. Need I say more?
10 (tied) Red Piano (Pelican Key). If you’re looking for live music, this sounds like the place to be – they have live music every night – and judging from the photos on their Facebook fan page, they have a very, very good time.
Bottom Line
When you’re in St. Martin, you’ll find it’s hard to avoid having a good time. Too many fun places to go. You can’t stumble a block without seeing an establishment that might, just might, be a worthy place to check out and meet some new friends.
When they say it’s the Friendly Island, they’re not kidding. Owners, locals, other travelers – the camaraderie comes easy on this island. It will only take a couple shots of banana vanilla rum before you agree.