Restaurants in St. Martin

Most of the best restaurants can be found in St. Martin, which is well known for its exquisite French cuisine.

Most travelers visiting the island make it a point to dine in Grand Case the capital of St. Martin, which has the most restaurants per capita than any other town in the Caribbean. Though the town may look a little run-down, here chefs prepare several styles of gourmet food including American, Italian, and French. Vacationers staying on the Dutch St. Maarten definitely wont go hungry. This side of the island has an eclectic mix of international dishes such as Indonesian, Indian, and Italian foods.  For a more in-depth discussion of the food of St. Martin/St. Maarten, visit our article detailing Culinary Styles.

Because dining out in St. Maarten and St. Martin is so popular among vacationers and tourists, it is recommended that you make reservations to make sure that there is availability at the restaurant, especially during the high season when they are most crowded. Also, call ahead to find the restaurant's hours of operation because some places may have seasonal time changes, and may be closed. Most restaurant hours are generally the same from 12:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. for lunch, and 6:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. for dinner. Places that serve breakfast usually open at 7:30 a.m.  You can find contact information for island restaurants at our Restaurant Directory.  Here you will be able to search restaurants by name, and you can search by cuisine.

Etiquette is important when visiting a dining establishment, but at most restaurants jeans and T-shirts are suitable attire. At more up-scale places, formal wear like slacks and sports shirts for men and sundresses for women may be required. Call ahead to find out what kind of dresscode a particular restaurant may have in effect.

The cost of dining on the island will vary from restaurant to restaurant and on what kind of food is ordered, but vacationers can generally estimate the cost of the meal by considering the kind of restaurant they are visiting. At the more expensive dining facilities vacationers can expect to pay anywhere from $26(USD) to over $35(USD) per meal. The fine restaurants serve a variety of dishes including seafood and steak. Travelers on a budget can spend considerably less and still get a tasty meal for $15(USD) or less.

A 15 percent service charge is usually added on the final bill in St. Maarten, but generally there is no tax on the meal. If the gratuity is not already included, it is customary to tip around 10 to 20 percent. The French St. Martin will more than likely include the service charge, and usually expect 5 to 10 percent more for good service. This may seem like a bit much, but the service charge is split among everyone working at the restaurant.

Nowhere else in the Caribbean will you find such fine dining, that much is true.  Even if you plan to rent a villa and make most your meals yourself, the delectable eateries that St. Martin/St. Maarten have to offer may just convince you otherwise.  Just pick one of the over 400 restaurants on the island and see for yourself.