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Trip Report rms 5 hours ago Our June visit to St, Martin was our 17th, but unfortunately, due to covid, Hurricane Irma, family events, non-Caribbean travel and overall laziness, we haven't been since 2014. So very glad to be back. Although it has been 12 years, our SXM vacation goals remain unchanged as we are committed to do as little as humanly possible. So if you're looking to read about pub crawls, reunions with old SXM friends (we don't have any), boat rides, visits to neighboring islands or any other strenuous time-consuming activities, this ain't the place.

We do however splurge on two things, hotel (La Samanna) and fine dining. So given that I am a restaurant critic wannabe and that I won't have much else to write about, short restaurant reviews will be included along with a couple of other random observations. Naturally, restaurants have to be rated and we choose to rate them by profiteroles. SXM is the only place where we eat them (not every night) and we just like the way it sounds. A 4 profiterole rating is the ultimate. Eat your heart out Michelin !!

DAY 1

Our United flight from Newark was our favorite kind, uneventful and a little early. So delightful to see that aqua-colored water from the plane as we approached. Leisure Car Rental was waiting (very efficient) and we're off. Greeted with cocktails at the hotel and are shown to our room. The first order of business is the ceremonial removal of my watch. In SXM, I really don't care what time it is so into the safe it goes, not to be seen again until we leave. Our second order of business, after unpacking, is deciding where to have dinner.

Le Cottage has always been one of our favorites and so we begin the first of several trips to Grand Case. Stephan recognizes us (allegedly) and we enjoy talking about his and the restaurant's history. The wife orders escargot for an appetizer and jumbo shrimp with lobster sauce and pasta as her entree. Calling these shrimp jumbo does not do them justice. They are gargantuan !! I have lobster soup in puff pastry and a grouper fillet special. For dessert, we share cheesecake with a raspberry topping. A couple of glasses of Sancerre and our dining ventures are off to a good start.

We set the bar pretty high with our restaurant outings and over the years have been in awe at some of them. We enjoyed Le Cottage, will be back next trip, but did not leave awestruck. Nevertheless, a solid 2 1/2 profiterole rating this time.

On the way back, we stopped at the Starz casino in Cupecoy. I don't believe I've ever seen a casino this empty, not even in Atlantic City. There were more employees than patrons. No table games, by the way, We left, their loss, our gain. We passed this casino many times during our stay and never saw many cars in their parking lot.

DAY 2

I vowed to invoke my anti-atrophy campaign and went to the gym every morning. On this day, after my workout and a beautiful buffet breakfast, we drove to Super U for emergency provisions (snacks, wine).

After spending the afternoon on the beach, we decide to return to Grand Case, specifically La Villa, another old favorite. We are welcomed by Christophe who doesn't pretend to recognize us but we have a nice chat about our first meeting during his days at L'Auberge Gourmande.

The wife has a crabmeat tartare with mango & lime over avocado guacamole appetizer and I have a goatcheese/eggplant salad. The crabmeat was good and my salad was unique and outstanding. Entrees were a shrimp/scallop duo for the wife and triggerfish (whatever that is) for me. We share a nice chocolate lava cake with vanilla ice cream for dessert. Just so you know, according to Wickipedia, "triggerfish are often notoriously ill-tempered and fish of this family are sometimes eaten by humans." Oh.

Anyway, a terrific meal as expected and I chuckle thinking that about 48 hours ago, we were eating at our local Applebee's. A fine 3 profiterole rating for La Villa.

Went to Casino Royale in Maho where the wife made $20 last long enough for me to watch the Knicks win game 2.

DAY 3

Woke up and discovered it had rained overnight. Overnight rain is OK with us.

Spent the day on the beach as per our official itinerary. For dinner, we decided to do something other than French food and went to Spiga in Grand Case for Italian. On the way, we noticed a McDonald's that wasn't there 12 years ago. There goes the neighborhood. But I digress.

We have many great Italian restaurants in New Jersey so we have plenty to compare with Spiga. Appetizers included eggplant parmesan for the wife and a cuttlefish(?) salad for me. It turns out that cuttlefish and triggerfish are not related. Wikipedia says "studies indicate cuttlefish to be among the most intelligent invertebrates." Oh.

Entrees were a fettucine alla bolognese for the wife and I had osso buco. A bottle of Sangiovese paired well. Desserts were tiramisu and chocolate gelato. We had a nice conversation with the owner who bought Spiga three years ago. Nothing wrong with this dinner although it was pretty standard fare. A nice 2 1/2 profiterole rating for Spiga.

Back to Casino Royale with the same results as last night but no Knicks game.

DAY 4

Another full day on the beach reading and napping as per our agenda. The Grand Case shuttle continues as we dine at Ocean 82. This is a new one for us as it opened in 2015, a year after our last visit. We remember this location as the Fish Pot of long ago. Right next door is the late Le Tastevin restaurant which was severely damaged by Hurricane Irma in 2017 and never reopened. Miraculously, Ocean 82 only suffered minor damage. We're told that the owners of Ocean 82 include Bistrot Caraibes, across the street. We're also told that the owners (not including Bistrot Caraibes) hope to reopen L'Tastevin in 2027. Nothing against another restaurant but what Grand Case really needs is a multi-level parking garage (never gonna happen !).

Anyway, the wife orders a cold lobster appetizer and I have crab cakes. Entrees were roast duck breast and fish pot stew. We washed it down with Sancerre and for dessert, Profiteroles !! A great meal and we welcome Ocean 82 into our future restaurant rotation with a 3 profiterole rating.

DAY 5

Continued our all day stay on the beach with the occasional study of the back of my eyelids. One more trip to Grand Case with tonight's victim being Le Pressoir. We had been there many years ago and either we got them on a bad night or, more likely, forgot our taste buds at the hotel. Le Pressoir is always mentioned at or near the top of best SXM restaurant lists so we thought we'd give it another try.

First, they have valet parking, a blessing in Grand Case. Second, they were playing 60s music. These two things alone could warrant an extra profiterole. Not necessary.

For appetizers, the wife has a brie dish and I have lobster bisque (poured from a conch shell ! ). She orders a lamb shank entree and I, Pluma, another menu item I never heard of. It turns out Pluma is a Spanish pork dish and means feather in that language. A French martini (verry highly rated) and pinot noir matched well. Dessert - a giant Profiterole !!! Everything was delicious.

We're glad we gave Le Pressoir a second chance and the accolades it has received are well deserved. We agree and award Le Pressoir a highly regarded 3 1/2 profiteroles.

Got to Casino Royale in time to see the Knicks lose. However, on the bright side, the wife actually walked away with more than she started.

DAY 6

In a rare burst of activity, we decided to do something other than lie on the beach all day. We were curious about Marigot as on our last visit, we thought it was in overall decline and wanted to see if there was any improvement. In our opinion, yes and no. Rue de General DeGaulle, the street with the most shops, seemed to be in good shape. We didn't notice any boarded up buildings (other streets, not as good). On the other hand, the marina was depressing. We remembered it being filled with boats and lined with restaurants and shops. While there are some boats and some shops and restaurants, there is plenty of space available. One area, once a restaurant, looked like the hurricane hit yesterday, with no apparent clean up attempt in the 9 years since.

We recall some nice dinners in Marigot, Le Vie En Rose and Le Chanteclair (famous for its no name dessert) among them. No more.

From there, we drove to Maho where the wife needed to shop and I wanted to sit on the beach and watch some planes come in. I have done that before but it's still pretty cool. We stopped going to Phillipsburg many years ago as, with the traffic, it consumed a good part of the day. I'm confident the stores there have managed without us.

Made it back to the hotel in time to spend a couple of hours on the beach and then drove back to Maho.

There comes a time in each of our SXM vacations where we need a fine dining break and look for plain food (i.e. burgers). We found the Burger Bar, about a hundred yards from Casino Royale (towards the airport). It has a 50s style diner look and we heard Elvis as we walked in. It's not fair to profiterole it but our quest, which included a chocolate shake, was more than satisfied.

On to the casino where the wife returned the previous night's winnings. For the first time this trip, I sat down at a blackjack table and accidently won.

DAY 7

Had to make up for yesterday's lost beach time and lounged all day. I started wondering if I could get bed sores from all this lounging. Another new restaurant for us tonight, L'Atelier in Orient. It took a while to find it and I seriously considered deducting a profiterole for my trouble. Not happening.

We had a great dinner. The owner, Alex, brought over the big menu board and very enthusiastically described each item on it. My immediate thought was how does he do this several times every
night ?? The wife has a poached local egg special appetizer and mahi-mahi entree. I have brushetta and short ribs. We share a chocolate lava cake for dessert. Every dish was excellent and we shall return on our next visit. A well deserved 3 1/2 profiteroles for L'Atelier.

Returned to Casino Royale where the wife wins and I enjoy the Knicks miracle win.

DAY 8

Only 2 days left so we could not resist the calling of the sand. We again decided to forego fancy dining and ate at the Gutside Cafe in Friar's Bay, a repeat visit for us. Nothing fancy here. The wine list consists of the red one and the white one. But if you want good, friendly, local food, you can't do much better. Lourdes and Richard provide a hearty welcome and you pretty much tell them what you'd like to eat.

I'll refrain from a profiterole rating as Gutside is in its own category.

DAY 9

Our last full day in SXM and the wife is already saying "I don't wanna go home". An all-day beachfest, which included lunch on the beach, was obligatory.

We were in the mood for steak and decided to try JAX in Maho, another new one for us. A good pick.

Our steaks came as ordered, were nice and tender and we enjoyed our last supper. Nothing unique about this but we wouldn't hesitate to go back next time for a steak dinner. We award JAX solid 2 1/2 profiteroles.

DAY 10

Breakfast and then sadly, the return of my watch to my wrist. On to the airport to return the car and have another uneventful flight to Newark. Got home in time to see the Knicks win the championship.

MISCELLANY

In all our 17 trips to St. Martin, we have NEVER had a bad meal or incurred bad service. Just some are extraordinary !

There seems to be more cars and trucks on the same amount of road.

Those guys on motorcycles and motorbikes are absolutely nuts ! We're surprised we didn't see one splattered across some road.

Lots of building in Cupecoy.

St. Martin is a very special place for us and we look forward to our next visit.

As they have done in the past, United retrofitted their return flight planes with narrower seats !!

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Happy 4th of July! Carol_Hill 8 hours ago Happy birthday to all Americans!!

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Five arrested with firearm SXMScubaman Yesterday at 03:00 PM Sure glad Police were suspecting trouble. No telling what was planned if not stopped.
LINK

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Two stranded Dolphins on Orient SXMScubaman Yesterday at 02:57 PM LINK

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A new place coming to Maho this fall Dr Phil SXM 07/02/2026 07:24 PM I’m not sure if this was already posted or not.

A new place is coming to Maho.
Expected to be called Tapas & Tunes.

To be located next to Jax in the space previously occupied by White Rabbit and Sopranos.

It will be a spot to relax and experience cocktails with delicious tapas, flavorful mezza, beautiful charcuterie boards, creamy cheese fondue & more…
In the evening, smooth jazz vibes playing in the background.

Opening date expected in the Fall.

Drphilsxm

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Trip Report: Final Days and Departure wabid 07/01/2026 04:55 PM Our final week was restful and wonderful. Plenty of swimming, snorkeling and relaxation.

I guess that is one reason we still enjoy Simpson Bay Resort. Given, we have been committed to SBR for 25 years (wife and parent bought highly discounted weeks from Pelican), but as I have said in previous years.... the resort improves with every visit and the staff is great. With five pools and a well managed maintained beach it is so easy to find a place to relax. In fact, 2 of the pools (A&D) we mostly had to ourselves every time we visited. My only ding (a small one) with SBR is the rooms are getting a little dated since the last major renovation. TVs are showing their age and certain areas need a coat of paint and retiling. Very minor, but I was happy to see the process has begun in two rooms in our building and I assume will continue though the low season.

We cook most of our meals but in our final days we dined at La Patrona. The service and meal were fine, but somewhat underwhelming.

We also had carry out from Shiv Shakti Indian restaurant next to the resort. Outstanding. I love Indian cuisine and this place was recommended to us years ago by a local. During my professional life I spent much time in the UK and the Netherlands. If I had a long day I knew I could always find a decent "curry". This place just hits the spot. Homemade pampadams (chick pea :"tortillas") and phenomenal curries. I had the mutton(goat) Korma which is goat in a cashew, curry, creamy sauce and the we also ordered lamb and chicken curry with homemade naan (flatbread). To me Indian food is a "rainbow for the tongue" .... they certainly fit the bill.

My wife and daughter also went horse back riding at the Seaside Ranch. They loved it. One fun part was my wife's horse was named "Indy". Same as our dog! I could not ride because I am 6'1" and weigh an even 200#s. Too big for the horses.

Our travel home was surprisingly easy and seemless. Dropped off our car for Leslie (Kenny's car rental) at the airport, and were through security in 10 minutes. Had a quick bite and a farewell cocktail and our AA flight to Philly took off in time. MY only complaint is why does AA refuse to use any jet bridges?

PHL arrival was soooo much easier than Miami (I hate Miami) and the Mobile Passport App actually worked this go around. So we were though immigration, customs and bag drop off (excluding walking times) in about 15 minutes. We will definitely route through PHL next time if convenient.

That's it for now. We will definitely return at a minimum in 2 years, but negotiations are in progress for next year ;-)

Thanks everyone for all your thoughts & advice over the years. This site is our go to reference point.

Cheers!

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Happy Canada Day Whale Tail 07/01/2026 02:49 PM Wishing all the Canadian TTOLer's a Happy Canada Day

Stay cool and hydrated if you are located under this heat dome.

It will feel like 118F this afternoon in my area

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Starlink Mount MiamiJay 07/01/2026 04:30 AM Looking though the threads here and don’t see anyone posting about the best mount to use on a Moorings 464PC, or any mounts for that matter. I assume that many people bring Starlink and I am planning to bring my Mini in a couple of weeks to use on the boat. I was thinking of using one with suction mounts to place up under my cabin hatch/portlight but not sure if that is big enough to accommodate the suction mount.

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Date change to SXM Shelly C 06/29/2026 09:58 PM I changed the date going to Sxm after I filled out the Sxm entry form. I went in and tried to edit the form to change the date but it wouldn’t go through.
So is it necessary for me to change the date on the entry form? If so what is the process?

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Captains Compass Marilyn 06/28/2026 10:16 PM Does anyone know if The Captains Compass is still in business? I’ve sent several emails lately and haven’t received any response. Thanks

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