We have been staying in Grand Case annually for over 15 years. We are foodies. Funny you should ask this question, as I just recently asked my wife,

"If someone was spending one night in Grand Case, what restaurant do you think best exemplifies the GC dining experience?"

After some discussion, we decided upon L'Auberge Gormande. Service, quality, consistency of experience and ambiance make it the winner. That said, it's still a very close race.

Ocean 82, part of the Auberge/Caribe group is also a good example, as is Bistro Caribe. It will be interesting to see what happens to Tastevin when it is fully incorporated into the group.

L'Cottage has changed its menu a few times in the past few years, but food there is very good.

L'Estiminet is a favorite, but beware that the posted menu and the actual menu are different. The posted menu is much smaller, so don't fall in love with something on the menu board outside. Food is still excellent, but the service suffers slightly from the loss of Carole's gentle touch.

Sebastianos has been boarded up for years.

Il Nettuno changed hands a few years ago, and some of the charisma of the old owner is noticeably absent. Food is traditional Italian and the restaurant is well loved, although it has never been a favorite of ours.

Spiga is always better than we remember it being, and we make it a point to eat there at least once each trip. It is, however, off the beaten track.

Pressior is also a favorite of ours. Very good food, service and ambiance.

Calmos is a favorite on this forum and others, but for the life of me I cannot figure out why. We ate there a couple of times and found nothing that compelled us to return. Perhaps this is because we are more interested in food than drinks?

As an alternative to Calmos and a cheaper alternative to the restaurants on the "row", I'd recommend Sunset Cafe (not to be confused with Sunset Beach Bar at the other end of the island). Sunset doesn't quite meet the level of some of the other "row" restaurants, but the food is very good, specials are interesting, and prices are about 25% less. The setting is also beautiful. Avoid when windy or seas are rough.

One last comment: One of the coolest and least talked about restaurants is Ti Coin Creole. If you like creole food, this out-of-the-way small restaurant is excellent.

Truth be told, you really can't go too wrong in GC